Red Wharf Bay

Today, 25 June, was warm but potentially showery and not too hot, so a good day for a longer walk.

Starting at the car park at the bottom of Lon y Traeth, Pentraeth, we first walked west to join up with where we had got to an earlier walk (now getting more systematic - you might say obsessive - about completing the path).

We then returned to our starting point and followed the longer option of Rogers Volume 2 Walk 2. With a falling tide, we walked eastwards along the shore line towards Llanddona beach; part of the path here is along the top of a narrrow sea wall, not altogether comfortable. The route took us back via an inland forest route passing Mynydd Llwydiarth. Here and there are views down over the bay (pictured).

The Coastal Footpath is varied in character; this was essentially a beach walk, while the inland route was different again to the cliff walks we often encounter, especially in taking us through woodland.

Filling in a small gap

Yesterday, 24 June, we visited the garden at Llanidan Hall, which was open for the day. By happy coincidence, this allowed us to fill in a very small gap in our coverage of the Coastal Footpath. Two weeks ago, we had turned back to Moel-y-Don at the roundabout by the church, not quite reaching where we had turned towards Foel last year. It wasn't the purpose of the visit, but we completed the small gap.

The garden was well worth the visit, too.

Walks we did earlier (2)

Llanddwyn

On a hot summer's day in 2005, we did our longest walk yet, to Ynys Llanddwyn and back from Newborough Forest. We followed the route of Rogers Volume 1 Walk 15, which he says is eight and three-quarter miles. We took plenty of water and sun cream, and needed it.

One of us even had a little swim - but the sea was so full of jellyfish that day it was cut short.

Traeth Penrhos, to the north of Llanddwyn, is said to be used by naturists, and, yes, we did see a few pink blobs in the distance.

Brynsiencyn - Llanidan - Foel

Parking at Brynsiencyn by the Groeslon, we walked down to Llanidan Church then followed the Coastal Footpath across a field to the shore, past Barras to Foel and the former Mermaid Inn. We stopped at the Chocolate Shop before returning via the road from Barras to Brynsiencyn. A short walk as one of us had to catch a train.

Aberffraw - Porth Cwyfan

We did this walk on a weekend in September 2005, when the tide was out so we could walk to the church at Llangwyfan and, fortunately, the church was open to visitors. We walked from Aberffraw to Porth Cwyfan along the road, then after visiting the church took the return route of Hamilton Circular Walks, Walk 18.

Rhosneigr

Sometime in the Autumn of 2005 we did this one, following Rogers Volume 1 Walk 13 (except that we missed out the little bit in the village).

We thought this one of the most interesting walks, and possibly a very good introduction to the Coastal Footpath, beacuse of its variety. A short stretch of inland lake with bird life, a little beach walk, then along the rocky cliffs, and an ancient monument (Barclodiad y Gawres) thrown in.

Between the bridges

In December 2005 we walked the Coastal Footpath between the two bridges. Starting at Menai Bridge, the route follows the Belgian Promenade, past Ynys Tysilio (Church Island)
before taking a short way along the A5. A stile and permissive path took us down again to the shoreline, through what turned out to be a very wet, muddy field, before reaching a nicer stretch through National Trust land.

The tide was high and running fast. This is the Swellies, the stretch of water which belies the old joke about the water-skier who looked for a lake with a slope - because here, in these conditions, you really can see it. We returned through the forest back to the A5.

Walks we did earlier (1)

Starting to fill in for the walks we did even before we thought of the blog...

Moelfre

This was in the autumn of 2004. Originally we went to see the Dic Evans statue, which is well worth the visit on its own (and considerably larger and dramatic than any pictures suggest). We took the Hamilton Tea Shop Walks book and did walk 21.

It was on this walk that we conceived the idea of doing the whole coastal footpath.

Aberffraw - Porth Cwyfan

We did our next walk in December 2004. This was Hamilton Tea Shop Walks 15 but it's a common walk as it appears in the Menter Mon leaflet as Beuno/Cwyfan and Rogers Volume 1 walk 14 is almost the same. It was wintry.

Rhoscolyn

We must have bought the Rogers book by now, because this was Rogers Volume 1 walk12. There's a short version and a long version in the book, and we did the short one because it was blowing a gale and this walk is very exposed. It was worth it just to sit in the well, Ffynnon Santes Gwenfaen .

Penmon

Sometime in the spring of 2005 we did Rogers Volume 1 Walk 1 - getting more energetic now with a 6.5 mile walk! Unfortunately this walk by going through Penmon village misses out a bit of the proper coastal path - so we'll have to go back one day to do that. There were lots of cattle.

