General Principles

• Scaling to Window Size - Most of the website content is scaled according to window in which it is operating. Initially this was based on the width of the window but this is being revised so that this is only in Portrait Mode and in Landscape it is based on window height. This includes text size, buttons and graphics plus the full width image and photo on the page heading. Some of the remaining photographs are of fixed size but many are now scaled as the website develops to give more condsideration to use on mobile phones. Converting the whole website is a considerable task so is being undertaken a step at a time to minimise any errors that may occur.
• Narrow Windows - Most modern devices are now capable of displaying windows 900 pixels wide and if not they have software that is capable of scaling down web pages to a size they are capable of. Hence a move is being made that assumes this to be the case and concentrates on adjusting text and graphics sizes to make them as legible as possible. This increasingly leads to some automatic reformatting of pages when they are viewed in Portrait Mode but until the whole website is revamped, it may still be necessary to either rotate devices into Landscape Mode or stretch out text with finger and thumb.
• On Small Screens - it is difficult to tap links that are close together so various way are being tried to help with this. One way is to link from a large box rather than a small bit of text, but this is not possible everywhere without limiting the amount of information on the screen, so in other places there are also attempts to keep links a reasonable distance apart.
• Hiding of Page Content - Because of the large amount of content on the website, most things have been hidden from initial view, enabling the main blue headings on each page to be viewed without too much scrolling. Each heading has a Show button which allows that section to be displayed. The Show button then changes to a Hide button to allow the content to be hidden again if desired.
• Hiding of Sub-sections - Where sections themselves are large, they contain further green buttons to show or hide each sub-section.
• Pull-down Menus - All of the main pages are accessed by pull-down menu buttons at the top of the page. These open up when hovered over with a mouse or pointing device and collapse again when the pointer is moved away. To enable devices without a pointing device to operate, clicking the top button will allow the pull-down to remain in view so that a link can be clicked. Clicking elsewhere will remove it from view. With a pointing device the links can be operated either by hovering or by clicking.
• Pull-down for Current Page - The current page menu button is coloured in blue or, if it is the Home page, in green. The pull-down for the current page shows a black heading with an orange border. Below the heading are internal links to the main sections of the page in white. When a link is clicked it goes to the selected section and also opens up that section for viewing just as if the Show button had been clicked. Note that moving around the current page and showing or hiding sections is very quick as all of the content has already been loaded.
• Pull-down for Other Pages - These pull-down menus have links to the Top of that page first, then to other links within that page. These have now (30/03/2021) been made to behave like links within a page, opening up the selected section as if the Show button had been clicked. The only difference from links on the same page is that these are slower because the new page has first to be downloaded and initialised so this takes longer depending on broadband speed. When selecting the option to open the link in a new Tab or Window, the opening up of the selected section does not work so Show has to be clicked.
• Accommodation Pages - Because there is so much accommodation data, it has been split into three separate pages: Southern, Central and Northern. After selecting the 'Accommodation & Services' section of the 'Route' page there are green link buttons to each of these pages. Once on that page, there is a pull-down menu similar to that on the main pages to link back to other pages of the website (there are only black menu buttons as none of these pages are the current page). There are also green link buttons to select other sections or to go to different categories of accommodation and open them up for viewing. They can also also be accessed by clicking the appropriate Show button on the page.
• Revamped Accommodation Page (Beta Version) - As of 15/08/2021, a Beta Version of the Accommodation is available for trial and can be accessed via the News Item 44 on the Home Page. The changes are intended to make searches easier and more selective as well as condensing the three pages of Southern, Central and Northern sections into one page. It has the following features:
  
  • A pop-out Menu is activated by hovering over or clicking the vertical Filter Entries button near the top left of the page. By default, all entries are shown but these can be tailored to individual requirements.
    The pop-out menu retracts when the mouse or pointing device moves outside the area of the button or the pop-out menu. On android devices, tapping elsewhere on the screen will retract the pop-out menu.
  • The number of matching entries for each location is updated and shown on the heading for a quick indication of possible entries.
  • If an entry fits more than one category e.g. a pub that does B&B, serves meals and has a camping field, it will be displayed if either B&B, Camping/Glamping or Meals/Drinks are selected.
  • Clicking the Show button in a heading will display only matching entries and if there are none, a message is shown to that effect.
  • The Services/Info category includes things such as Tourist Information Centres, Taxi Services that operate in that area and updates such as previously listed places that have closed.
  • An additional feature is that the Accommodation Main Menu has been modified to increase the text size when used in portrait mode on small screens, achieved by moving the chevrons below the headings. This will be extended to other pages if no problems are encountered.
  Please e-mail any problems, comments are suggested improvements to the Webmaster at the address above. The previous Accommodation Pages are still available through the normal menu but will eventually be replaced.
  

