Barmouth

A top spot for coves and coast

Barmouth is something of a hidden gem compared to other seaside resorts of North and Mid Wales, but the town is well worth a visit – for a day, a week or longer

DID YOU KNOW? Until 2013 you had to pay a toll to cross the bridge

Boats wait for the tide in the harbour

It’s strange we don’t hear more about Barmouth, given that it occupies a prime position on the Gwynned coast and offers easy access to both the peaks of Snowdonia and the sweeping bays of the area’s shoreline. It lies on the estuary of the Afon Mawddach, where the river enters Cardigan Bay, creating the ‘mouth’ of its title and giving it a location to be envied.

The town grew up around the shipbuilding and slate industries and has retained many notable buildings, such as the medieval Ty Gwyn tower house, 19th-century Ty Crwn roundhouse prison and St John’s Church. Now a thriving seaside town, it has attracted artists, writers and poets over the centuries. Wordsworth fell in love with the area, saying: “With a fine sea view in front, the mountains behind, the glorious estuary running inland, and Cadair Idris within compass of a day’s walk, it can hold its own against any rival.”

Well connected

linked to the wider world, however, and a complex infrastructure makes sure it is easy to get to. The town has its own railway station, and services run north to Pwllheli via Harlech, Porthmadog and Criccieth, and east to Birmingham International via Tywyn, Machynlleth, Shrewsbury, Telford and Wolverhampton. Further extensions to the tracks have now become part of the Mawddach Trail, a cycle path and walkway.

For those enjoying heritage transport, a ferry sails to Penrhyn Point, where it connects with the narrow-gauge Fairbourne Railway for the village of the same name. The town also has a RNLI lifeboat station and visitors’ centre, with a shop and viewing gallery that makes the most of the sweeping views.

Paddling and peaks

Barmouth has been welcoming visitors for over 150 years and it’s easy to see why. There is a lot to take in locally, and the sunsets are amazing as the town is on the west coast, in the southern part of Snowdonia. Those keen on making the most of the outdoors can enjoy walking, cycling, paddleboarding, kayaking, paddling or building sandcastles, and the area’s rich history can also be appreciated via the Heritage Trail (see right) and by visiting the two museums.

There is a wide range of independent shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants, so a day can be spent browsing, dipping in and out of stores, with regular coffee stops and maybe an ice cream on the harbour watching the boats and seagulls. The old town is well worth a visit with its steep steps and slate-roofed cottages on the side of a mountain.

The harbour is beautiful and you can walk across the spectacular Barmouth Bridge spanning the river. For those seeking more extreme exertion there is an annual challenge that starts in the town: the Barmouth to Fort William Three Peaks race. This involves sailing from Wales via England to Scotland (389 miles), then climbing the three highest mountains in the UK – Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis – a total of 11,000ft of climbing and 72 miles running.

The bridge over the estuary is a stunning walk

THINGS TO SEE AND DO

Barmouth Heritage Trail

www.barmouth-wales.co.uk/heritage-trail

Barmouth Sailors’ Institute (museum)

The Quay, Barmouth LL42 1ET

Woodland wonders this Easter

Run wild this Easter at BeWILDerwood Cheshire. Make your very own bunny ears in the Big Hat craft tent, then complete the look with a bunny nose and whiskers at the FacePainting Pavilion – all activities are included in your ticket. Head to the Storytelling Stage for a brand-new tale of the Pesky Bunnies of BeWILDerwood, and be sure to complete the Puzzling Park Trail too. BeWILDerwood is open 10am-5pm every weekend in

WE ARE SAILING…

Dozens of boats from across the North West will travel to Ellesmere Port for the annual Easter Boat Gathering on 15th-18th April, marking the start of the cruising season. Colourful narrowboats and barges will take centre stage by the National Waterways Museum, while the site comes alive with music and activities for the whole family. For details or to register a boat, call 0151 355 5017 or email

nationalwaterwaysmuseum@ canalrivertrust.org.uk

After two years without being able to share their love of the mighty hop, Tarporley Beer Festival is back on 22nd & 23rd April with a spectacular array of lights, ambers and darks, not to mention cask and keg beers too. And, for the more fruity and juniper-berried guests, there’s also a range of ciders and gins.

Held at Tarporley and District Community Centre, with music from e Warning Flower and some fantastic food, the festival is so much more than what’s in your half-pint glass. It’s where folk from near and far meet to drink, dance and be merry, while providing much-needed funds for Tarporley CE Primary School and local community clubs and organisations. 6pm-midnight. Entry £10. Find out more at facebook.com/TarporleyBeerFestival

CHEERS TO THAT

March, and every day from 2nd April. 2nd April. Entry is free if you’re under 92cm, or £19.50 or £21.50 dependent on height. £19.50 or £21.50 dependent on height. Book in advance at bewilderwood.co.uk bewilderwood.co.uk

THE HOT TICKET

Circus Funtasia is a modern, fast-paced family show with talented performers from around the world – and no animals. At Tipkinder Park, Crewe from 31st March to 10th April, this incredible live show proves that circus isn’t just for the kids.

