Snowdonia touring ,camping suggestions sought

[peanut]

Hi all what better place to ask than DW I thought to myself

Hoping to get 10 days holiday 1st 2x weeks in October touring and camping in our campervan.

We had a fantastic holiday last year in Rhayada , Gigrin farm, Elan valley etc  and this year we are hoping to travel up the coast from Aberystwyth to explore Snowdonia .

Any suggestions for great locations (other than Snowdon lol )    we enjoy wildlife, birding, moderate walking,cycling (road) particularly near lakes, rivers and reservoirs.

Any suggestions would be gratefully received thanks

[Metalmickey]

Anglesey... The Llyn Cerrig Bach Iron Age exhibition...
Preparations for a landmark exhibition of Iron Age treasures discovered in a lake near Valley on Anglesey seventy years ago are almost complete.

“This exhibition is designed to give the illusion of being underwater. The artefacts are not only there to be seen and admired, but to fire the imagination of the viewer, providing a connection to people who lived on Anglesey over 2,000 years ago.” – Pat West, Principal Officer of Museums, Culture and Archives at Anglesey Council

The display will include a splendid shield mount, various chariot parts, a gang chain, part of a cauldron, a sickle and blacksmiths’ tongs. Many of the most significant finds included in the exhibition have never previously been displayed on Anglesey.

4 October, 7.30pm
Past and present approaches to dating and interpreting the assemblage.
Philip Macdonald of Queen’s University, Belfast, conducted a detailed survey of the site during his investigations into the copper alloy finds. He will speak about the different approaches to dating the assemblage and conclude with a discussion of how our revised dating has affected the interpretation of the site. This talk will be given in English with simultaneous translation in Welsh.

11 October, 7.30pm
Experimental archaeology: reconstructing Anglesey’s past.
David and Susan Chapman of Ancient Arts strive to involve and inspire people about their shared past. The speakers will talk about the construction of the roundhouses at Llynnon, the reconstruction of some of the Llyn Cerrig Bach artefacts and their ongoing experimental work. They will illustrate some technologies that have been reconstructed for the experimental programme.  

[hotmill]

Newborough forest/llanddwyn Island on Anglesey. Caernarfon Castle, Conwy castle, Brenig reservoir near Cerigydrudion, Betws y Coed.
All good places to go.

[archie]

try nantcol waterfalls campsite at llanbedr (between barmouth and harlech) really nice friendly, clean site. would recommend it to anyone - they have a website, just google it

[peanut]

wow thanks guys thats a fantastic response . I really appreciate it  .
Hoping to stay somewhere close to the BBC Springwatch site which I think is actually below Snowdonia national pk .

Found quite a good site last night at Henstent Park near Bala . http://www.henstent.co.uk/ I'll look at the other site suggestion too and maybe split our stay between the two.

I'd like to go wild camping but the girlfriend is not too keen now we haven't got the Dobermann any longer (thank god!)

Not likely to get much chance of any detecting unfortunately although I might try on the sites perhaps. I have fond memories of Barmouth from my Boy Scout camping days so we'll probably visit there as well.

The lake and reservoir suggestions look perfect but I'm not sure I could swing the Iron Age exhibition unfortunately  

Nantcol Waterfalls is definitely the place to stay it looks fantastic. Not too far away from the BBC Springwatch site and the estuary either which will be an important part of our stay in the area. Thanks Archie

Hotmill ... your list looks like the perfect holiday itinery for us so thanks again for the excellent suggestions. I'll need to come home for a relaxing break lol

[archie]

my pleasure peanut.  had a week there middle of august, and had a brill time. good as a base to tour from, and if you really want to go wild camping, then just detour off the roads that lead to nantcol, it gets pretty wild and wooly in the hills

[JRD]

Make sure you go to Beddgellert a lovely picturesque Village in Gwynnedd not far from Snowdonia.

It's where Prince Llywelyn favourite dog Gellert is supposedly buried after he killed him by accident after he thought he attacked his baby. The legend goes the dog protected the child from wolves but Llywelyn seeing blood in the dogs mouth put a sword through him after believing it to be the dog that attacked the baby.

Loved that story from my childhood even if it is only a legend. Anyway lovely village, along a river with a nice walk and a visit to the dogs grave with a lovely but sad story.

[the hog]

You've got the valley's, we've got total beauty.While in North Wales you are not far from something outstanding.
If you are near Corwen on the 16th, come and see how North Wales celebrates Glyndwr Day - absolutely brilliant for the Nationalists.