Many towns came about and were affected by the activities of the drovers. 

Most towns you will find are ten to fifteen miles apart due to the distance that could be comfortably travelled in a day on horse or foot.  Satellite villages three miles or so  from the main towns complete the picture.  

Droving in centuries past meant travelling on remote tracks driving cattle to the local and more distant markets.  Quite often they would travel from Anglesey and swim the Menai Straits making their way to Capel Curig. The route went through Llanrwst and Abergele and to Ruthin and Llandegla in the Vale of Clwyd where drovers tracks converged from Flintshire and Merioneth.  The grazing was good here and the accommodation (pubs and inns) plentiful.  Some drovers would take the route to Llangollen or alteranatively go to Bwlch Gwyn near Wrexham heading for England.

Later a new road was cut (presumably what is now the A5) and they went via Capel Curig through Pentrefoelas and onto Cerrigydrudion to reach Llangollen.  Llangollen was known in those days for its bad inns. You can still see evidence of the tolls that were levied in the Toll Houses still in existence by the roadside particularly along the A5 at Maerdy, near Glyndyfrdwy and in Llangollen.  Some drovers took other routes to avoid them.

Drovers from the Lleyn Pennisula made their way via Rhydycladfy, Efail Newydd, Pedair Croesffordd and to Llanystumdwy.  The Marshes were avoided and the drovers route took in Maentwrog, Trawsfynydd or Bala, or Ysbyty Ifan, Rhydlydan, Cerrigydrudion to Ruthin.  The route from Bala went to Corwen and Llangollen.

Now submerged under water (Llyn Brenig) there must have been a route drovers used through the area known as Brenig.  Brenig is steeped in history with archeaology.  The area is now used for sailing, fishing, walking, horse riding and cycling.  White water rafting near Bala and Go karting near Cerrigydrudion give this area a modern day appeal. 

Nearby Clocaenog forest has one of the populations of Red Squirrel and Black Grouse.

For further information please contact Bryn Awel b&b