Bear witness to amazing feats. Hear the roar of motorbikes, feel the heat of the re-breathers’ ames, see stunning aerialists and powerful performances on the Wheel of Death, laugh out loud at awardwinning comedian the Geek, and much more – in a heated Big Top! All the talent of a West End show, with that irresistible circus magic. Times vary. Tickets from £8. Book now at circusfuntasia.co.uk.

Live at the Lyceum

Cruising rough Menopause, 8th March Musical sequel set on the high seas. 7.30pm. Tickets £34. attention-seeking! 7.30pm. Tickets £24.

DID YOU KNOW? Bon Jovi has sold over 130 million albums – that’s a tough act to follow!

Herman’s Hermits’ 55th Anniversary Tour, 16th March With 23 hit singles, 10 hit albums, expect a night of song and laughter. 7.30pm. Tickets £28.

Ed Gamble: Electric, 10th April Comedian Ed’s ready to ick the switch on another night of Sheila’s Island, 12th-16th April A team-building weekend goes horribly wrong. Tickets from £19.75.

e Bon Jovi Experience, 28th April Tony Pearce’s tribute is the only band to have performed with the man himself. 7.30pm. £25. crewelyceum.co.uk

Launch into Congleton

Part of the town’s 750th anniversary celebrations, Congleton Unplugged runs from 2nd March to 12th March. And for the weekend 4th-6th March entry to all events is free! In all, there are more than 45 gigs at over 20 venues, including the cricket club, the library and the town hall, where you can join John Dhali’s album launch party!

Bring on the Swing and John Lindley perform, and favourites old and new: Acoustic Anarchy, Robin Pierce Band, Heidi Browne, Elvis Fontenot and the Sugarbees, Purpletones, Jubilee Stompers, Demi Marriner, Charlie Sinclair, Cry Baby and e Hoochie Coochie Boys, e Scoundrels, e House Devils, Murphys Marbles, Don’t Call Me Ishmael and the Tracey Taylor Band to name a few

Find out more at congletonjazzandblues.co.uk

CHURCHES UNITE FOR PASSION PLAY

Good Friday, 15th April, brings the Chester City Passion Play back onto the streets of Chester for the rst time in ve years. e story of Christ’s last days on Earth, it tells of his arrival in Jerusalem on a donkey, the Last Supper, his arrest and cruci xion. We see Jesus arriving through the Eastgate and tearing down stalls, sharing supper with his disciples on e Rows, being arrested by the Romans at e Cross, facing trial on the Town Hall steps and carrying his own cross to Chester Cathedral.

Chester City Passion is delivered as a partnership between eatre in the Quarter, Chester Mystery Plays, Link Up and Churches Together in Chester. is free event starts at 10.30am. Find out more at facebook.com/ChesterCityPassion

WHAT’S ON IN BRIEF

5TH-13TH MARCH

•Every Saturday, Parkrun 5k, Delamere Forest Join others of all abilities for a weekly 5k challenge to run or walk your best time in a friendly and supportive setting. Register online to fi nd out more about the course and get a barcode. 9am start. parkrun.org.uk/delamere/

•5th March,

Glenn Tilbrook, Live Rooms, Chester

Earning a place as one of our most cherished singers, guitarists and songwriters, the ex-Squeeze star has created a stellar solo career. 7pm. £20 (£23 on the door). theliverooms.com

•10th

March, The Circus of Horrors: The Witch, Ellesmere Port Civic

Hall This sensational new phantasmagoria combines amazing and bizarre circus acts with an original rock score and a sinister story of witchcraft. 7.30pm. From £21.

brioentertainment.org

•12th March & 23rd April, Party

Nights Afl oat: Motown, Chester

Boat Miracles and wonders on the Dee as we pay our tribute to the Motor City and the best dance music ever made! 7.15-10.30pm. £33.50. Book online at chesterboat.co.uk

•13th

March, Cheshire & Chester Wedding Fayre, Macdonald Craxton Wood

Hotel, Ledsham Chat with up to 30 friendly and creative wedding businesses about your wedding plans and ideas in this elegant venue. The stunning Craxton Suite is bathed in natural light thanks to its high ceilings and full-length windows. Midday-3pm. Free entry. See

redeventweddingfayres.com

WHAT’S ON IN BRIEF

17TH MARCH - 1ST APRIL

•17th-19th March, Comeback

Cabaret, Daneside Theatre,

Congleton If you’re after a night at the theatre fi lled with singing, dancing, comedy and speciality acts, look no further than Trinity Amateur Operatic Society’s Comeback Cabaret. 7.30pm. £12. danesidetheatre.co.uk

