NEARLY UPHILL – GREAT WALKS IN NORTH WALES & MORE!

Short River Walk in North Wales

This is a short river walk in North Wales, but it is very pretty and well worth a visit. It follows a beautiful river, the Afon Llanfairfechan, through a small ancient woodland. When the river Llanfairfechan is not in spate it is crossable by some fun stepping stones.

This riverside walk is perfect for families and dog walkers. You can keep it really short and just enjoy the lower level walk to a small waterfall. Alternatively, you can take the short, but steep, circular route. There are sheep lurking in the woodland so keep your sheep ‘loving’ dogs on leads.

Where to Park for the Nant Y Coed Nature Reserve and River Walk

There are two choices for parking for this pretty woodland and river walk. The first car parking space ‘A’ is on a hair pin bend on Newry Drive. There is room for a small number of cars in a wide layby area on the bend. The start of the river walk is obvious from here.

If parking at ‘A’ is full then turn back and head up Valley road. It’s a very narrow single track road and the car park is right at the end on the left. You can’t go any further. If the river is full then it’s probably best to walk down the road back to Car Park A to avoid the stepping stone crossings. Access from the car park to the nature reserve is not as easy if you have any less able members in your group.

The higher route leads you up into the tree canopy on the steep rocky bank. The whole walk will take you under an hour. The path does get quite steep and narrow with some exposure to very steep slope. It has been nicely zigzagged to help.

The circular path is well signposted. It guides you up through the woodland at the foot of the ancient settlement and hillfort, Dinas.

See the Route on OS Maps & Get the GPX File

The History of Nant Y Coed

Nant y Coed was once part of a private estate but was sold to the council in 1924. During the 19th century, parts of the surrounding woodland were managed for timber, supporting industries and construction in the region. Llanfairfechan became a popular Victorian resort town and Nant y Coed was a favourite spot for visitors. They paid an entrance fee for fishing in the pond and refreshments. It’s much less touristy now and simply a lovely nature walk. You can still see how the fishing pond and the walls along the stream may have once been very smart and well maintained.

Nant Y Coed Nature Conservation

In more recent times, Nant y Coed has been preserved by the council as a nature reserve and recognised for its ecological value. The area supports a variety of wildlife. The blend of ancient and younger woodland creates an ideal environment for biodiversity.

I hope you enjoy this short walk, it’s also a great starting point for heading up into the lower Carneddau Range.