by Gill Caves, Group Footpath Secretary
To email the footpath secretary, click here.
Meirionnydd footpaths
Meirionnydd has a rich network of Public Rights of Way - footpaths, bridleways and byways - covering around 1500 miles. There are low level and high level routes, easy and not so easy, though fields and woodlands, alongside rivers and coasts and up into the mountains. Our Rights of Way are classed as “highways” and afforded the same protection in law as the roads we drive on. Like our roads, they are kept open and usable by the local highways authority, the county (or unitary) authority, but with limited resources Gwynedd County Council is hard pressed to keep up with the enormous amount of work involved. The most popular and well used paths are, quite rightly, prioritised by both the Council and the Snowdonia National Park Authority, but inevitably some of the lesser paths can become blocked or fall into disrepair. However, this should not deter you from bringing problems to the attention of the Council especially if the problem could pose a danger to the path user and ultimately it is important to have a good overview of the state of the paths especially when it comes to bidding for funds. We are grateful to the Rights of Way staff from both Gwynedd Council and Snowdonia National Park who work extremely hard and diligently on all of our behalves to try and maintain a safe and accessible network for us all to enjoy.
Reporting footpath problems
Gwynedd Council has two ROW teams; one covering the southern part of the County (stretching from the Dyfi Bridge at Machynlleth and then northwards roughly to the north of Bala; Blaenau; and the Cnicht Ridge) and the other covering the County area to the north. As the Meirionnydd Group, our main interest is for paths in the south of the County whilst the Eryri Ramblers group more concerned with the paths in the north of the County. If you come across any problems while walking on Gwynedd's Rights of Way, such as as obstructions or faulty stiles or gates, you can report them direct to the council by phone (01766 771000) or by using this online form. Alternatively if the path is within Meirionnydd you can report the issue to me using the ‘footpathsec’ address at the top of the page and I will pass the information on. Please be sure to tell us the exact nature of the problem and provide a grid reference of its location. A photograph is also useful. If you cannot provide a grid reference we need a good enough description to pinpoint the location. If the problem is in the north of the County then you can report it to Eryri Ramblers via their website eryriramblers.org although wherever the problem is please do go direct to the Council if it is one which causes an immediate hazard to the user.
Latest footpath news April 2026 - footpath closures.
From time to time it is necessary for the Highways Authority (Gwynedd Council) to close a right of way temporarily, usually for reasons of public safety or to enable works to be carried out. Temporary closure orders are made for 6 months but the closures are often in force for a much shorter period. However, if the closure is required beyond 6 months then the Highways Authority (Gwynedd Council) need to make an application to the Welsh Government to approve an extension. During the closure period there should be notices and a map on site advising of the closure and the alternative route(s).
Sometimes, if intermittent works are going on near a right of way that could present a health and safety issue for users, rather than closing the path by notice, contractors can decide to have workers on site to direct the public around the closure or halt works to allow safe passage. Please obey instructions from contractors in these instances. However, should you come across any closed paths that do not have official public notices from Gwynedd Council displayed, or contractors on site to direct you, please let me know.
Details of closures in the Meirionnydd area about which we are aware are:
1) Tree Felling Works: Natural Resources Wales is undertaking a comprehensive programme of tree felling in a number of locations throughout the County where there are public rights of way (ROW). In order to avoid unnecessarily closing the ROW for long periods of time, and where it is possible to make them available to use when works are taking place, there will be contractors on site to alert users of the path. For your own safety please follow any instructions that you are given and adhere to all warning signs.
2) Fallen Trees and especially the Aberllefeni area: A large number of trees have succumbed to the recent storms affecting many paths across the ROW network. Please be careful when walking in woodland since some trees may not have fallen to the ground but are being propped up by their neighbours and may well fall at any time and especially in future winds. Drone footage in the Aberllefeni area has shown the extent of the damage there and as a result the footpath between grid ref SH 768 134 (edge of Open Access area) and SH 776 120 (Ratgoed) has had to be closed. An alternative permissive path has been provided from SH 774 139, some 850 metres to the NW, rejoining the footpath at SH 775 124. It is not clear how long it will take to clear and re-open the official line of the footpath.
3) Trawsfynydd footpath 56: The bridge which crosses the Afon Prysor at SH 730 354, east of Lake Trawsfynydd, has had to be closed due to the poor condition of the decking on the bridge. To avoid this section of FP 56 between Hafod Wen and Swn y Nant it will be necessary to leave the path at SH 730 356 west of Hafod Wen and proceed in a generally SW direction along FP 60 to the path junction at SH 722 354 before heading in a generally SE direction to the path junction with the A470 by Fron Oleu, and then proceed in an easterly direction to Swn y Nant. It is not yet clear for how long the bridge will need to be closed.
