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Wales Online
27-05-2025
- Wales Online
This market town has mountain biking, bookshops and some of the best food in Wales
This market town has mountain biking, bookshops and some of the best food in Wales This historic hotspot is packed with indie shops, biking trails and is home to the only restaurant in Wales with two Michelin stars. While many small UK towns have succumbed to chain stores and bland shopping options, this quirky town has plenty of independent shops and cafes to explore (Image: Portia Jones ) The Market town of Machynlleth, affectionately known as "Mach" to locals, is a historic hotspot packed with indie shops, forested biking trails and is home to the only restaurant in Wales with two Michelin stars, Ynyshir. Located in the Dyfi Valley, this small, forward-thinking town was formally the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404 and is often cited as the "ancient capital of ales." It also holds the accolade of being one of only two UNESCO Biosphere Reserve sites in the UK. Despite its small size, Mach has an impressive number of independent retailers; you won't find a Starbucks or a Tesco here. Instead, you can buy books, clothes and antiques from local businesses and get unique items to take home. Outside of shopping, there's plenty to do and see in Mach, from outdoor pursuits to destination dining, arts, and culture. There are also some marvellous places to eat and feast on local produce. Here's why you should head to Mach for a weekend break. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here Shopping clocktower on Main Street, Machynlleth Wales, Great Britain (Image: Michael Pasdzior /getty ) Article continues below One of the key attractions in Machynlleth is its array of independent shops that line Heol Maengwyn, the main street. The town prides itself on its unique, locally-owned stores, which include a variety of antique shops, bookstores, homeware shops, shoe stores, delis, and even a record store. Additionally, galleries display local Welsh art and crafts, providing a deep dive into the region's artistic heritage. The vibrant market held every Wednesday is another highlight, offering everything from local produce to handmade crafts. I love a good bookshop! (Image: Portia Jones ) Pen'rallt Gallery Bookshop, housed in a charming building, provides a wide range of new and second-hand books and regular author events and readings. Another notable shop is Corrie's Cabin, a popular destination for fishing supplies and outdoor gear. Elsewhere in town, there are independent bookstores, junk shops, and high-end antique dealers. This is the town to visit if you want to furnish your home with vintage items or classic pieces. Ayurveda Apothecary is also located on the high street, selling a range of organic face & body natural beauty products. Machynlleth fashion With a dressmaker and bespoke shoe shop, Machynlleth is the ideal place to update your wardrobe and seek a new style. The town is home to the Original Shandals Co. and RED (Ruth Emily Davey) Shoes, known for their carefully crafted footwear. Ruth's charming shoe shop is located on the main high street. Here, you can buy the world-famous 'Shandals', designed by Alan James Raddon in 1992. The unique shoes result from a creative collaboration between Alan and his former apprentice Ruth, who now owns her own brand, RED shoes. They are designed to last, be repairable after years of wear and tear, and come in vibrant colours. Nearby, you'll find Anderson Apparel, which specialises in custom apparel, clothing designs and pattern-cutting services. It's a small, quantity clothing design and manufacture company run by Christine Anderson, an award-winning qualified Designer and Pattern Cutter. They have a made-to-measure service for private clients only by appointment, so you can spoil yourself with custom-made clothes on a fun shopping trip to Machynlleth. What to do in Machynlleth The town prides itself on its unique, locally-owned stores (Image: Portia Jones ) Machynlleth also hosts several events that significantly boost its independent shopping scene. The Machynlleth Comedy Festival is held annually and attracts thousands of visitors, benefiting local businesses. During the festival, local shops and cafes report