For people driving along the A4212 in Eryri (Snowdonia), the grand ediface leaps from the bleak countryside only to be swallowed by the landscape as they pass in a blur. Lying as it does in a sparsely populated area of the national park, Cwm Prysor viaduct has gently receded into the background, quietly forgotten. The structure is a marvel of Victorian engineering that still stands proud and noble 122 years after it was built.
But while other rail crossings in North Wales are rightly celebrated, Cwm Prysor Viaduct has retired into genteel obscurity. A permissive path over its nine graceful aches are on many a walking wish list. But despite it being relatively close to the main road between Capel Celyn and Trawsfynydd, the viaduct often seems tantalisingly out of reach.
Those who make the effort are rewarded with sweeping views down the valley and over to the Arenig and Rhinog mountains. READ MORE: 'Hatred for English in North Wales astounding,' walkers claim READ MORE: Dafydd ap Siencyn Festival 2024 - location, parking, activities and timings For a quick visit, many park at a foresty layby near Llyn Tryweryn – from there the walk is a little over half-a-mile. As it once carried the Bala and Ffestiniog Railway, longer treks are possible.
A courtesy path runs 5.5 miles down to Trawsfynydd, giving encounters with dramatic hillside cuttings, pretty stone bridges and plenty of birdlife. But nearly everyone who’s walked the route cautions one thing: bring boots, as sections ar.