It’s taken me a while to get round to writing about our most recent day out. As a treat for my birthday David and I planned another walk. My intention was to take a stroll around the Vivian Quarry overlooking Llyn Peris and then embark on another Welsh wild swim at Padarn. However it was only the walk we achieved, I couldn’t find a suitable, peaceful site to swim from at Padarn.
Map
After an early start, we arrived at the car park for the Llanberis Lake Railway around 10am. Parking was a very reasonable £4 for all day. From here there are a number of walking trails you can take around Padarn Country Park. After a quick pit-stop, David and I headed towards the Vivian Trail which would take us past old barracks towards a viewpoint overlooking the Vivian Quarry and Llyn Peris.
Dinorwig Power Station
The Vivian Quarry is part of the larger Dinorwic Quarry which was the second largest slate mine in it’s time. It has now become the back drop to the Dinorwic Hydroelectric Power Station. Tours of this engineering feat can be booked from here.
Our walk took us through woodland, the path creeping steadily upwards past disused quarry buildings and old barrack houses where the quarry-men would live in spartan conditions.
We spent a good four hours walking the path and taking pictures. I definitely see another visit to the area in future as there are many more paths yet to be explored. We returned to the car and went looking for a suitable place in which to have a birthday swim at Llyn Padarn.
Llyn Padarn
Unfortunately all the beaches were full with canoeists so I forgoed a swim, until next time!
Have you visited Llanberis? What are your memories of the area?
Thanks for reading,
Christine x
Christine Lucas 
I never really think of going to Wales for the day. I don’t know why because it is probably a similar distance to the Lakes. Sorry you didn’t get to swim on this trip. X
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I’ve only been to Llanberis once and I got a speeding ticket going over the pass, following a bus, so assume the bus got one as well!! However I wasn’t that bothered with the little town to be honest, the area around the railway station was quite cute but the rest was just ok for me. Maybe the speeding ticket has left a bad taste!!
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It depends what you are looking for in terms of scenery. There is the nice walk we did with the old slate mine and lakes. There was peacefulness. We sat watching buzzards circling overhead. There’s a wood I would like to walk through and of course visit Padarn again. Snowdonia isn’t The Lake District, but on a good day, there are some nice places. I’ve been more successful in wild swimming in the Lakes than Wales.
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What are the barracks? Army camps?
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I thought they were army camps too but after further reading I found they are rows of houses built for quarry workers!
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Thats interesting they don’t seem very high from the photos.
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