UKC

Morning

Can anyone tel me how busy the Ogwen and A5 car parks are please East of Tryfan?

Might pop down later if it’s not too busy.

Ta

Dave

Can't comment on today, but yesterday every car park and layby in Ogwen was rammed along with the usual prolific illegal parking by 09:30 - but we parked at the Gwern Gof Uchaf campsite for the princely sum of £2, and there was plenty of space.

Just got back. It’s manic. We arrived at 8am and parked in the lay-by on the right just before Ogwen Cottage as you come up from Bethesda. We were the first there. Got back to find the car had been ticketed despite being fully in the lay-by. Double yellows are along the carriageway but not the inside of the lay-by so we thought it was ok. No cones across the lay-by. It obviously isn’t!

All car parks and every space taken to beyond Tryfan Bach at about 12.

Double yellows, where present, apply to the "building line", even private land (so the "rock line" in the case of the layby in question, if I'm Google Street View-ing the right one).  I've heard of a few businesses in London being caught out by that - if you want to park on your own property the road side of the building line, you have to wall it off and get a dropped kerb installed.

It is a bit entrapment-like not to put signs up saying that it is for loading only, though.

Strange that it seems rammed, I was there the weekend after the august bank holiday and it seemed pretty normal. Maybe after the post-lockdown surge we have a pre-second-lockdown surge?

Thanks, I’ve done a bit of googling myself and you’re right, although there is a regulation that says the double yellows should be put on the inside of the lay-by to avoid confusion. We’ve been parking in that lay-by for many years with no issues and I guess the double yellows are new. 
We’ve taken photos and I think there is a strong case that we could argue but it’s probably not worth the effort. 
If they’re trying to solve the parking problem, it seems counterintuitive to take out of commission 5/6 perfectly good and safe parking spots.

It's possible there was a mistake in not breaking the lines at the laybys - maybe you could get a copy of the TRO and see what that says?

Yes, the double yellows are new, they aren't on Google Street View.

Sorry to hear that you got ticketed.

Glad I didn’t go. My spidey sense was tingling.

I'm intrigued by the person that looks like he's from a Western: Cowboy hat, long coat and appearing to be reaching for a holstered pistol.

I think some people seek out the Google cars and try to get on them!

It’s Lee Van Cliff

Busy usually every monday, It is the start of the week, y'know. 

In view of the imminent Conwy restrictions, what's the situation re Ogwen Cottage car park? Is that Conwy or Gwynedd?

Tan y Celyn, Nant Ffrancon, Bethesda, Gwynedd, LL57 3LX

The one by the YHA seems to be in Gwynedd but *only just*.  The boundary comes down to where the road bridge over the stream is, then goes round the lakeshore (so the actual lake is all Gwynedd) then up along the east side of Llyn Idwal - so you can walk on one side of it but not the other!

Thats actually a private house now. It used to be the NT office, but it got closed a few years ago and they moved the office to Ogwen Cottage, so I dont think the householder will be too impressed with a few hundred cars parking in their driveway! 

FWIW it would appear from the OS map that Ogwen Cottage is in Conwy but the car park and YHA in Gwynedd, I said it was close!

You could go up Y Garn, I suppose.

Its pretty farcical, isn't it? I live right on the border of Gwynedd and Powys, so if they extend the new restrictions to the rest of Wales (surely just a matter of time?) it'll be legal for me to drive 2 hours to walk in the Brecon Beacons but illegal to drive 5 minutes to walk up Cader Idris.

Hi Elfyn,

thanks, I cut and pasted from the national trust website https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/carneddau-and-glyderau#How%20to%20get%20he...

If you have any contacts there, possibly worth letting them know.

May I take this opportunity to thank you for all the work you do, your the part of the BMC well worth the money.

Indeed.  The idea of restricting travel in and out of a local lockdown makes sense where it's a one-off area, but where it's most of Wales it's downright silly.

Yup, I'd agree. A useful reminder that the "county" shown in addresses is that of the postal town, rather than the building itself.

It might be legal, but its certainly against the guidelines on unnecessary travel.