•22nd-26th March, Whistle

Down the Wind, Christleton High School,

Chester On The Mark Youth Theatre, along with an adult cast and a 14-piece live band perform Andrew Lloyd Webber’s emotive musical, with lyrics by Jim Steinman. Times vary. Tickets from £9.50. otmyt.co.uk

•26th March, Macclesfi eld

Singers and Symphony Orchestra, St Michael’s Church

A live performance of Haydn’s Creation, conducted by Ian Chesworth, with soloists from Royal Northern College of Music. 7.30pm. £12 adults, £2.50 under18s. kems.yapsody.com

•27th March, Bunbury Mill is re-opening! Guided tours of the historic watermill start from 1pm and last about 40 minutes, and cost £4 for adults, £2.50 for children aged 5-11. Access to the grounds, ponds, visitor centre and tea room is free during opening hours. For times and dates visit bunburymill.com

•April 1st, Queen by

Candlelight, Chester Cathedral

Featuring a live cast of West End singers accompanied by an incredible live rock band, experience Queen as you have never heard them before. 7.30pm. From £15.

chestercathedral.com

Make some noise, Nantwich!

Nantwich Jazz, Blues and Music Festival rolls in on Easter weekend, 14th-18th April, with shows at the Civic Hall, Crown Hotel and other venues around town. Big Country (above), FM, Demon and Sari Schorr have remained with the twice-postponed event and King King, Rebecca Downes and Tony Christie (above right) join the revised line-up. e festival will also feature superb homages to Creedence Clearwater Revival and the Allman Brothers, as well as up and coming blues guitarist Miguel Montalban, plus the popular ‘Round the Town’ sessions. Ticket prices vary, and all-access wristbands will be announced soon. For full programme see nantwichjazz.com

DID YOU KNOW? “One of the best opening bands we ever had” Mick Jagger on Big Country

OH, BABY

Reaseheath College in Nantwich invites you to its lambing weekends on 5th-6th and 12th-13th March, where the whole family can enjoy this unique springtime experience. Children will always remember seeing lambs being born! is year’s event will be held in new, more spacious facilities on the main campus and will include a Farmers Market and lots of fun activities including farm competitions and colouring. 10am-4pm. Tickets (prepaid only) are £8 for adults, £5 for children, under-3s free, and include entrance to the mini zoo. reaseheath.ac.uk/lambing

Tickle your tastebuds On 16th-18th April, around 30,000 food and drink lovers will take over Chester Racecourse for the Taste Cheshire festival, the biggest event of its kind in the UK. Over 150 exhibitors will highlight the best the county and beyond has to o er, with quality local and celebrity chefs who are sure to inspire with their knowledge, skills and creativity. e festival is open 10am-6pm (5pm Monday), tickets £12 a day (£10 in advance), £24 for three days (£20 advance), under-12s free. VIP tickets also available. With the ever-popular Easter CamperFest right next door, why not make a long weekend of it? chesterfoodanddrink.co.uk; camperfest.co.uk

DID YOU KNOW? In Roman times, the going here would’ve been heavy. It was a harbour!

JOIN THE PARTY

DID YOU KNOW? Movema’s cyborg creations are part aircraft, part bird, part human

Winsford Creates on 19th March is an adventure through the arts – a free festival to delight and excite families, young people and the community with dance performances, live bands, percussion parades, creative workshops, a Cine Window takeover, great food and drink – and a fantastic vibe! Featuring hip-hop from DMPC, a raucous drumming riot from Juba & Jubacana, Movema’s parading mythical birds and storytelling from Kindred Folk Dance eatre, as well as brilliant beats from some of the best local bands around, it’s a celebration of the arts, the future and the town. Come along to Winsford Cross from 11am to 7pm, then the Delamere St Dog from 7.30pm to late. facebook.com/winsfordcreates

STAR-STRUCK

Bette & Joan is set in the adjoining Hollywood dressing rooms of rivals Bette Davies and Joan Crawford during the lming of cult horror What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Anton Burge’s play, at Chester Little eatre on 12 March, is both funny and poignant, as it emerges that the fading icons of the silver screen have more in common than they think. 7.30pm. Tickets £10.

chesterlittletheatre.co.uk

Live the high life

Vertigo is the new aerial trek course at Carden, with amazing views over Cheshire and north Wales. Brave a variety of challenges, dodging mid-air obstacles and ending with the option of leaping into a giant stunt pillow or gliding down a 210m zip line! £40 adult, £30 child.