4) Llan Ffestiniog, FP 36: Tree harvesting in the area means that the following lengths of FP36 will be closed to protect the public with effect from 26 January 2026.
a) From its junction with the Unclassified Road between the A496 and the A470 approximately 200m north-east of the property Cymerau Canol (grid reference SH 695 433) in a generally southerly direction for a distance of approximately 170m to grid ref SH 695 431, then approx. 780m in a southerly then easterly direction to its dead-end at grid reference SH 698 433, 200m south of the property Pengwern Old Hall Farm and
b) From grid reference SH 695 431for 370m in a north-easterly direction to its dead-end at grid reference SH 698 433, 300m north-west of Pengwern Old Hall Farm.
It is hoped that the work will be completed with 6 months.
Other news
Footbridge at Trawsfynydd: An inspection in 2022 of the footbridge at Trawsfynydd revealed a number of structural and safety related issues. Magnox Ltd, who are responsible for the bridge, therefore took the decision to close it pending a review of next steps. The bridge is not a Right of Way nor in the control of the highway authority (Gwynedd Council) so if you have any concerns about the continuing closure please address these to Magnox direct or to
New sign posted walks at Dinas Mawddwy: Eight circular waymarked self-guided routes have been developed by social enterprise Cwmni Nod Glas in Dinas Mawddwy with funding from the Welsh Government, the EU and other partners. The paths explore intimate valleys, tumbling streams, shady woodlands and wild moorland with magnificent views and vary in length from 1.7 miles to 12.5 miles. All the walks follow public rights of way and are waymarked. The routes are available to download and print from the Dinas Mawddwy Walks and Trails website and are also available to purchase from various outlets in Dolgellau and Machynlleth. Five of the routes start and finish in Dinas Mawddwy whilst others start and finish in three other nearby villages – Llanymawddwy, Mallwyd and Aberangell.
Before and after pictures
Just to illustrate that reporting path problems is well worth while here are some "before and after" pictures of a collapsed bridge in the popular Cwm Ratgoed. It was replaced within a matter of weeks.
Path Maintenance and Improvement Volunteering Day in Coed-y-Brenin
Great work was done by seven group members on 15 August 2025 who, working alongside the Rights of Way officers from Gwynedd Council and their contractors, made significant improvements to a footpath on the eastern edge of Coed y Brenin. The work was funded by a grant from the Ramblers Accessibility Fund and took place on a path that was on land owned in part by NRW with the remainder in private ownership so liaison between both parties had to be undertaken before the work could begin. Clear felling by NRW had taken place back in 2023 on the western section of the path and this had disturbed some of the path’s surface and made its line difficult to follow. Access on to the path at the western end was also difficult because of a ditch that had to be negotiated to access the start of the path and also because fir saplings blocked the way. Between the boundary of NRW land and the privately owned land to the path’s eastern end, the vegetation had become impenetrable with the path surface boggy in places because of blocked culverts. It was decided to have two people working alongside the contractors (who also had access to a digger) at the western end to clear the vegetation there and to construct a ramp so that future walkers could access the path easily and safely. The remainder of the group worked as a team at the eastern end of the path methodically clearing a small forest that had grown up along the length of the path before clearing out the culverts to divert surface water that drained on to the path from the opposite bank. Finally a number of way marker posts were installed along its length and after the contractors did a final brush cutting the line of the path it was clear for to use. Despite the number of ‘bodies’ on site, the work took about 6 hours on what was one of the hottest days of the year but it was satisfying to see the path emerge and to be able to leave it in a state which makes it both easier to access and to follow, enabling future walkers to enjoy the wide ranging views across the beautiful surrounding countryside.
We are very fortunate to have a number of members from within our group to call upon to help for path maintenance but we can always accommodate more, so if you would like to help on a future work day, or there are paths that you come across a path that you think would benefit from some maintenance (but without the use of contractors and machinery), then please email the group footpath secretary. Even if you aren’t able to help out with the physical work there is a role for someone to organise the workdays which mainly involves liaising with volunteers and the Council over dates (the Council will always undertake the discussions with landowners). The role could be shared and there are unlikely to be more than 4 to 6 workdays a year. Again, contact the footpath secretary if you would like to know more.
A big thank you to all those who helped on the day and to those who were on standby to help on a future day had the work over-run. We are fortunate to also enjoy a good relationship with our two Rights of Way officers at the Council who provided the tools. Whilst we don't currently have a pool of tools belonging to the group we could probably acquire some from group funds if necessary. As one of the volunteers said “I have walked paths for years and never thought about how much work goes in to keeping them open”. Please do consider getting involved and share in the satisfaction of opening up difficult paths.
Before and after photographs showing the results of the workday are below. Click here to see lots more photos.
Gill Caves, Footpath Secretary