a surge in patronage, providing a vital economic boost to the town. The festival has grown significantly since its inception, featuring nearly 300 shows and drawing over 8,000 visitors a year. From comedy to culture and biking, here's what to do in Machynlleth once you've exhausted all your shopping options. Have a laugh The market town is probably best known for the famous Machynlleth Comedy Festival, which has grown year after year into one of the significant events on the UK comedy circuit and has put Mach on the entertainment map. Every year, thousands of comedy fans flock to Machynlleth for the three-day event, which some of Britain's most recognisable comedians use to try out much of their new material. Previous performers include Aisling Bea, Jon Richardson, Stewart Lee, David O'Doherty, Mark Watson, and Josh Widdicombe. Machynlleth Comedy Festival (Image: Machynlleth Comedy Festival ) Discover Modern Welsh Art at MoMA Machynlleth Home to contemporary Welsh art and culture, Machynlleth's MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) is a must-visit attraction. The museum is housed inside a converted chapel with seven galleries and an intimate concert venue. It hosts various events throughout the year, including Machynlleth Festival events, recitals for children, jazz concerts, and musical renditions. Throughout the year, MoMA exhibits an impressive array of Modern Welsh Art, featuring leading artists from Wales, works from the growing Tabernacle Collection and selected entries from the Tabernacle Art Competition. Go biking at Dyfi Bike Park World-class biking can be found on the forested trails of nearby Dyfi Bike Park. This impressive bike park results from years of hard work by the Atherton family and the local community to create diverse and challenging trails that cut through the Esgair Forest. Confident riders can buy an uplift pass for £43 and use the uplift from 10am to 4pm to explore long descents over varied terrain. Make sure to swing by their on-site cafe for a home-cooked lunch and an excellent cup of gourmet coffee. Riders take on the exciting trails at Dyfi Bike Park (Image: Portia Jones ) Attempt the Cader Idris summit at sunrise At 893 m (2,930 ft), Cader Idris is one of the highest mountains in Eryri National Park. It is a challenging trek for keen hikers who want an alternative to wildly popular Yr Wyddfa. Trek up the distinctive peak of Cader Idris in Southern Eryri just before dawn and watch as the National park is bathed in golden sunlight. There are three recommended routes to conquer Cader, all of which are pretty strenuous. So, ensure you are prepared for this adventurous hike through the dramatic ridges. If you are relatively new to hiking, why not take a guided walk up Cader Idris with adventure experts Wild Trails Wales and navigate the mountain safely? Where to eat and drink Ynyshir Restaurant and Rooms (Image: Ynyshir / Instagram ) Machynlleth is on the border of Mid Wales and Southern Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) and is filled with foodie options and local produce. Whilst Southern Eryri has a stellar reputation for rugged landscapes, epic hiking trails, and adventure activities, less is known about its bountiful local produce and impressive dining options. The southern fringe of the national park offers a surprising bounty of local produce, craft gin, wild foraging opportunities, and even Michelin-starred dining. It's also home to the only UNESCO Biosphere in Wales, with its nature reserves, lowland, wet grassland, and salt marshes that provide a variety of sustainably sourced produce. Take a gastro-journey through Southern Snowdonia and feast on succulent venison loin, local samphire-infused seafood dishes and cym dyfi lamb. Try the tasting menu at Ynyshir Welsh Lamb Spare Rib (Image: Heather Birnie ) Located just outside of Mach in Eglwysfach, Ynyshir is not just a restaurant; it's a culinary journey. This two-Michelin-starred restaurant with room, helmed by Chef Gareth Ward, offers an immersive dining experience that lasts several hours and features multiple courses. The menu is a playful blend of Welsh and global ingredients, meticulously crafted into dishes that are as much about the experience as the taste. The restaurant's unique approach and luxurious rural setting make