cardenpark.co.uk/pursuits/vertigo-at-carden

FORAGING FUN

Are you looking to reconnect with nature? Rethinking your impact on the world around you? Or are you just a food-lover who wants to try new and unique avours? is is your chance! Find out what delicious wild food grows in the countryside and how to cook with it on a Forage Box workshop. e six-hour course includes guidance on identifying and picking wild ingredients plus a cookery session, and runs on 29th March and 21st April, and costs £70. A four-hour introductory workshop and walk on 20th April is £30 (child £20). Find out more at arleyhallandgardens.com

WHAT’S ON IN BRIEF

2ND-29TH APRIL

•2nd April, Mithras Piano

Trio, Clonter Opera Theatre,

Congleton Ionel Manciu (violin), Leo Popplewell (cello) and Dominic Degavino (piano) perform works by Mozart, Iván Erőd and Brahms. 3pm. Tickets £23, members £15, students and concessions £2. Details from themusicsociety.org.uk

•10th April, Plant Hunters’ Fair,

Capesthorne Hall, Macclesfi eld

Book a timed arrival slot between 10am and 2pm, with entry to the plant fair and gardens at the half-price rate of just £3.50. Closes 4pm. Free parking. See

capesthorne.com

•18th April, Easter Character

Fun Day, Little Sutton Community Centre, Ellesmere

Port Bring the kids to meet the Easter Bunny and let o steam on the bouncy castle and activity zone. There’ll be live music and stalls. Midday-5pm. Adults £1, kids £2, or £5 with activity pack and bouncy castle session. portfestevents.co.uk

•24th April,

South Cheshire Woof Walkies, The Greenway, Crewe Business Park

Help your dog raise funds for lifesaving research on a sponsored walk with optional fancy dress. Meet 10am, Duke of Gloucester. £8 (with two humans) or £15 (with family).

cancerresearchuk.org

•29th April, One Night

of Adele, Northwich of Adele, Northwich Memorial Court Memorial Court

Welsh singer Christina Rogers Christina Rogers brings you a tribute to multi-award winning Adele. 7pm. From £19. 7pm. From £19.

brioentertainment.org

Everyone’s telling tales at the Storyhouse

Chester Animation Festival, 6th March Finalists in this year’s international contest present lms from across the genre, from hand drawn to the latest CGI. e audience will select a winner. 3pm. £6.

An Evening with Andrew Cotter, Olive and Mabel, 10th March

e familiar voice of sports broadcasting has become slightly eclipsed by his canine companions, now internet superstars. 7.30pm. £28. jazz, with guest vocalists Emer McParland and Iain Mackenzie. 7.30pm. Tickets £27.50.

Fireman Sam, 2nd April Join Sam, Penny and friends in an all-singing, all-dancing, actionpacked show. 10.30am. Tickets from £16.50.

DID YOU KNOW? Fireman Sam fi rst appeared on our screens in 1987, making him 35 this year

BBC Big Band: James Bond… and Beyond!, 27th March World-class Gangsta Granny, 14th-17th April Award-winning West End production of the hit story. From £16.50. storyhouse.com

WHAT, NO CAGE?!

Fancy coming face to face – or should that be tooth to tooth – with a shark? If you’ve always wanted to get up close and personal with these underwater giants, this is the experience for you! e Blue Planet Aquarium at Cheshire Oaks o ers a range of shark encounters, with packages to suit everyone from complete beginners to experienced divers. Highly quali ed instructors will teach you the basic scuba techniques, enabling you to enter the water alongside their 10ft sand tiger sharks. ere is no cage – just an awesome, unforgettable experience! You can nd further details and prices at blueplanetaquarium.com/diving-

with-sharks/shark-encounter-dive

Calling budding Attenboroughs

Chester Zoo’s Junior Ranger Camp is a chance to look at how to prevent extinction and discover the amazing work the zoo’s eld teams do to help species in the wild. It runs every Sunday for ve weeks, from 6th March to 3rd April, with a choice of morning or afternoon sessions, and is for Junior Members of Chester Zoo in school years 4-6. e cost is £60 per child. Book at chesterzoo.org/

events/junior-ranger-camppreventing-extinction/

Come into the garden…

Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, Malpas reopen for the season on 27th March, Mother’s Day. Set in 70 acres of historic parkland, you can enjoy the romantic Temple and Folly Water Gardens, Rose Garden, Glade, Arboretum and ornamental woodland on Tower Hill, and there’s a cafe for refreshments. Open Wednesdays, ursdays and Sundays 10am5pm. Adults £8.50, children £4. See

cholmondeleycastle. com