  Try the Accommodation Page (Beta Version)

General Principles   what3words   Negotiating Website   Reporting Problems

Hints and Tips

• Searching for Keywords - Browsers often have a facility for searching for words or phrases within a webpage and this is generally invoked by pressing Ctrl and F. It should be noted that this will only search the page content that is not hidden which initially is only a few headings. To search the whole page, use the 'Show All' button on the right before doing the search. Note that because of the large amount of content on some pages, there may be a slight delay before the 'Show All' or 'Hide All' responds.
• Out-of-Date Web Pages - After updates to the website it is sometimes possible to pick up contents of out-of-date web pages, especially if the pages have been accessed previously through the same device. Old pages may be held locally in the cache and accessed instead of the updated pages. This varies a lot from one browser to another and also depends on various 'Browsing Options' and 'Internet Settings'. If inconsistencies occur, try reloading the web page and, if problems still persist, 'Delete Cached Data' (under 'History' in Chrome or 'Internet Options' in Internet Explorer). When significan changes are made, the URL names for pages are changed by the addition of a number i.e. maps2.htm becomes maps3.htm etc and this may apply to all pages except for the Home Page which remains as index.htm. Earlier versions of pages are generally left on the website and may be accessed if a link to them is saved. However, visiting the Home page will then show all links to the updated pages.
• Text Size - As explained above, most text is sized in proportion to the width or height of the window. This can result in text that is larger than desired on large screens with a maximised window. By reducing the size of the window from maximum, the text size can be controlled by varying the window width and/or height, which then allows a greater amount of page content to be displayed. However, if the width or height are reduced too far, unwanted scrolling may kick in. This is because many pages cannot function properly with too small a window.

Use of what3words to locate places

• what3words is simply a human friendly coordinate system. It is a layer that sits on top of latitude and longitude and allows everyone, everywhere, across all platforms, analogue and digital, to easily communicate their precise location. Instead of long sets of latitude and longitude numbers or Ordnance Survey grid references it gives every 3m square in the world a three word address. These appear to be random but by looking them up via a link to their website it will show the exact location on a choice of zoomable maps or satellite imagery. As well as the exact match for these words, a few alternatives with slightly different spellings are also shown in case a word has been mistaken (e.g. 'result' instead of 'results'). The different ones are often in different continents so it is easy to pick the correct one. An app is available for free download and this can be used to guide you to the location by GPS using suitable software on the phone or to generate three words for your current location so that you can pass it on to others. It is now being used by a number of organisations including the emergency services, as it is easier to communicate three words than a string of numbers.
• We are now using this extensively on the website for most things where a grid reference is given, though the grid references will still be retained for use with O.S. maps. This is an example for Cardiff Castle /// hatch.lowest.socket

Accuracy of what3words entries on this website

• Although what3words will define a location to a 3m square, this is a far greater accuracy than is generally necessary and when shown on the what3words website it is often necessary to zoom out the map in order to see the surrounding area. In remote areas, maps do not show much detail, so it is often more useful to look at the satellite imagery instead, though the image quality of this varies enormously from one area to another. In some areas the satellite image may not show at all but will show when zoomed out by one or more levels. Even when there is no detail, it can still be useful for seeing which direction to head to reach the location. The locations on this website have been resolved to an accuracy that is sufficient for approximate location, but these may not always be precise. For instance if a B&B is in a row of houses it may not show the exact one but should be near enough to enable it to be found from the address. Another important thing to note is that a what3words location that is only a few metres away from a given location will show as an entirely different set of words. Hence anyone obtaining a set of words may get a different set each time they try. This can even happen on the exact same spot as the limits of GPS accuracy mean that it can drift into adjacent 3m squares. Any of these different sets of words is as good as any other as they will all locate within a fairly close distance of the target. There may be instances on this website where the same location has been given a different set of words, but either set can be used.
• If you find any what3words references on this website that could be improved upon for accuracy, please email details to the Webmaster's address below.

