This is exactly the sort of magical-looking lane that leads to adventures in all the best books and films, which is why I photographed it. I know Tolkien spent time in Wales, though I'm not aware he came to Betws-y-Coed, but it looks like it belongs in The Shire. I certainly felt like I needed to beware of the Black Riders while walking along it, but thankfully none came... this time!!! 

A wintry view across Llyn Ogwen towards the mighty Tryfan in the Glyderau mountains.  This was the last shot I took on a bitterly cold November day as the sun was setting. 

The Dee Valley in autumn, taken from Llangollen Railway Station. I've shot this fairytale Methodist Church from every conceivable angle and in every season, but Autumn really takes it to another level. On this occasion, I photographed it from Llangollen Railway Station with its beautiful Victorian detailing, which must surely be a contender for the most beautiful station in the country. It certainly has one of the best views!!!

The Lone Tree, or Lonely Tree, of Llyn Padarn. Standing on the beautiful Llyn Padarn lake in Llanberis, you can see why this is one of the most iconic locations in Snowdonia for photographers! This photo was taken on one of those lovely, clear days you can only hope for but seldom get. In the background, you can see the snowcapped Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon Massif and the tiny column that is Dolbadarn Castle catching the late afternoon sun as it stands, sentinel-like, at the head of the Pass of Llanberis. The tree had a companion on this occasion - a seagull that refused to leave and stayed throughout the shoot. 

Straight out of a fairytale, the 15th Century tearooms right on the edge of Eryri / Snowdonia. This magical 500-year-old building is beautiful all year round, but autumn takes it to another level entirely when the Virginia Creeper turns red and Llanrwst becomes a magnet for tourists from all over the country.

Harking back to a bygone era... This is the Chirk Aqueduct that spans the Ceiriog Valley and carries the beautiful Llangollen Canal into England, where it becomes the Shropshire Union Canal. The aqueduct stands 70ft high and was completed in 1801, at the height of the Industrial Revolution, by civil engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessop. The higher structure to the right is a railway viaduct, which was added some years later. I particularly love the hand railing and how worn it is by generations of hands touching it to steady themselves as they crossed.

I was captivated by this beautiful little wonky gate and path winding through the trees while visiting a nearby location in Snowdonia.

Steam trains are the living, breathing machines that powered the Industrial Revolution. This beauty runs on the Llangollen Railway in North Wales.

When you take a path through the forest that you've never taken before and come across a poem of a beech tree.... Taken in spring with lots of light still coming through the canopy to give an airy, magical feel to the photo.

Y Lliwydd , with its very distinctive peaks, forms part of the Yr Wyddfa/Snowdon Massif and has been used as a training ground by many notable British mountaineers over the years, including George Mallory. It was used extensively by Edmund Hillary/Tenzing Norgay in preparation for their successful 1953 Everest Expedition.

According to legend, King Arthur fought and defeated a giant named Rhitta Gawr, who wore a cloak made from the beards of his enemies. Arthur buried the giant in a cairn on the neighbouring summit of  Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa. It's said that Arthur's men camped in a cave on Y Lliwedd while waiting for their king's return and remain there still, sleeping.

In Wales, the tylwyth teg, or fair folk, are said to walk invisible paths between ancient sites, though the fairies keep their true maps secret and no such path is ever marked on any chart. This footpath behind the village of Llanfair Talhaiarn in the Elwy Valley certainly feels as though it could be one!

Step lightly along these pathways, pour a drop of milk at dusk as an offering, and the fair folk may walk beside you - perhaps even let you pass twice! 

If I could pause time, I'd do it in bluebell season - the most magical time of the year. This was taken in my local bluebell woods on the edge of Snowdonia /Eryri. 

This photo was taken on a casual walk near my home in the Conwy Valley, North Wales. Ladder stiles are one of my favourite things as they're a bit quirky and can also be excellent for composition. I loved how this particular stile was surrounded by an abundance of lush summer foliage.

