Or’eira, Llanfacherth, Dolgellau 11th May 2005
Drove down to Brithdir to the start, north end, of the Torrent Walk. It was created by Thomas Payne for the Richards family of the nearby Caerynwch estate in the late 1800s. A short path led to the top of a rocky, steep sided gorge at the bottom of which the white water of the Afon Clywedog cascaded over smooth sculptured rocks into deep, dark mysterious pools. Conifers and oaks, bright green with early-season foliage, climbed the valley sides. The sun threw a dappled light on an emerald carpet of moss and drifts of luminous bluebells among the bracken. Banks of white wild garlic flowers danced in the breeze and scented the air. Secretive birds flittered and twittered and sang an accompaniment to the susurrus of the tumbling water from the undergrowth and the treetops. We looked in vain for dippers feeding among the torrent washed rocks. Fallen trees lay across the stream in contorted shapes, the wood white and bare like bleached bone. At the end of the gorge pied flycatchers danced among the trees and grey wagtails bobbed for insects around the footings of a Pont Clywedog bridge, carved with the initials of old lovers.