Weatherman Walking: Dwyryd River Valley airs Monday 15 May 2023 on BBC One Wales.
Derek Brockway explores Wales on foot in a brand-new series of Weatherman Walking, taking eight hikes full of breathtaking scenery, fascinating history, and amazing wildlife. In this first episode, he travels to the Dwyryd River Valley in Gwynedd.
The small town of Penrhyndeudraeth serves as the starting and ending point of a 10-mile walk that features breathtaking vistas of Eryri. The first few miles of the journey parallel the Ffestiniog Railway, with Derek stopping to chat with railway historian Aled Lloyd at Tanybwlch station. The world’s first and oldest railway company, it opened in 1836 to transport slate from the quarry and now sees over 200,000 passengers annually.
As the weather worsens, Derek seeks refuge at the Felen Rhyd Fach farm, where he is welcomed with hot soup. He owes them big time, so they’ve enlisted him to help with the livestock feeding. At the former explosives factory site of Gwaith Powdwr, he meets Rob Booth of the North Wales Wildlife Trust and they walk together for a while. A major player in both World Wars, it once ranked among Europe’s largest economies.
Onkar Singh Purewal, who co-hosts the show with Derek, travels to meet the renowned poet Alex Wharton in order to gather information about a pivotal figure in gardening history. Dr. Jeni Millard, a scientist, explores the depths of the Llechwedd Slate Quarry in Blaenau Ffestiniog, where a local business is making cave-aged cheddar cheese in one of the mine’s caverns.
Season 13 Episode 1
Weatherman Walking: Dwyryd River Valley airs Monday 15 May 2023 at 8.00pm on BBC One Wales
Featured Image Credit: BBC One Wales
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