Image: © Copyright John Lucas via Geograph and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons.
Near the little coastal town of Fairbourne on the Welsh coast you'll find a hidden gem well worth exploring!
This area of the coastline is part of the Snowdonia National Park, and full of interesting little caves and coves. If you want to find an excellent wild swimming spot, relatively unknown to many visitors of the region, you should definitely hunt out the Blue Pool.
What was once the Goleuwern Slate Quarry, located above Fairbourne, close to the little village of Friog, is now a hidden, high-ground lake. The quarry was opened in the 19th century but was never majorly successful and closed again in the early 20th century. Throughout the 1990s there were still remains of the mine but nowadays it is party filled with water. This mysterious little haven is surrounded on all sides by the steep quarry walls, offering protection from the elements and, thanks to the residual minerals lingering in the rocks, the water is a beautiful vivid blue and really clear too!
It's difficult to get to if this is your first time because there is very limited signage. A public right of way will lead you there from Friog, but aside from that, there is very little indication that you're on the right track. From the A493 in the centre of the village there is a tiny road named Fordd Panteinion; follow this, fork right and keep going. Pass a couple more tiny cottages on your left and walk until you find the public footpath sign and kissing gate on your right hand side. Keep following the path upwards through various slate archways.
Image: © Copyright liz dawson via Geograph and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons.
Eventually you'll come to a plateau with bits of old abandoned mining equipment. There will be a short low tunnel which will open out at the lake!
The walk will take you around 15 minutes. So it's not too far. Remember to go careful, especially if you're with youngsters, the ground can be unstable in places.
Image: © Copyright confusion via Geograph and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons.