General Principles   Hints and Tips   what3words   Reporting Problems

Website Layout - Finding Things

Home Page

• About the Walk: A brief summery of the walk details.
• Latest News on the Cambrian Way: new developments, problems, corrections
• Useful Links: organisations providing or advertising accommodation, walking organisations, organisations providing walking holidays, other walks near Cambrian Way, National Parks - activities and amenities, environmental and conservation organisations, Ordnance Survey
• Links to Personal Accounts: of walking the Cambrian Way
• Cambrian Way Completions: comments from some who have completed the walk
• Contacting Us: the Cambrian Way Trust and Webmaster

Route Page

• Southern Section of Route: a brief description of the terrain from Cardiff to Llandovery
• Central Section of Route: a brief description of the terrain from Llandovery to Dinas Mawddwy
• Northern Section of Route: a brief description of the terrain from Dinas Mawddwy to Conwy
• Accommodation & Services: Accommodation list from Cardiff to Conwy with a Filter to allow selection of the types of Accommodation or Service required (New format and facility June 2021). See Notes on Using Accommodation Page below.
• Route Changes for Cicerone Guide: how the changes came about, list of the 21 Stages, details of the changes
• Planning a Walk: advice on route finding, finding accommodation, weather conditions, contacting Emergency Services, use of what3names, details of road access points and parking along the way stage by stage
• Points of Interest: on or near the route stage by stage
• Mountain Summits: mountains over 2000ft on or near the route

Guide Page

• Cicerone Guidebook: guidebook details and how to obtain it, what will happen to the A.J. Drake guidebook and the support for it
• Free Download of GPX files: for Cicerone route
• Free Download of O.S. Maps: 1:25,000 maps of route on A4 pages
• List Checkpoints: 41 main checkpoints + 3 variants

Maps Page

• Overall Map: main route
• Wild Wales Map: showing main route
• Geology of Wales: map showing main route
• Geology of Wales: table from Precambrian to Present day
• Ordnance Survey: paper maps covering route
• Ordnance Survey: about online mapping service OS Maps

History Page

• Origins of the route: a brief history by Tony Drake
• Full History of the route: by Tony Drake - Cambrian Way Committee, 1971 Proposals, involvement of the Recreational Organisations, involvement of the County Councils and the National Parks, the Instant Cambrian Way, effects of the Right to Roam
• Obituary to Tony Drake MBE: - 25/01/1923 to 07/03/2012
• Formation of the Cambrian Way Trust
• A.J. Drake Guidebook and its Support: - details of 7th Edition (now out of print)
• Updates A.J. Drake Guidebook: - downloads of Amendment Sheets and Updates for 6th & 7th Editions
• GPX Files for A.J. Drake Guidebook: earlier route relating to 7th Edition
• Old News Items for A.J. Drake Guidebook: 6th & 7th Editions

Photos Page

• About the Photographs: copyright, permitted use, submitting photos
• List of Photo Albums: links to 13 photo albums from Cardiff to Conwy 800px wide
• Larger Photos & Permitted Use: selection of photos 1600px wide

Notes on Using Accommodation Page

By default, all accommodation and services are listed under each location with the number of entries displayed against each one. The entries themselves can be shown by clicking the Show button on the left.

By hovering or clicking on the vertical Filter Entries button on the left, a set of categaries are shown on a fly-out menu and these can be selected or de-selected as required. This will update the display to show only those categaries requested.

Each entry in the Accommodation page shows the O.S. grid reference of the entry (unless it is a service that is only available by phone or internet).

• By clicking the grid reference, a map will open in a new tab or window showing coloured markers for entries in that area.
• A key panel indicates which marker is which with brief details and the same information is shown when a marker is clicked.
• The map may be zoomed in or out by the + and - buttons at the top left and also by spreading of the fingers on touch screen devices. The map can be moved by dragging with the mouse, or by finger on touch screen devices.
• When two or more markers are close together they are indicated by a * and it may be necessary to zoom in to distinguish which they are, though an attempt has been made to them clearer by adjusting sizes of these markers.
• The Cambrian Way route for the local area is shown as well as any optional variants (in different colours).
• Green flags show the Start of each of the Cambrian Way Main Stages and show the Stage number.
• Links are provided to the next map area and also back to the previous map area for added convenience.
• An attempt has been made to make the map page fit in either landscape or portrait mode on mobile devices but some adjustments to size may be needed on the wide range of different devices. When trying to enlarge the page, avoid touching the map itself as this will just zoom the map rather than adjusting the page position and size.

General Principles   Hints and Tips   what3words   Negotiating Website

Reporting Problems with the Website

For any problems encountered with the website or any other comments regarding its construction, please contact the webmaster George Tod at: webmaster@cambrianway.org.uk

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