Hi everyone

Although I have no vehicle of my own I do get about on public transport. Looking on the Internet I found a day return on a Saturday to Dyffryn Ardudwy was £47.90, yet a day to Shrewsbury was £16.70 and from Shrewsbury to Dyffryn Ardudwy was £16.50 thus saving over £11.50. It certainly pays to shop around. Things ran reasonably smoothly until we reached Machynlleth where we had to wait for 15 minutes until the first half the train was detached to make its way to Aberystwyth. The outdated Class 158 DMUs are not really made for the Cambrian Coast but we did make up time in places.

The weather was quite sunny with hardly a cloud in the sky and those were out at sea, the temperature reasonable too!

Having alighted at Dyffryn Ardudwy Station with the platform long enough to take all three coaches, it must be said it was more like a halt than a station having no passing loop but the second platform was still in place if overgrown. At the end of the platform was an unmanned level crossing with both pedestrian and vehicle gates with a pub on the right hand side in case refreshment later.

Having downloaded a map of the area courtesy of ‘Streetmap’ I proceeded to walk the direction of the beach on an un-metalled road. I walked about ½ km before coming across another gate into the Dyffryn Seaside Estate, this was locked with padlock and chain but access was available at the side for pedestrians.  The way into the Dyffryn Seaside Estate is via the Benar Road (Ffordd Benar) further down off the A496 Barmouth to Harlech road. The Dyffryn Seaside Estate had all the amenities to cater for their own static caravans and chalets as well as the campsites around them for tourers and tents.

There is a little flat land between Dyffryn Seaside Estate and the sand dunes and there is another gate which leads to a footpath after while there a path leading off along the side of the dunes I decided to carry on towards the beach. The dunes are soft going but I did get across them. I could not see the sign for naturist sunbathing so I proceeded northwards along the beach, again the going was soft so I removed my trainers and socks and moved closer to the water line as the sand seemed firmer. As I saw the southern sign warning of naturists my apprehension and fear seemed to melt as I saw naked men and women standing and lying around. I walked about 150 yards and found a spot to place my towel not being too close to anyone.  I first thing I did was to have a drink after my long walk especially the effort put in crossing the dunes. I wasted no time at all in removing all my clothes as if I was in a communal changing-room. I placed my backpack at the head of my towel for a pillow with another towel over it to soften the roughness of the backpack. I placed my trainers on the bottom corners of my towel as the wind light was blowing it a little. I then started to spray myself the sunscreen as I did so I looked around and saw most people had brought windshields and were probably here for more than my day out. I sprayed sunscreen almost everywhere apart from the middle of my back as I could not reach it. I lay there soaking up the rays all over my body without the restriction of swimming trunks and it felt good, better than I had expected without any twinge of nervousness. I lay on my towel for about half an hour and decided to go for a paddle, just then a couple about my age starting setting their windshield not too far from me.  The sea was certainly colder than the air temperature but was refreshing. One chap was walking into the sea and by the time I finished paddling he had gone a fair way out and only his head visible, he was a braver man than I would be on the day. Upon my return to my towel I greeted to the couple as they erecting a small tent which were dotted along the dune line. They had been coming to the beach for the last 24 years and it had been the further they had come from the sign. They were has white as I was so I assumed it was their first visit this year.  I lay down on my towel and did some more soaking of the rays. I totally ignored the fact that we were naked and those walking along the shore line were naked or clothed.  It was a shame that I was on my own, company would have been better. I had another half an hour flat out and went for another paddle and again another guy went out into cold water, he was trying to encourage his dog to go in but the dog wasn’t having any of it, and I wouldn’t blame it.

This time while I was paddling along the shoreline I reached the northern sign warning of naturists, such a short stretch of beach, why not longer? Perhaps it wouldn’t be so crowded at the southern end. There was a guy with a tent and groundsheet so I stopped to have a chat. Why had no one thought of providing facilities closer to the beach especially for the naturist?

I wondered back along the sand near the high tide mark as it was better to walk on than the soft dry sand closer to the dunes. I had the need to go to the toilet, so on reaching my towel I hastily got dressed and packed my things in my backpack. Making my way back across the dunes was a slow proceed and previous. I saw two guys sunbathing nude in a hollow between the dunes well outside the notices and I don’t think they cared.

I found my way back to the footpath and started walking towards the Dyffryn Seaside Estate, there was a pub called ‘The Country Inn’ perhaps I could used their facilities. I couldn’t just blatantly walk into their toilets so I ordered myself a pint of Carlsberg lager and drank a quick as I could, which wasn’t the best thing to do having just walked across the dunes. I used their facilities and left, I could have had another but it may have meant looking for more later!  I had an hour to kill before my train and couldn’t see the point in returning to the beach so I had a look around the campsite and looked of the highest quality I even called in at reception for a brochure. The Dyffryn Seaside Estate seems the best place to stay if you are travelling by train as it is halfway between railway and the beach, (sorry if this seems like commercial with them getting so many mentions).

On the way back the Class 158 DMU did struggle to climb the incline after across the estuary from Barmouth, we were delayed at Towyn because of the lack of passing place and had to wait for train to get to the station before we could go. If the train to Birmingham from Aberystwyth had have been on time most of us would have missing our connection at Machynlleth but it was 10 minutes late. It seems that they factor a few minutes into the timetable for the Welsh hills. Once over the border into England they can gain time arriving in Shrewsbury only a few minutes late and getting to Birmingham on time for my connection home.

Would I go again? Yes, most definitely.

Will it be this year? Possibly, certainly next year and for a longer stay, days or a week.

Oh, the sun did catch my back where I hadn’t reached with sunscreen and it is red but not painful, thank goodness.

Regards

Dave