'Path in the sky' getting 'discovered' - but not all are happy

CONSIDERING its domineering statue and the dramatic walk across the valley below this 'path in the sky' is surprisingly little known.

- Owen Hughes

Cwm Prysor Viaduct sits in Eryri National Park but away from the usual hotspots that attract millions of visitors every year.

The viaduct spans 450ft of the valley and once carried the Blaenau Ffestiniog-Bala Railway. It is 120ft high and has nine beautifully curved arches.

Services started up in 1882 but the final freight train crossed the viaduct in January 1961. This came after falling passenger numbers and the final nail in the coffin was the decision to flood the Afon Tryweryn valley to create Llyn Celyn. A decision was made not to re-route the line and instead spend money on the A4212.

The track was lifted later that decade. The viaduct has been partially reclaimed by nature with a green path across the top.

This isn’t an official ‘right of way’ but is a ‘permissive path’ which means the landowner allows access.