B4403

The B4403 near Bryniau Golau

The B4403 runs along the southern side of Llyn Tegid / Bala Lake in North Wales. It is often used as an unofficial diversion route when the A494 trunk route along the northern shore of the lake is closed.

The road starts on the A494 on the edge of the village of Llanuwchllyn and to begin with heads southeastwards through the village. This section is subject to a part time 20mph speed limit as it passes the primary school, and tied in to the part-time limit on the A494. It quickly crosses the River Dee via a bridge built in 1970, and then proceeds through the village (with traffic calming speed cushions) until it reaches the bridge over the Afon Twrch and becomes NSL, changing character from an urban S2 into a narrow country S1 with passing places. Shortly after this point there is a junction that leads to Bwlch-y-Groes, the second highest public road pass in Wales.

The road now starts running parallel to the narrow-gauge Bala Lake Railway (formerly part of the Ruabon-Barmouth British Railways route). It reaches Bala Lake itself after about a mile and follows both for virtually all its remaining length, although owing to vegetation they cannot always be seen.

The first place of any size at all alongside the lake is Llangower, which has a church, stream crossing (10 tonne MGW weight limit) and campsite. Eventually the B4403 crosses the railway line to reach the hamlet of Pont Mwngwl-y-llyn where it ends on the B4391. There is an old bridge to the left (over what was the River Dee), now pedestrianised, which is the original route of the B4391 but now the B4403 continues ahead for a short distance before ending at a T-junction. Bala itself is a short distance to the left.