Bala & Mawddwy

Bala sits at the northern end of Llyn Tegid, the largest natural lake in Wales, and the town’s life is closely tied to the water. Sailing, kayaking and fishing are regular activities on the lake, and a narrow‑gauge railway runs along the shore, linking Bala with Llanuwchllyn and offering steam-hauled services in summer. The town provides services, accommodation and walk-starts for the surrounding hills, and its streets retain an agricultural and market-town character shaped by the long history of upland farming.

Mawddwy centers on Dinas Mawddwy, a small valley settlement south of Bala where lanes follow river courses through moorland and conifer plantations. Farm tracks, drovers’ routes and quiet roads supply access for walkers and cyclists; one of the local mountain passes climbs steeply out of the valley and is known to riders for its gradients. Local buildings and chapels reflect the area’s rural economy, and small-scale forestry and sheep farming remain common land uses. The pattern of field boundaries and river channels gives the area a clear sense of land use and movement.