it a must-visit for serious foodies. Ynyshir comprises accommodation and a destination Michelin-starred restaurant, which the Good Food Guide has named one of the country's top five restaurants. Chef Patron Gareth Ward serves a bold, self-proclaimed 'ingredient-led and flavour-driven' tasting menu. This innovative restaurant with rooms offers diners an ingredient-led and flavour-driven tasting menu, including around 30 courses. The menu is also interactive. You can touch and ask about the ingredients while watching them cook over the fire. Exquisite dishes are heavily fish—and meat-based and inspired by the locale. Gareth uses as many local and Welsh products as possible, including lamb from Aberystwyth, ducks from Fishguard, and vegetables from Anglesey. Chef Patron Gareth Ward serves a bold, self-proclaimed 'ingredient-led and flavour-driven' tasting menu. (Image: Heather Birnie ) Cafes in Mach and beyond Y Gegin Fach is a beloved local spot where you can enjoy traditional Welsh dishes in a warm, homey setting. The hearty breakfasts and comforting lunches here make it a favourite among locals and visitors. Next, take a stroll to Blasau Delicatessen in the town centre. This deli is a treasure trove of local flavours, offering a curated selection of Welsh cheeses, cured meats, and artisanal products. It's the perfect place to grab a gourmet sandwich or some treats to take home. The atmosphere is inviting, and the passion for local produce shines through in every bite. For a different foodie vibe, head to Cletwr in nearby Tre'r Ddôl. More than just a café, Cletwr serves as a community hub, offering a menu of homemade soups, cakes, and other hearty fare, all made with locally sourced ingredients. The setting is relaxed, and you'll find locals catching up over coffee or enjoying a slice of cake in this warm, welcoming space. Foraging for wild marsh samphire at Dyfi Estuary Dyfi Estuary, with the expansive and golden sands of Ynyslas Beach at its mouth, provides a unique habitat for wildlife and plants. The River Dyfi catchment area is unique in Wales, having been designated a Biosphere by the United Nations 'Man and Biosphere' programme. In the spring, the salt marshes are awash with sea pink, whilst marsh samphire and sea aster can also be seen in summer. It's a relatively serene spot for wild foraging for wild marsh samphire, with a crisp texture and salty taste that works well with seafood and pasta dishes. Several cafes and restaurants in Southern Snowdonia utilise this bright green sea bounty in their fish dishes to add colour and crunch. To forage the samphire yourself, pinch or use scissors to snip the tips of the stems, leaving the tough, yellow lower stalks intact. Clean and lightly steam the samphire before serving with butter atop seafood dishes. Ynyslas Beach is a beautiful place for wild foraging (Image: Portia Jones ) Go gin tasting at Dyfi Gin Corris Craft Centre is a unique collection of nine individual craft studios where visitors can purchase food, drink, crafts and gifts from talented producers and designers. It's also home to Dyfi Distillery, which creates premium Welsh gins - Dyfi Gin. The multi-award-winning gins are perfectly crafted with wild Welsh foraged botanicals. Pollination Gin is one of the few gins in the world produced from mostly foraged botanical ingredients and has a very reasonable price point. You'll find the former slate village of the same name near the craft centre, the Centre for Alternative Technology, King Arthur's Labyrinth, and the narrow-gauge Corris Railway and Museum. Article continues below
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Reform a ‘real threat' at future elections, Welsh first minister warns
