Progress (2) and a new book

Here's what we've covered (in blue) up to the end of 2007. Maybe there's a chance of completing it all in 2008!

In addition to the books we have been using and referred to earlier (see references), there's another book out about the Coastal Path - All Around Anglesey by Terry Beggs (ISBN 978 184323 715 0). It's a coffee-table book with pictures around the path, not a guide book.

Porth Llechog - Porth Amlwch

Our little walk today took us from Porth Llechog (Bull Bay) to Porth Amlwch (Amlwch Port), and back.

The path here is mostly at the top of jagged cliffs characteristic of much of North Anglesey. It was surprisingly muddy and the day rather gloomy, so much so that after reaching Amlwch we decided to return along the road.

Stanley Embankment and Valley

Our Boxing Day outing didn't follow any of the handy little circular walks in our guidebooks, and wasn't as well-signposted as usual, so I'll have to be more careful in describing the route.

We started at the Penrhos Coastal Park and began the walk towards mainland Anglesey along the Stanley Embankment. At the mainland end, just by the ATS Euromaster tyre depot, a Coastal Path finger sign pointed northwards along the shore and, as high tide had passed, we followed the shoreline. This was a rocky and pebbly beach, starting off with the eclectic boulder clay pebbles we have seen so often around the path. As we progressed, the beach became dominated more by the local rock, with varied hues of red, purple and pink of the 'New Harbour series'.

Just before a small headland, we avoided a path inland to the right with the remains of a signpost but pressed on along the beach. A little farther, at Penrhyn Bach, an angry sign forbade us to walk along the private foreshore and diverted us to a path inland. This short hop took us to one of the few dead ends on the Coastal Path, where it stops at the Alaw estuary - but there was no sign to indicate this.

Turning back, we decided to follow the inland (high tide) alternative path. After returning past Penrhyn Bach onto the beach nearby, the steps up were easy to miss but did have small Coastal Path logo to show the way. The path passes the remains of a well in the field on the left before joining a road where the Coastal Path on the map expects us to turn left then right. We then walked up Gorad Road past a series of interesting concrete electricity posts. There should be a right turn from here, but we missed it at first as there was nothing to indicate the path. Doubling back, it was necessary to turn into the estate of ugly bungalows where we found the pathway, half of whose width was being used by somebody to store a pile of breeze blocks. Over a stile, then following the right boundary of the field, took us to some steps downwards which eventually brought us out round the back of the same ATS Euromaster tyre depot as we passed earlier. Had we been looking for this inland route when we came by in the opposite direction, this wouldn't have been the obvious way to go!

On the way back, the ebb tide was rushing through the flume under the embankment (picture).

There were lots of birds to be seen on this walk - Great Crested Grebe and Egret as well as the more common seabirds, and various ducks and geese at the Penrhos Coastal Park.

Porth Llechog - Porthwen

After a summer doing other things in other places, we got back to the Coastal Path today.

This was ostensibly Rogers Volume 2 Walk 6, but we thought we should start in Porth Llechog (Bull Bay) to avoid parking on a grass verge. It turned out it was easier to follow the signs for the Elaeth Circular Walk - although there's very little difference.



Despite a very warm, dry day for November, this was a quiet walk, hardly anybody about.

The walk finished off with refreshment at the Bull Bay Hotel, one of few hostelries on the Coastal Path: acceptable but unexciting fare.

Traeth yr Ora

Today's walk started off with an intention to do Rogers Volume 1 Walk 5 - but we ended up starting from a different point, doing it backwards, and not doing the whole of it!

We began with lunch at the Pilot Boat Inn on the A5025 between Brynrefail and City Dulas. This was a spacious pub, Robinsons' beers, "food all day" and is recommended. The pub also tops the charts (so far) for proximity to a Coastal Path sign, so we set off without difficulty towards the coast, although uphill for what seemed like most of the way. Traeth yr Ora is indeed, as Rogers says, "a beautifully secluded sandy beach".

We wandered along the beach for a while, it being low tide, then back up to the footpath as far as Traeth Lligwy. We followed the footpath inland which leads from the northern car park, as far as a little signposted diversion to Tyddyn Môn. (Picture shows field sculptures there). Tyddyn Môn looked worth a visit but turned out to be closed at the weekend, so we returned via Brynrefail to our starting point. The Craft Shop and Garden Centre at Brynrefail were unimpressive.

To Porth Swtan

Today's long-overdue walk started by Llanfaethlu, at a small car park near Penterfyn (SH293868), and we followed the Coastal Path northwards. (Picture is the beach at Porth Crugmor).

We walked as far as Porth Swtan (Church Bay), where we stopped for lunch at the Wavecrest Cafe (open 10.30-5 except Tuesday and Wednesday). This supplied good basic food of which 'Granny Hudson's Bramley Apple Pie' was much appreciated. We got as far as reading the menu at the Lobster Pot restaurant, and failed totally to visit the little Swtan museum. Then we returned along the roadway which runs more or less parallel to the coast. At Penterfyn we continued southwards along the Coastal Path (after a little difficulty finding the sign), around a headland as far as Porth Trefadog, turning back to complete the loop by an inland track.

It was a lovely sunny day. We found the whole area quiet, quiet enough to listen to the birdsong most of the way. All the way, but particularly between Porth Fudr and Porth Crugmor, there was an abundance of what we thought were swallows, or they might have been sand martins.