Rhyd Ddu station, nestled in the heart of Eryri / Snowdonia, is a stop on the Welsh Highland Railway, a narrow-gauge line that dates back to the 1870s. Today, it carries passengers through some of Wales’ most breathtaking landscapes, offering a glimpse into the region’s industrial past, and sits at the foot of the Rhyd Ddu path, one of the routes up Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon.

I never pass a railway line I don’t want to photograph. The leading lines disappearing into the distance are irresistible. I took this photo a couple of years ago on my phone because it was already raining, though the real downpour came a bit later when the storm finally broke.

I took this on an evening walk through an ancient forest on the edge of the Conwy Valley with lovely, soft light shining through the trees.

This wonderful winding lane near Betws-y-Coed, Snowdonia, with its dry stone walls is a recent find, and one I will need to visit in different light and at different times of year. It's straight out of Tolkien's Shire!!

Wintry tree with wonky gate against a sunset sky in Snowdonia / Eryri.

Set against the majestic mountains of Eryri, Dolbadarn Castle is a sentinel of Welsh history. Built by Llywelyn the Great in the early 13th century, it was a strategic stronghold that safeguarded the Llanberis Pass and symbolised the prince's dominance over Gwynedd. 

A narrowboat on the Llangollen Canal surrounded by autumn colours.

The late afternoon sun illuminating the little bridge at the beginning of the footpath to Pen-y-Pass - the start of many an adventure!

I don't take many photos of birds, but I was sitting on a bench in a secluded spot enjoying the view when this beautiful robin appeared and was kind enough to pose for me while I took this shot.

I've photographed this little group of farm buildings across many seasons now, partly due to the stunning backdrop of the distant Carneddau Mountains, and partly due to the feeling of underlying timelessness that they never fail to give me.

Dolwyddelan Castle was built in the 13th Century by Prince Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, or Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Gwynedd, to oversee the beautiful Lledr Valley in Eryri / Snowdonia. This photo was taken on a lovely summer's day, looking out through the door of the very atmospheric castle keep onto the Moelwyn Mountains. 

Within the canopy of a beautiful beech tree as it grows its spring canopy. 

A carpet of bluebells on an ancient forest floor in May in Snowdonia / Eryri.

A storm over the mountains of Snowdonia, as seen from the beach in Beaumaris, Anglesey. 

A mother mallard duck with her two ducklings dozing on a log in the late afternoon sun.

Pentre Farmhouse, Nant Ffrancon, with the ruggedly beautiful backdrop of the Glyderau mountains. If this vista seems oddly familiar though never visited, it may be because it was one of the filming locations in Mr Bates Vs The Post Office. 

The Lone Tree of Llyn Padarn standing as a quiet sentinel on Llyn Padarn in Eryri / Snowdonia. 

Llangollen Methodist Church, built in 1903 on the bank of the beautiful and majestic River Dee, depicted with its gothic spire nestled in colourful autumn foliage.

A summer's day on the beautiful Llangollen Canal.

The Snowdon Star moored on Llyn Padarn on a cold winter's daywith the Pass of Llanberis beyond.

The iconic Tu Hwnt I'r Bont Tea Rooms in Llanrwst, taken on a misty summer's day in the Conwy Valley.

Winding path through the Beddgelert Forest in a soft evening light.

Beautiful cottage on the banks of the Llangollen Canal, North Wales

The road taken as sunset resolves to twilight.

Flat-bottomed working boat at Mawddach Estuary, Barmouth, Snowdonia

Shetland pony grazing in early autumn, Snowdonia.

The power of the River Dee in autumn.

Leaves as shapes and colours.

The Llugwy Valley, near Betws-y-Coed, is beautiful in all seasons.

Bare winter trees reflected as dancing shapes and colours.

The striking peak of Y Garn forms one end of the Nantlle Ridge, in Rhyd Ddu, Snowdonia.

Entrancing autumnal colours.

Looking down the beautiful Gwynant Valley towards Llyn Gwynant from Pen y Pass in Eryri / Snowdonia. 

A scene that embodies North Wales for me. Two Welsh Mountain Sheep enjoying a summer afternoon among the ruins of Dolwyddelan Castle, with the Moelwyns as a timeless backdrop. They were as curious about me as I was about them!