The first minister of Wales has warned that Nigel Farage's Reform UK is a 'major threat' to Labour at future elections. Eluned Morgan, who is also the leader of the Labour Party in Wales, said she was 'really fearful' that the party could make gains in Welsh parliament. The former MEP was speaking at the 2025 Hay Festival of Literature and Arts, which is partnered with The Independent for the second year running. She appeared on a panel alongside historian and broadcaster David Olusoga and author Helen Rebanks as part of the festival's daily News Review event, chaired by The Independent's chief book critic Martin Chilton. Responding to a story about Farage challenging Sir Keir Starmer to join him at a working men's club, Ms Morgan said: 'I just think this is comedy. This is so sad that our politics has come to this where you're being judged on who can drink the most pints in a pub.' Recalling when seven UKIP members were elected to Welsh parliament in 2016, she told the audience: 'We've seen it of course and we are really fearful that we're going to see this repeated again in the next [Welsh assembly] election next summer.' She continued: 'There is a real danger today. We've got to take this threat of Reform really seriously. You've seen what's happened in the local elections. But there's also opportunities to expose the incompetence that I am absolutely assured will come as a result of the new elected mayors and the new councils.' During Sunday morning's event, the panel discussed a wide range of topics inspired by the day's headlines, including Donald Trump lashing out at Vladimir Putin after he launched the largest drone strikes on Ukraine of the war so far overnight. Ms Morgan acknowledged that Sir Keir was walking a 'difficult tightrope' between the US administration and trade ties with the EU. Fellow panelist Helen Rebanks, who wrote the bestselling book The Farmer's Wife, argued Sir Keir's recent trade deals with the US had been damaging for farmers and could put the nation's health at risk. 'It's just incredibly challenging to work out a path forwards for a farmers to make a sustainable business. With the trade deals that's just happened, it's like we're being chucked in the sea as a farming community with our legs and hands tied and there's sharks in there,' she said. 'I'm worried for the health of the nation with what's coming over in these ships coming in with food.' Spread over 11 days, the 38th spring edition of the annual cultural event is set in Hay-on-Wye, the idyllic and picturesque 'Town of Books'. Among the star-studded lineup are Mary Trump, Michael Sheen and Jameela Jamil. The Independent has partnered with the festival once again to host 'The News Review', a series of panels where our journalists explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy every morning.
North Wales Chronicle
17-05-2025
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
MS slams delays in reverting roads back to 30mph
Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, says the process for reverting roads back to 30mph in North Wales is taking far too long. Transport Secretary Ken Skates gave local authorities the power to revert roads back to 30ph across Wales, with some doing so. Mr Rowlands, Shadow Transport Minister is leading the Welsh Conservative's campaign for the default 20mph speed limit to be scrapped. He said: 'The Welsh Government were quick to introduce this law but now local councils are trying to sort out the mess which has been created by this ill thought out legislation. 'This ridiculous vanity project has left motorists totally confused and frustrated, and reverting some roads back to 30mph is taking far too long. 'The depth of feeling against this bonkers idea is still immense and it is a real shame that local people and businesses continue to suffer for a Welsh Government vanity project. 'It really is a waste of money first with its implementation and now reversing some of the decisions. These funds should have been spent where needed on the NHS, education and public services. 'I still feel the whole policy needs to be scrapped, never mind reverting roads back and there needs to be a more targeted approach where 20mph is applied to common sense locations such as outside schools and hospitals.' The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates said: 'Building on the broad consensus that 20mph is right where people live, work and play, we have listened and empowered local communities to influence these decisions, so we have the right speeds on the right roads. "The revised guidance we have provided allows local authorities to make changes to roads where it's safe and appropriate to do so. 'With our support, Highway Authorities are reviewing their 20mph roads based on the revised guidance and the feedback they received. A number of Local Authorities have already completed this process with more to follow.'
