Crwydro a Mwydro

Ar 80 acer o dir, mae Gerddi Bodnant yn sefyll ym Mae Colwyn, a mi ddylsa fod ar frig eich rhestr o lefydd i ymweld ag ar eich ymweliad nesaf i Ogledd Cymru. Gyda phob math o blanhigion egsotig, mae taith i Fodnant yn teimlo fel camu ar blaned arall gyda’i blodau bywiog a’i choed enfawr! Oddi’n ddiwrnod hyfryd.

‘Di camera rôl fi ‘rioed ‘di bod mor fywiog, mae’r gerddi yn le gwych i wario diwrnod yn crwydro ac yn archwilio dros 8 milltir o lwybrau. Mae taith o amgylch y stad, yn croesi a dilyn y nant yn rili helpu i glirio’r meddwl, pe bai ar ben eich hun neu gyda ffrind. Ymwelon y gerddi ar benwythnos olaf Ebrill pan oedd y dorf o bobl dal i fod yn reit fach. Fedrai’m dychmygu pa mor lliwgar a llachar mae’r lle ‘ma’n edrych yn yr haf, fydd rhai i ni ddod eto.

Mae gan Fodnant sawl lwybr hygyrch addas i “mobility scooters”, a digonedd o feinciau ar hyd y ffordd i orffwys. Fydd Bodnant yn ddiwrnod gwerthchweil i bob oedran ag i deuluoedd, mi wnaethon ni joio’n arw fel cwpwl ifanc. Un peth dwi’n difaru peidio neud, a byddaf yn gwneud yn siŵr y tro nesaf, ydy dod a snacs neu becyn bwyd. Mae sawl caffi a deli o fewn y tir, ond roedd gormod o bobl yn disgwyl felly buaswn wedi gorfod ciwio am ddipyn. Ar hyd y daith o amgylch Bodnant mae nifer o fyrddau a seddi random a fysai wedi bod yn neis i eistedd a gorffwys gyda ffrwythau ffres a diod oer.

Cofiwch edrych allan ar eu cyfryngau a’u tudalen digwyddiadau, dwi’n siŵr fod yna digonedd o bethau i’w wneud yma trwy’r flwyddyn, yn enwedig adeg y Pasg. A pheidiwch â phoeni am adael eich ffrindiau bach blewog adra! Mae croeso i gŵn (ar dennyn byr) o ddydd iau i ddydd Sul trwy fisoedd yr haf (Ebrill – Medi) a pob dydd am weddill y flwyddyn (Hydref – Mawrth)!

Mae gan Fodnant hanes cyfoethog a gallwch ddysgu ar eich taith o amgylch y gerddi. ‘Nai ddim diflasu chi efo traethawd am hanes Bodnant, ond mi oedd hi’n rili diddorol yn gweld yn holl wybodaeth!

Ar ôl i ni gyrraedd diwedd ein siwrne (turns out odda ni’n crwydro am dros 2 awr) ymwelsom y siopau bach hyfryd ger y ganolfan arddio. Er ei bod bach yn ddrud, oedd gan y siop anrhegion emwaith prydferth a darnau crochenwaith na allwn adael, ynghyd a pob math o nwyddau erill megis gwlân, celf gwydr a pheintiadau. Drws nesaf, mae siop llyfrau ail law, perffaith i ddarllenwyr brwd fel fi, gyda Chaffi Magnolia dros ffordd yn gweini cacennau a bwyd ysgafn.

Mae’r ganolfan arddio yn meithrin dewis cyfoethog o terrariums a phlanhigion dan do ac awyr agored. Roedd yr eitemau erill ar werth yn cynnwys anrhegion plant, blancedi a chlustogau Melin Tregwynt a nwyddau cartref.

Ar ôl gwario dipyn dros 2 awr yn crwydro llwybrau llachar Bodnant, penderfynem adael am ginio. Jyst 2 funud i lawr y lon mae Tal-Y-Cafn, bwyty/bar a adnewyddwyd yn ddiweddar. Lle ni allai argymell digon gyda’i awyrgylch ymlaciol a’i phrydau blasus.

Felly, byddwch yn siŵr i ymweld â Gerddi Bodnant ar eich ymweliad nesaf i Ogledd Cymru, trwy gydol y flwyddyn, dyw’r natur yma ddim yn siomi!

English

At 80 acres, Bodnant Gardens is not to be missed on your next visit to North Wales. Boasting all sorts of exotic plants, a trip to Bodnant feels like stepping onto another planet with its vibrant flowers and gigantic trees.

My camera roll has never been so beautifully vibrant, Bodnant Gardens is a great place to spend the day wandering and exploring over 8 miles of paths. A walk around the estate, crossing and following streams really helps to clear your mind, whether it be alone, or with a friend. We visited on the last Saturday of April, when the crowds were next to nothing. I can’t imagine how bright this place is in the summer, we’ll have to visit again.

Bodnant has many accessible paths and alternate routes for mobility scooters, and plenty of benches and seating along the way to rest. Although we absolutely adored our day out as 22 year olds, Bodnant will surely be a hit with all ages and families. One thing I regret not doing, and will make sure I do next time, is to bring some snacks or a packed lunch. The cafes and deli’s within the garden walls can often be over-crowded and you could find yourself queuing for some time. We walked past many picnic benches and random log chairs during our visit and thought it would’ve been lovely to sit and rest with some fresh fruit and a drink.

Be sure to check out their events page as I’m sure there will be plenty of things to do during the year, especially Easter. And don’t worry about leaving your furry friends at home! Dogs are welcome (on short leads) from Thursday to Sunday during summer months (April – September) and every day of the week the rest of the year (October – March)!

Bodnant has a very rich history which you can learn along your travels around the gardens. I won’t bore you with an essay right now, but it was very interesting seeing and taking in all the information!

After we reached the end of our adventure (turns out we were exploring for over 2 hours) we visited the lovely little shops by the garden centre. Although a little on the pricey side, the gift shop had beautifully made jewellery and pottery pieces, which I couldn’t resist, among all sort of other goods like wool , glass art and paintings. There’s a second-hand bookshop, perfect for fellow bookworms, located next door to the craft shop, and magnolia café adjacent, serving light bites and cakes.

The garden centre is host to a grand selection of terrariums and indoor and outdoor plants, carefully looked after by workers. Other items for sale include dog treats and accessories, Melin Tregwynt throws and blankets and homeware.

After spending just over 2 hours wandering through the bright pathways of Bodnant, we decided to head off for lunch. We drove 2 minutes down the road and came across Tal-Y-Cafn, a recently refurbished restaurant and bar we could not recommend enough with its relaxing atmosphere and hearty meals.

So be sure to include Bodnant Gardens on your next visit to North Wales, all year round the nature here doesn’t disappoint!