'We're pleased they come ... it's just the parking'

VILLAGERS ON THE DOWNSIDE OF LIVING NEAR STUNNING AND INCREASINGLY POPULAR NATURAL ATTRACTION

- By DAVID POWELL Daily Post Reporter

THE majestic plumes of Rhaeadr Fawr or Aber Falls in Aber-gwyngregyn plunge 120 feet (36.5 metres) into the North Wales countryside. Artists, photographers and nature lovers have long been attracted to this towering marvel which has left them both impressed and soothed.

However, the numbers can be unmanageable at times thanks to a sustained release of pent-up enthusiasm for Mother Nature after Covid-19 lockdowns, an explosion in exposure on social media and scorching temperatures.

We visited the village in the relative tranquillity of a Wednesday afternoon to gauge what locals really make of it all. Everyone we spoke to had an opinion.

Tony Hume, 72, lives in a 19th Century cottage close to the Falls. He says he plans his journeys out of the village at peak times at weekends.

“It’s terrible. It has become an absolute nightmare. If it's not raining, the two main car parks can be full by 10am,” he said.