18c Mostly Clear
Barmouth Viaduct at Sunset 
Llanberis from Penllyn 
Morfa Bychan beach near Porthmadog 
North Wales Calendar 
AUTUMN wastes no time in stripping away the last vestiges of the Indian summer as it whoops away over the dimming horizon. However in its place comes nature in all its high-definition glory, summery greens making way for autumnal yellows, browns and reds.
There are few better places to appreciate the beauty and glory of autumn than Wales' forests, with Coed y Brenin, between Trawsfynydd and Dolgellau, at the top of any artist's or photographer's list of places to visit.
Coed y Brenin translates as the King's Forest, being a favourite hunting ground of Cadwgan, Prince of Powys, in the 12th century. You can still encounter wild roe and fallow deer roaming the forest, the best time to spot them being dawn or dusk.
Fallow deer live in isolated groups, and are magnificent animals with glorious chestnut coloured coats with white spots. Roe deer are easily identified by their short antlers and their fawn coloured winter coats, speckled yellow. Look out for the amazing full gamut of wildlife, including kites and the elusive red squirrel.
Long lauded by the mountain biking fraternity as one of the best venues in the world, Coed y Brenin's amazing 130km of trails offers them a challenge to push the most accomplished to the limits. The long distance Lôn Las Cymru cycle route between Holyhead and Chepstow also meanders into the forest on its way between north and south.
But Coed y Brenin also has plenty to offer those of a slightly less athletic bent, with its 9,000 acres of pristine woodland - formerly part of the Nannau estate - centred on the valleys of the Mawddach, Eden, Gain and Afon Wen rivers.
Having been completely revamped last year in a £1.6m make-over, the visitor centre - the hub of the cycling operation - is also the focal point of a beautiful forest park that has something for everybody with a smidgen of appreciation for nature.
Clearly marked walking and running trails guided by information leaflets available in the Centre take you right into the heart of the forest. And it's not all coniferous by any stretch of the imagination.
It boasts wide expanses of indigenous woodland, with the birch, oak and beech that trail the rivers, painting a kaleidoscopic blaze of stunning colour this time of year.
Once located at Maesgwm in another part of the forest across the A470, the new purpose-built cylindrical visitor centre is constructed from locally-sourced wood, and fitted with a green-friendly water system.
It offers changing rooms, coin operated showers and a bike wash. You can even hire a mountain bike here - including titchy ones for kids - and all your two-wheeled needs at the on-site Beics Brenin cycle shop.
Meanwhile, on the upper floor, across a snazzy footbridge, the Bwyd y Brenin café can cater for almost your every whim, serving snacks, sandwiches full blown meals and even boasts a fully licensed bar.
Pop out on to the balcony to take in the panoramic vista all around you, accompanied by the chattering of nature in glorious surround sound.
Meanwhile, the enclosed play areas, with super safe soft rubber surface ensuring that scrapes are kept to a minimum, are the ideal places to keep the youngsters happy for hours on end.
The cafe is quite brilliant.…
comment by Compo - 16/07/2008 03:17