Sheep's wool used to make 'floating Roman footpaths' up Wales' highest mountain

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
A path-building technique borrowed from the Romans has been used to rebuild a route on Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). It's underpinned by hundreds of sheep fleeces which act as a base on which the path 'floats'.
As the method is particularly good for crossing boggy areas, it was selected for the footpath in Cwm Llan on the south-eastern flanks of Yr Wyddfa. Nearby runs the popular but demanding Watkin Path to the mountain's summit.
A 60-metre section of footpath was constructed, half of which used fleeces. The fleeces were taken from Welsh Mountain sheep grazed by the National Trust's Hafod Y Llan farm nearby, and flown to the site by helicopter.
'There were about 200-300 fleeces used, given to us for free from the farm,' said Ifan Parry, National Trust Cymru area ranger in Eryri (Snowdonia). 'Sadly, the price of wool is extremely low in the UK and it costs more to shear the sheep than you get from selling the wool.'
From Bronze Age times, people have used a variety of natural methods for crossing wet ground including bundles of willow and hazel, woven hessian and flat stones. Traces of these techniques can still be found in submerged sections off the Welsh coast.
Wool provides a good medium as it is durable and has good compressional strength. 'This sheep wool fleece technique in paths was used by the Romans,' said Ifan. 'Now, we tend to use this technique in wet boggy ground through peatland.
'The wool acts like a membrane to separate the path stone from the peat so it doesn't sink. It's a more eco-friendly alternative to using plastic membranes." Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community
(Image: BMC)
Ifan added: 'Once the wool is in and sealed, the peat is an anoxic environment so it won't rot – it will stay intact, acting like a barrier between the path and the peat.
'We try not to disrupt the peatland, so the wool allows water to flow through it underneath the path, preventing the surrounding peatland from drying out.'
Fleeces were also used by Menter Môn to create bog-proof paths on Anglesey at Aberlleiniog Castle, near Penmon, and Rhos Llaniestyn, near Llanddona. It was part of the enterprise body's 'Made with Wool' project, which aims to find alternative uses for the versatile but under-valued fibre.
In Cwm Llan, the 'walking on wool' path was laid over two days by British Mountaineering Council (BMC) volunteers and the National Trust's footpath team in Eryri. The work was for the BMC's latest 'Get Stuck In' event, part of the Mend Our Mountains campaign.
Over the past two years, the initiative has seen volunteers clock up almost 500 man-hours of work in Eryri. Between them, they repaired more than 520 metres of footpath, laid 187 stepping stones and cleared five helicopter bags full of plastic tree guards.
BMC hill walking rep Steve Charles said 30 metres of the "sheep" path were built just using stone – the other 30 metres used fleeces. 'Fleeces are used to build paths through boggy areas where stones would just sink into the mud,' he added.
(Image: BMC)
A trench was dug through peat about 1-2ft deep and the fleeces laid on at the bottom at least two bales deep. Larger stones were then used to weigh down the fleeces with aggregate added on top for the walking surface.
Using wool does have drawbacks, said Ifan. 'Work-wise, fleece is easier in a way than stone-pitching or stepping stones because it's a lighter material and a less technical method that takes less time, skill and experience,' he said.
'But in other ways, it's harder than building a path with stone. Without a digger or a large group of people, it's quite a time-consuming task because of the sheer amount of material that needs to be dug out and then filled back in.
'The BMC Get Stuck In volunteers really helped us with this project and we did a lot more work than we thought we would do. Top job!' Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
With 10.5m visitor nights spent in Eryri in 2023-24, and more than 600,000 people climbing Yr Wyddfa every year, the national park's 1,497 miles of footpaths are seeing more footfall than ever before. It's left the BMC warning of a 'nightmarish downward spiral of footpath degradation', compounded by more extreme weather as the climate changes.
One idea for combating these pressures is to appoint an apprentice ranger at the National Trust's Eryri footpath team. Fundraising for the two-year role is being led by the BMC's Access & Conservation Trust. So far £14,000 has been raised and another £53,000 is needed – there's more detail here.
Find the weather forecast where you live