South Wales Argus
17-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Discussion on Islamophobia held in Welsh Parliament
Organised by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association UK, the event took place on Thursday, May 15, and was titled Islam & The West: Clash of Civilisations? With more than 80 guests in attendance, the event began with a welcome message from the host, Member of the Welsh Parliament Altaf Hussain, followed by a social experiment video that sparked conversation about misconceptions of Islam. The Islam & The West: Clash of Civilisations? discussion held in the Welsh Parliament (Image: AMYA) The Islam & The West: Clash of Civilisations? discussion held in the Welsh Parliament (Image: AMYA) The dialogue covered topics such as Sharia Law, the relationship between Muslim and British values, and women's rights in Islam. Stephen Hiles, one of the attendees, said: "The event was very informative and far too short as we couldn't go through too much." Another guest, Zac, added: "I would like to see more of such events as they are really important, especially in the current political climate." The Islam & The West: Clash of Civilisations? discussion held in the Welsh Parliament (Image: AMYA) The Islam & The West: Clash of Civilisations? discussion held in the Welsh Parliament (Image: AMYA) The discussion built on the success of a previous Islam & The West: Clash of Civilisations? event held in the House of Commons on March 12. Through events like these, AMYA UK says it aims to bridge communities, tackle prejudice, and promote the true, peaceful teachings of Islam.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Conservatives pledge to drive down Welsh NHS waits
A promise to bring down waits for NHS treatment to no more than 12 months will be among Welsh Conservative pledges at next May's Senedd election. Reinstating home economics to the curriculum is also being trailed, with Senedd leader Darren Millar saying its 2026 manifesto would be its "boldest and most ambitious". A public inquiry into north Wales' troubled Betsi Cadwaladr health board, ban on mobile phones in schools and the introduction of a Welsh winter fuel allowance for pensioners is also included in a series of policy announcements to be made. The two-day conference, in Llangollen, begins on Friday. The Conservatives say a school mobile phone ban would be implemented using strict guidance and, potentially, making funding conditional on following it. There will be a plan to boost staffing at GP surgeries, the party says, and a target to make all GP appointments available within seven working days. Health board not learning from preventable deaths Who is Darren Millar, new Senedd Tory leader? Darren Millar elected Welsh Tory leader unopposed Other pledges include reversing next year's expansion of the Welsh Parliament to 96 members, meaning voters electing 60 members in 2030, as they did in 2021. Tory Welsh ministers would also return the controversial 20mph default speed limit to 30mph, keeping to 20mph near schools and hospitals, and "deliver an M4 relief road". Welsh Labour ministers scrapped proposals six years ago, then estimated to cost £1.6bn, for the 14-mile motorway relief road around Newport because of its cost and impact on the environment. The education policies include automatically excluding pupils bringing knives into schools. No costings have been provided. Millar said: "My team and I will present a comprehensive, fully-funded set of policy commitments to fix Wales ahead of the Senedd election." "The Welsh Conservative 2026 manifesto will be the boldest and most ambitious in our history. "The Welsh Conservatives are working tirelessly to hold Labour to account, while other parties like Plaid Cymru have routinely propped them up. "We now stand ready to offer the only credible alternative Welsh government." Labour has led the Welsh government since powers were transferred from Westminster to Cardiff Bay in 1999, either on its own or in partnership with Plaid Cymru or the Liberal Democrats. Polls suggest Reform is a serious contender to be the biggest party next May, but in an interview with BBC Wales ahead of the conference Millar predicted they would "melt under any kind of reasonable scrutiny of their policies - when they do bring them forward - because they do not appear to have any". The pledge that no patient would wait more than 12 months for treatment is ambitious. According to the latest statistics, in February there were 15,505 cases where somebody had waited more than two years, a reduction of more of more than 26% on the January figure. The Conservatives have already announced plans to take 1p off the basic rate of income tax through "efficiency measures" in government but "protecting health, schools and farming". All road projects will be "unfrozen" and no new cycle lanes will be built until "roads are fixed". Millar will give his main speech to the conference on Saturday, his first to a conference since becoming Tory Senedd leader just over five months ago. Meanwhile the shadow Welsh Secretary Mims Davies has reiterated calls for a public inquiry into preventable deaths at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. In 2024 it was reported that 27 prevention of future death reports in just over a year were issued to the health board by coroners, more than any other health board received. Ms Davies called for Westminster to hold the inquiry. "The UK Labour government is clearly failing in its duty by not holding this crucial inquiry and listening to families and those who have lost loved ones," she said. Calling her "invisible", she said the Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens "needs to put political allegiance to one side and finally listen and act to deliver for the people of Wales". "It is imperative the families of the victims of this scandal obtain justice." The previous Conservative Welsh Secretary David TC Davies had called for an inquiry into preventable deaths at the north Wales board. In January, Mims Davies urged current Labour Welsh secretary Jo Stevens to "push" the Welsh government to hold an inquiry. Additional reporting by David Deans No chance we're scrapping Senedd, says top Tory The man who thinks he could be the next first minister Farage rules out standing in Senedd election
