Lady Mary’s Walk

This is a 1.3 mile / 2.1 km loop that starts and finishes at Sawbench car park in Gwydir Forest, and that figure covers the whole circuit rather than one leg of it. Reckon on about an hour at a steady pace, with roughly 89 m / 292 ft of climbing spread through the walk.

Waymarked numbered posts guide you out through mixed forest, mixing wide forest roads with narrower woodland paths. The circuit takes you to the Tudor Bowling Green, a historic clearing partway round with a picnic table and bench, then loops back with a Conwy Valley vista saved for the return leg. Resting posts and benches turn up at intervals if you want to break the walk up.

The route is named for one of two Lady Marys of the Wynn family, who bought the land here and built up the Gwydir Estate. Two sculptures by local artists sit on the circuit, one of them a memorial to the old Llanrwst Town Hall, and viewpoints give glimpses of the old market town of Llanrwst below. An optional audio trail covering Lady Mary, Llanrwst and the Wynns can be downloaded in advance and played as you follow the numbered posts.

Moderate for its length. The forest roads are easy going, but stretches of the path are narrow, unmade and uneven, with mud, loose rock and tree roots to watch. There are three chicanes with gaps of about 60 cm, which is worth knowing if you are pushing a buggy or using wider wheels. Boots or shoes with grip make the rougher sections much more comfortable.

Sawbench car park (Mainc Llifio) sits about a mile west of Llanrwst. From Llanrwst, follow the B5106 towards Betws-y-coed, turn left at the brown and white Gwydir Castle sign, then immediately right onto the minor road and take the first forest road on the left signposted Mainc Llifio / Sawbench. The grid reference SH 789 609 is the reliable one to navigate by, since the LL26 0PN postcode covers a broad area and will not bring you to the entrance.

• Parking is free, but overnight parking is not allowed.
• There are no staff at this site, so arrive self sufficient.
• Bring what you need for the walk with you and plan around a full hour on the loop.