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Wales Online

36 minutes ago

• Wales Online

I stayed in a remote shepherd's hut with no power, this one thing made it unforgettable

I stayed in a remote shepherd's hut with no power, this one thing made it unforgettable This off-grid stay is romantic, remote and wildly memorable. The website promised five remote huts that are "built with love for modern nomads and that they are "charming outposts for those needing a wildly romantic adventure." (Image: Portia Jones ) It's not exactly standard procedure to check into your weekend accommodation via golf cart, but this is Wales, and normal rules do not apply. When I arrived with my sodden husband in tow at Barlwyd Glamping in Blaenau Ffestiniog, the icy rain was coming in sideways, and the wind was howling. Classic Wales. ‌ Self-check-in took the form of tossing our damp weekend bags into an electric golf cart while my husband wondered aloud why we weren't just in the pub like normal people. ‌ From there, it was a damp and slightly chaotic trundle up through remote slate hills to our shepherd's hut, which loomed out of the mist, looking every bit like the opening scene of a slow-burn thriller Netflix would undoubtedly call The Cabin in the Cwm. Now, I know I'm painting a picture that screams, 'We've gone on holiday by mistake,' but let the record show I'm a full-on shepherd's hut girlie. Honestly, give me a dinky hut done up like a Cath Kidston fever dream, throw in a roaring wood burner, and I'm in glamping heaven. While the wild Welsh weather was not initially on our side for our arrival at Barlwyd Glamping (the Met Office had issued a yellow thunderstorm warning), this was the off-grid stay I had been searching for, and it had one thing in particular that made it unforgettable. Article continues below Barlwyd Glamping, positioned high on the moorlands among the UNESCO-listed slate quarries and mountains of Blaenau Ffestiniog, is reached by off-road golf buggy via bone-rattling gravel tracks, adding another otherworldly feel to the Brontë-esque landscape. These Shepherd's Huts are part of a collection of accommodation options at the Llechwedd mine, which includes Llechwedd Glamping and Plas Weunydd Hotel (Image: Portia Jones ) These shepherd's huts are part of a collection of accommodation options at the Llechwedd mine, which includes Llechwedd Glamping and Plas Weunydd Hotel. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here ‌ The website promised five remote huts that are "built with love for modern nomads and that they are "charming outposts for those needing a wildly romantic adventure". A bold claim indeed, considering that by the time we unloaded our moist cart, we were utterly drenched and in dire need of a mega pint of wine. However, once I stepped inside, I was instantly smitten. On one end, a king-size squishy bed adorned with pretty cushions; on the other, a wood-burning stove, a twee kitchenette, and even a small washroom with a shower and a flushing loo - the luxury! ‌ I should probably note that these adorable huts for two are fully off-grid (Image: Portia Jones ) I should probably note that these adorable huts for two are fully off-grid and have integrated water, sewage, and batteries, but no mains connection to plug-in items like laptops, hairdryers, or phones. Do not bring your straighteners; there's no 'hot girl summer' here; you'll just have to embrace the frizz, darlings. Instead, there is eco-friendly Hydro Power, which generates more electricity than we use, making Barlwyd net carbon neutral. If you're desperate for phone power, there's a handy battery pack you can use to get some juice for your social media snaps. ‌ Each dog-friendly hut comes with its own en-suite bathroom, very civilised. There's a water tank, so you can enjoy a hot shower, as long as you don't get too comfortable. We discovered this the hard way when my darling husband used up the entire hot water supply, leaving me with a tepid trickle and a strong urge to explore solo travel. Conscious uncoupling was also briefly considered. You can easily whip up a meal in the compact kitchen (Image: Portia Jones ) ‌ The compact kitchenette has all the essentials for whipping up a stove-top meal, including a small hob, a fridge, cooking utensils, crockery, cutlery, washing-up liquid, a sponge, and a tea towel. Outside, there is a gas-powered barbecue for use when the weather is agreeable (reader, it was not). Luckily, just a mile down the hill, you'll find Zip World's Llechwedd site and the Plas Weunydd hotel, where you can grab a delicious dinner by the fire. I highly recommend their homemade chicken curry; it's divine. Despite soggy socks and no BBQ, this remote place slowly began to work its magic. The silence was the first thing that struck me; no hum of traffic, pinging phones, or pesky emails from editors (Yes, Sion, I'm filing it now). ‌ Barlwyd delivered exactly what my overwrought soul needed: a quiet corner of Wales with no notifications, no schedules, and absolutely no Starbucks in sight. Just a wild, sweeping view and the sense that I was one dramatic monologue away from becoming Catherine Earnshaw, screeching, "I wish I were a girl again, half-savage and hardy, and free." The snug levels are very high here (Image: Portia Jones ) ‌ Honestly, once you're snug in your hut, the weather becomes someone else's problem. Just stoke the fire, pour a lovely glass of wine, and bask in the smug, off-grid glow of being entirely unreachable. No phones, no streaming, no idea what day it is, magical. And let's be honest, a thunderstorm in the night only adds to the drama. Will we blow away? Who knows. May as well have another Merlot. Throw in the occasional nocturnal "baa" from the local sheep, and you've got yourself a stay that's romantic, remote and wildly memorable. ‌ I have also yet to mention the best part: the wildness sauna, available exclusively to Barlwyd Off-Grid Shepherd's Hut guests. As a sauna convert, I was delighted to unwind in their wood-fire barrel sauna on top of the moorland, overlooking Ffestiniog's majestic mountains and a lake. Who doesn't want to steam on a remote hillside while having a quiet moment of introspection? The wildness sauna is available exclusively to Barlwyd Off-Grid Shepherd's Hut guests. (Image: Portia Jones ) ‌ Now, despite usually rolling my eyes at anything remotely woo-woo (healing crystals, drum circles, energy healing), I'm fully convinced that saunas are actual magic. The healing powers of sweating out all my anxieties and most of last night's wine cannot be overstated. Luckily for us, the weather had cleared just in time for a lovely sauna session as rays of sunlight slowly filtered through, giving the moorland a much-needed glow-up and finally revealing a tapestry of heathers, grasses and mosses. It was glorious. I'm fully convinced that saunas are actual magic (Image: Portia Jones ) ‌ At that moment, I felt a sense of peace. Or possibly just dehydrated. Either way, it worked. I was full of wellness. So, in conclusion, did I miss the internet while here? Not one bit. I came, I glamped, and I forgot to check my emails. Honestly, that's the kind of inbox zero I can get behind. If you want to escape your hectic life, this is the off-grid stay for you. Maybe just pack a rain jacket yeah? For more information and booking, visit the website Article continues below

