Tickets, Please! Now The Bus Stops Off At Coed Y Brenin
People living in many parts of north Wales can now buy a ticket to the great outdoors after the iconic new visitor centre at Coed y Brenin was added to the bus route between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Dolgellau. Buses started dropping people off at the Forestry Commission Wales centre in the heart of the Snowdonia National Park on Monday (October 1), enabling even more people to experience the forest's magnificent bike trails or savour the splendour of the surrounding scenery. In the past, the X35 service between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Dolgellau passed by the forest centre on the busy main road but the bus company, Arriva, readily agreed to an additional stop at the popular woodland destination. The first drop-off at the visitor centre car park is just before 10.00am travelling from the north and at 10.30am from the south. The last pick-up is 4.35pm heading north and 6.11pm going south, allowing passengers plenty of time to enjoy the world-class facilities that the £1.6m outdoor recreation complex has to offer. A network of trails snake into the woods from the circular visitor centre, from leisurely family walks, cycling trails and an all-ability trail along the river banks to challenging orienteering trails, demanding running trails and exhilarating mountain bike trails for families or the most experienced rider. Following a day enjoying the spectacular woodland scenery, visitors taking advantage of the new bus service can fortify themselves at Bwyd y Brenin, the smart and spacious café which lies at the heart of the complex and offers stunning panoramic views down the valley towards Cader Idris. And, if you produce your bus ticket, you will be offered 10% off the cost of your order! The complex includes a children’s play area directly adjacent to the centre and a children’s animal puzzle trail that leads down to the Afon Eden picnic site, which is accessible to all. It replaced the old centre at Maesgwm which could not cater for the huge increase in numbers as the reputation of Coed y Brenin spread - it now attracts well in excess of 100,000 visitors annually and contributes some £5 million to the local economy. The complex, which opened in August 2006, took 12 months to complete and gives unprecedented access to the forest to the disabled and wheelchair-bound. It was jointly funded by the European Union (Objective One) and Welsh Assembly Government, as well as FC Wales. The new service makes five stops coming from the north and four from the south every day Monday to Saturday. One of the first people to use the service, Phillipa Symmonds, who travelled to Coed y Brenin with her son, Zak, two, said, "It's brilliant to be able to get the bus into the centre. I can bring Zak to the play park in the week and go for walks and picnics with him. We'll be using it a lot." www.forestry.gov.ukLatest news
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