The best MTB trails around Llanwddyn

Llanwddyn is a small village beneath the Llanwddyn Dam on Lake Vyrnwy. The original village was flooded when the reservoir was created in the 1880s. There are a couple of accommodation options in the surroundings: the beautifully situated Lake Vyrnwy Hotel and Spa to the north-east and the Lake Vyrnwy campsite to the east.

Gorgeous area. Be aware the road/trail on the south side (including access to/from Llanymawddwy) are currently closed due to damage from storm Darragh. See https://www.hdcymru.co.uk/our-visitor-sites/lake-vyrnwy/storm-darragh/ for more details.

A quiet road.....generally. Any traffic is slow moving. Grab an ice cream at the Llangower Railway Station.

There is a little cafe above the main car park for a coffee and cake after the "gift shop" labelled walks. As usual, Komoot makes the walk easier than using signposts - remember to download to the phone app. Kayaking/canoeing around the lake is only possible for about half of it due to a protected bird sanctuary.

Don't go too far if it's rained or you end up getting your feet wet. Beautiful place not far from car park and cafe can be quite stoney

Good little cafe on Bala Lake it was an old fashioned van outside that has lots of different flavors of ice cream. It was blasting out old 60s music which was fun. Dogs only outside under the umbrellas on hot days. Try the cheese & ham toastie. Prices are a little high but it's well worth it.

Llangower provides access to the lakeside for walks, picnics and bird watching. The stop also offers access to the car park and adjacent toilet facilities provided by the Snowdonia National Park. There is a passing loop and small signal box here which is used on gala days and for the pink timetable to allow trains to pass. A beautiful little picnic area for a stop and a break before cycling them hills again.

The dam across the Vyrnwy Valley, Montgomeryshire, was the first large masonry dam, and was completed in 1888. Water from the reservoir supplies Liverpool, travelling there along a 70 mile aqueduct. They have a bike hire and cafe in the car part. You can hire a bike to ride around the lake the road surface is great with some spectacular views of the lake and dam. The dam at Lake Vyrnwy is often associated with practice bombing runs for Operation Chastise in The Second World War. Better known as the “Dambusters” raid, Lancasters of 617 Squadron breached the German Möhne and Eder dams and damaged the Sorpe dam in May 1943. However, the association with Lake Vyrnwy seems to be something of a local myth as the dam was never actually used for this purpose. So where did this story originate? It seems that at least one scene in the famous 1955 film, “The Dambusters” was shot at Lake Vyrnwy leading to the mistaken belief that the wartime RAF Lancaster bomber crews practiced there.