Leader Live

2 hours ago

• Leader Live

Dolphins captured swimming next to boat off Abersoch coast

The Llyn Peninsula is home to one of only two "semi-resident" populations of bottlenose dolphins in the UK. If you walk along the coastal path or shore for long enough (at any time of year), you are more than likely to catch a glimpse of a dolphin, the National Trust said. Dolphin hotspots on the Llyn Peninsula, according to the National Trust, include: While some people catch a glimpse of dolphins from afar while walking the Llyn Peninsula coast, a North Wales man has captured the moment he came within touching distance of the marine creatures. Charles Bradford, who hails from Hawarden, was out in his boat off the Abersoch coast when two dolphins swam right by, one even passing under it. The 40-year-old described the moment as "surreal". There were several reports of dolphin sightings in Abersoch last week, as local residents ventured out to the coast to make the most of the hot weather. Abersoch Watersports captured its own dolphin footage, which also included a video of "a whole lot of fascinating jellyfish". Britain's biggest resident population of dolphins lives in Cardigan Bay, according to Visit Wales. You can spot bottlenose dolphins all year round off the Welsh coastline, but in the summer months, you are almost a "near-certainty" to spot one. The Visit Wales website says: "You can see our bottlenose dolphins all year round, but depending on where and when you go, you can raise your chances of spotting them to a near-certainty. "Summer months are best, with New Quay being the hottest spot. "Boat trips can take you to Aberporth, Mwnt, Cardigan Island and Cemaes Head and you've a good chance of seeing dolphins." While there are a number of paid tours you can take that can give you a closer look at the sea creatures, there are several spots across Wales that are ideal for spotting dolphins from dry land, that won't cost you a penny: While dolphins frequent Welsh waters, there is other sea wildlife you might be able to spot if you are lucky. RECOMMENDED READING: The best locations to see dolphins, whales and other marine wildlife in Wales WATCH: Octopus filmed changing colour on North Wales beach in 'rare' event Shipwreck off North Wales coast that's lay in watery grave for more than 100 years Where can you find great white sharks - are there any in the UK? Their dolphins' smaller cousins, harbour porpoises, can be seen around most of the Welsh coast, as well as the dolphin hotspots listed above. Visit Wales adds: "You can often see porpoises off the coast of Gower, the Pembrokeshire islands, and in the seas off Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula." If you're lucky, you might be able to catch a glimpse of orcas, basking sharks and/or humpback and minke whales.

North Wales Chronicle

2 hours ago

• North Wales Chronicle

Dolphins captured swimming next to boat off Abersoch coast

The Llyn Peninsula is home to one of only two "semi-resident" populations of bottlenose dolphins in the UK. If you walk along the coastal path or shore for long enough (at any time of year), you are more than likely to catch a glimpse of a dolphin, the National Trust said. Dolphin hotspots on the Llyn Peninsula, according to the National Trust, include: While some people catch a glimpse of dolphins from afar while walking the Llyn Peninsula coast, a North Wales man has captured the moment he came within touching distance of the marine creatures. Charles Bradford, who hails from Hawarden, was out in his boat off the Abersoch coast when two dolphins swam right by, one even passing under it. The 40-year-old described the moment as "surreal". There were several reports of dolphin sightings in Abersoch last week, as local residents ventured out to the coast to make the most of the hot weather. Abersoch Watersports captured its own dolphin footage, which also included a video of "a whole lot of fascinating jellyfish". Britain's biggest resident population of dolphins lives in Cardigan Bay, according to Visit Wales. You can spot bottlenose dolphins all year round off the Welsh coastline, but in the summer months, you are almost a "near-certainty" to spot one. The Visit Wales website says: "You can see our bottlenose dolphins all year round, but depending on where and when you go, you can raise your chances of spotting them to a near-certainty. "Summer months are best, with New Quay being the hottest spot. "Boat trips can take you to Aberporth, Mwnt, Cardigan Island and Cemaes Head and you've a good chance of seeing dolphins." While there are a number of paid tours you can take that can give you a closer look at the sea creatures, there are several spots across Wales that are ideal for spotting dolphins from dry land, that won't cost you a penny: While dolphins frequent Welsh waters, there is other sea wildlife you might be able to spot if you are lucky. RECOMMENDED READING: The best locations to see dolphins, whales and other marine wildlife in Wales WATCH: Octopus filmed changing colour on North Wales beach in 'rare' event Shipwreck off North Wales coast that's lay in watery grave for more than 100 years Where can you find great white sharks - are there any in the UK? Their dolphins' smaller cousins, harbour porpoises, can be seen around most of the Welsh coast, as well as the dolphin hotspots listed above. Visit Wales adds: "You can often see porpoises off the coast of Gower, the Pembrokeshire islands, and in the seas off Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula." If you're lucky, you might be able to catch a glimpse of orcas, basking sharks and/or humpback and minke whales.