Latest news with #Aberdovey
Daily Mirror
18-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Beautiful 31-mile train journey past both mountains and beaches named UK's best
From green-capped mountains to creamy golden beaches and dense forests, this two-hour train journey has been crowned one of the country's best - and it's pretty easy to see why Watch rolling countryside and golden sandy beaches from the comfort of your own seat on this picturesque train journey. Let's face it, the UK's railways don't exactly have the best reputation. Plagued with constant delays, cancellations, and crowded carriages - hopping on a train for leisure seems like an oxymoron. However, if you look hard enough, you'll find a slew of beautiful trains that seem worlds away from your bleak morning commute. Take the Machynlleth to Pwllheli route in Wales, for example, which was recently named one of the best train journeys in the country by Conde Nast Traveller. The 31-mile track, which lasts for around two hours and 12 minutes, idles through breathtaking mountains, stunning beaches, and dense forests, and can cost less than £20 for a return. "Just inside the southernmost rim of Snowdonia National Park, this route is blessed by nature from the moment the train departs," the publication hailed. "Passengers gaze onto scenes of tall grass smattered with waist-high wildflowers and puffy clouds over peaks fringed with forest... Not long after Dovey Junction station, the ride follows the bends of the River Dyfi until it opens wide onto the Cardigan Bay coast, shaped by fingers of creamy sand and dunes melting into the water." The train has 25 stops, including the 'most isolated station in Wales', Dovey Junction, and the acclaimed seaside town of Barmouth - just make sure you get a window seat to make the most of the journey. Most of the track hugs the country's stunning coastline, allowing for plenty of beach vistas and sea views. However, there are no first class carriages, so it might be worth bringing your own train picnic. Machynlleth to Pwllheli - the full route Machynlleth Dovey Junction Penhelig Aberdovey Tywyn Tonfanau Llwyngwril Fairbourne Morfa Mawddach Barmouth Llanaber Talybont Dyffryn Ardudwy Llanbedr Pensarn (Gwynedd) Llandanwg Harlech Tygwyn Talsarnau Llandecwyn Penrhyndeudraeth Minffordd Porthmadog Criccieth Penychain Abererch Pwllheli Machynlleth is located 217 miles from Central London, meaning you'll have to drive around four hours and 47 minutes to get there. You can catch an indirect train from London Euston, which includes a stop over at Birmingham but only takes three hours and 52 minutes. Single adult fares start from £37.20. After arriving in Machynlleth, you can hop straight onto the train to Pwllheli or spend the night in the market town. Here, you'll find an array of museums, the Michelin-starred restaurant Ynyshir, and - if you time it right - Machynlleth Comedy Festival. You can grab return fares to Pwllheli and back for as little as £21.09. If you have a railcard, this can cut down the price to an even more impressive £13.99 - which works out at less than £7 each way! *Prices based on Trainline listings at the time of writing.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Ride aids charity helping Wolverhampton heart patients
Seven people have raised about £2,800 for a charity supporting heart patients, by cycling more than 100 miles (161km).The group took part in the Aberdovey Bike Ride, cycling from Wolverhampton to Aberdyfi in Wales to help the Have a Heart rehabilitation centre in the site supports heart patients in their recovery and gives them exercise classes and personalised gym Scordis, one of those who took part in the event that attracted more than 300 people on Friday, said it was an "amazing achievement" by his group. Mr Scordis is the manager of the cardiac rehabilitation service at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton and also the treasurer of Wolverhampton Coronary Aftercare Support Group (WCASG).The charity was formed by ex-patients of the coronary care unit of the hospital in 1985 and raises funds to support the Have a Heart seven left West Park, Wolverhampton, at 06:30 BST on Friday and finished at an Aberdovey yacht club between 15:00 and 16:00 BST. Mr Scordis said it was "massively pleasing" to see patient Dennis Pearson complete the challenge in Pearson, who will be 73 on Tuesday, has had bypass surgery."It was an amazing achievement with the weather and heatwave for everyone to achieve that distance," Mr Scordis stated. The charity supplements the running costs of the Have a Heart building to make it accessible to the community by keeping membership prices affordable, the treasurer year, WCASG gave Have a Heart £21,000 in support and that figure was needed every year, he money raised through Friday's rides represented "a nice chunk" and would make the overall target "a little bit easier to achieve". Mr Scordis said the charity was the centre's main source of has over the years raised more than £2m to fund life-saving equipment, staff salaries, research and services for patients at the hospital's heart and lung centre and provide long-term exercise classes at Have a Heart Wolverhampton. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Moment 'mini Jaws' is spotted lurking off British coast with children playing just metres away
A massive 7ft shark was spotted just metres off the British coast, leaving locals stunned. Dubbed a 'mini Jaws', the terrifying creature is thought to be a 2m porbeagle and was spotted off Aberdovey (also known as Aberdyfi) in Wales on Sunday afternoon. Owen Davies managed to capture the remarkable moment the endangered shark - which can be a danger to humans - was seen swimming in circles with the dorsal fin breaching the water surface. Mr Davies, 67, said he was on his way home after a few days in the area and noticed a crowd of people with their phone cameras out as a toddler played on the shoreline. He said: 'The previous day I'd noticed a lot of huge barrelled jelly fish around there but they don't normally catch peoples attention. 'I slowed down as I passed and then I saw a dorsal fin, so I pulled over to have a better look. 'I'm 67 years of age, born and bread in Aberdovey and have never seen a shark in the river, as kids we used to see the odd porpoise swimming up the estuary but never a shark.' The shark - which can grow up to 12 feet long and weigh as much as 600 pounds - was spotted 'four foot' off the old lifeboat slipway in Penhelig, Aberdovey. He said: 'I was really surprised, I've never seen a shark in the estuary before.' Another local, Simon Howes, said: 'Wow shark in Aberdyfi.' The porbeagle shark is a species of mackerel shark that inhabits cold and temperate waters of the North Atlantic and Southern Hemisphere. The impressive beast is also member of the Lamnidae family and is one of the closest living relatives of Great whites. But the shark was believed to be injured or ill and had to be rescued by divers. The coastguard set up a boundary around the shark that looked in distress so people wouldn't approach it as divers helped the endangered animal. The shark is believed to have survived and swum back out of the estuary with the rising tide. A coastguard spokesperson said: 'HM Coastguard Aberystwyth were tasked at the request of MRCC Milford Haven. 'To assist the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, BDMLR with a two-metre long juvenile Porbeagle shark swimming in the area. 'Between the pier and the bandstand that was thought to be ill or injured and in danger of beaching itself. 'The CRT were tasked to provide safety cover for BDMLR and also to provide a bit of crowd control. 'To ensure no members of the public put themselves in harm's way, or inadvertently caused the shark further distress. 'After low tide and no further sightings, 'mini jaws' had seemingly made it out of the bay and so the CRT were stood down.' Porbeagle sharks are listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN globally. In the UK, they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and it is illegal to intentionally catch or kill them in British waters. Although porbeagles are physically capable of attacking humans, very few attacks have been attributed to the species.
