Ancient stones above a magical gorge

Tiny Capel Garmon has been inhabited for thousands of years. The most striking memorial to the earliest inhabitants is the chambered long barrow to the south of the village. Built over 4000 years ago, its a communal burial chamber where generations of Neolithic farmers were interred, high up on this ridge above the Afon Conwy. A jumble of small fields and ancient boundaries draw the walk down to the river gorge where thundering waterfalls mark the meeting of the rivers Machno and Conwy. Centuries-old, mossy oakwoods clothe the banks here, perhaps evoking a sense of other-worldness in the Victorians who christened the area Fairy Glen. It remains today an enchanting promenade amidst cool woods and rushing waters. A final climb up a steep, wooded path, returns us to the village, pub and chapel secluded i the knobbly hills.