Water lilies naturally create beautiful shapes and colours among the reflections.

The boardwalk on Pwllheli Beach, Lleyn Peninsula on an overcast summer's day. The boardwalk led me into the photograph, just as it led me onto the beach.

My favourite walk in autumn for the beautiful, still reflections of the autumn leaves.

A minimalist take on this iconic beach art on Barmouth Beach in Southern Eryri / Snowdonia. 

The very distinctive Criccieth Castle was built in the 13th Century, begun by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (Llewellyn the Great) and finished by his grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (Llewellyn the Last). Its stunning location on a rocky headland overlooking Cardigan Bay was famously immortalised by JMW Turner, who turned the castle to face the other way to improve the composition!

Lying just to the south of Porthmadog is the pretty little Victorian seaside village of Borth-y-Gest. With its beautiful harbour, it reminded me of Cornwall, but with mountains! 

Llangollen Methodist Church at twilight, taken in autumn 2024 from the Victoria Promenade - a beautiful walk alongside the River Dee that was opened in 1897 to commemorate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

The beach at Rhos-on-Sea on a very hot summer day. I particularly loved the ice-cream colours on the building to the right.

This is a wonderful evergreen Holm Oak (Quercus Ilex) in Conwy, beside the estuary. I'm not going to give the exact location as it's not a famous tree, but locals and many visitors who are familiar with Conwy will be able to work it out. I call it the Narnia Tree because CS Lewis is said to have been influenced to create his fictional landscape by a similar Holm Oak in Northern Ireland, where he spent time as a young man.

It was love at first sight when I found this tree and I've been experimenting with photographing it for some time now, which isn't easy. It's very large and also growing at an acute angle over the water, with no clear vantage point to photograph it from. I've given up trying to get more of it in the frame and have instead gone with trying to just capture the essence of the tree, showing it against the adjacent bench for scale. 

Nestled on the lower flank of the Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa Massif, the Cwm Dyli Power Station, Britain’s oldest grid-connected hydroelectric plant, was originally built in 1905 to power the slate industry. Built by the Porthmadog, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Company, it now feeds 9.8 MW of green energy to the National Grid, drawing water from Llyn Llydaw further up in the mountains. Known as the 'chapel in the valley' for its striking architectural design, this local landmark is instantly recognisable to visitors to Nant Gwynant and has become an integral part of this beautiful valley. 

The photo was taken during a brief break in a rainstorm as summer collided with autumn, giving the photo a suitably atmospheric feel. I got soaked through and nearly blown over by an unexpected gust of wind, but I think it was worth it!

A canoeist braves the rapids on the glorious River Dee as it flows past the Corn Mill and through Llangollen.

A close-up of the Virginia Creeper on the side of Tu Hwnt I'r Bont as it changed colour.  

Conwy Castle, the awe-inspiring fortress which dominates the Conwy Estuary. Built by King Edward I and his architect Master James of St George in an incredible four years - between 1283 and 1287 - this is one of the most magnificent medieval castles in Europe and a deserved UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's also a joy to photograph from pretty much any angle!

The iconic Virginia Creeper on Tu Hwnt I'r Bont was cut right back in February of this year for some needed repairs to the roof, but it's already revoering well and put on a magical display again this autumn.

I noticed this carpet of red Japanese Maple leaves on the side of the road and had to capture their beauty. They looked like little stars!

This charming little 19th Century redbrick cottage on the Llangollen Canal has become a bit of a photographic icon - easy to see why when the setting is so picturesque!

Beautiful Nant Gwynant dressed in autumn colours and bathed in evening light, taken from the gate at Pen-y-Pass, Eryri / Snowdonia. This is one of my favourite spots to stop and ponder.

Early autumn in the beautiful Conwy Valley. I took this photo from Pont Fawr in Llanrwst while visiting to photograph Tu Hwnt I'r Bont. I particularly liked the way the early evening sunlight was hitting the very unusual curved facade of the house. What a lovely place to live!

I loved this magical, little group of trees with the roof of a cottage glimpsed tantalisingly from among them.