South Stack - North Stack

Getting more energetic again on 1 May 2005, this was Rogers Volume 1 walk 11. We missed out the summit of Holyhead Mountain, after earlier stretches proved steeper than anticipated (and something strange about passing that 'footpath closed' sign).

Picture shows South Stack from North Stack.

Moel-y-Don - Llanidan

This isn't a guide book path, but a short walk we did to fill in bits between walks we have done and walks we plan to do, to complete the whole. This was walked on 11 June 2006, a sunny summer's day.

We started at Moel-y-Don, where the coastal path breaks for its largest gap, between here and Llanfairpwll, as the Plas Newydd estate intervenes: rather obviously underlined by the boundary wall running down the side of the road from the A4080.

The walk took us a short way up the road from the Moel-y-Don jetty, turning left along a roadway running parallel to the coast and featuring pink hawthorns. The tide was not in, so we took the shore option. At a right angle in the road, a coastal footpath sign points the way over a stile to the shore. This track is an example of a feature seen elsewhere on the coastal footpath - the remains of a good made road once used to ferry goods by sea, presumably to export agricultural produce. Although grassed over, this looked like it was once well able to take a laden cart down to the shore - and sure enough, at the end of the track there was, on reaching the stony shore, evidence of a substantial quay built out a short way into the Strait.

On the left here, just south of Castell Gwylan, is a lagoon. There is a sea wall and a low lying patch of land inside it. I remember this, years ago, as a green field occasionally flooded after wet weather. The flooding seemed to become more frequent. Now, after two weeks of dry weather, the lagoon is still very wet and permanent. I think this was an area of land claimed from the sea which is now being won back.

The evidence of high-water marks confirmed that this stretch of shore can't be walked at high tide. It is also exposed to prevailing south-westerly winds, as demolished sections of sea wall testify. It could be a salty wet walk in such a breeze.

Before reaching a converted boathouse, a track took us up towards Llanidan church. We turned right at the grassy "roundabout", following the coastal path signs, to return on the inland option via Plas Porthamel. The extra height along this lane gives quite a different view. On the beach, we could see peaks of Snowdonia. Here, the vantage is of almost the whole mountain and the foothills (Coastal Path official guide page 76 has this very well).

Turning right past Plas Porthamel took us back to where we left the road for the shore and we doubled back to Moel-y-Don. Not a long walk, but we didn't have much time that day.

Cemaes - Borthwen

This walk is Rogers Volume 1 Walk 7 (NB see references link).

We did this on 4 June 2006, a warm, dry, summer's day with blue sky, deep blue sea, and numerous other walkers around. This was a classic walk, just what you imagine a coastal footpath walk to be like, in terms of sea, sky, birds, and industrial heritage.

Picture shows view over Borthwen brickworks.

But it was also more difficult walk (not really difficult, just worse than average by Anglesey Coastal Path standards). The Anglesey Coastal Footpath is typically made up of stretches along the sea shore and stretches along clifftops; this one mixed both, with two or three roller-coaster descents from clifftop to beach level then up again the other side.

The Coastal Footpath website describes this stretch as "stunning" but also "dizzying". Rogers says parts may not be recommended for small children. We see what they mean - we were not dizzy or intimidated but we wouldn't like to have done this stretch in winter or when wet underfoot (and we have done parts of the footpath in much worse weather).

At Porth Padrig we took the beach option (permissive path in red on Coastal Footpath sheet 2). This rather obviously was tidal and the way up at the other end was steep but short.

Rogers (page 53) refers to a "well-defined footpath". It wasn't at all well-defined on 4 June and we followed a more obvious track to the left and had to double back.

The guidebooks don't mention that this takes you past the Llanbadrig Vineyard.

All in all, this was an excellent walk, both because it is one of the more dramatic parts of the coastal path, and because we happened to choose the ideal day for it.

Porth Amlwch - Porth Eilian

We did this walk on Bank Holiday Monday, 30 May 2006. The weather was not ideal. The forecast had suggested some showers but there was a hint that the north coast could be clearer. It began to drizzle as we arrived at Porth Amlwch and it continued all the way, although it was mild.

The walk took us from Porth Amlwch to Porth Eilian along the coastal footpath, then back inland - more or less Rogers Volume 2 Walk 5 in reverse.

This was a fairly gentle walk. The drizzle didn't help comfort or visibility; as we approached Point Lynas its foghorn grew louder.

On the beach at Porth Eilian there is a small cave, just big enough to shelter from the rain and eat our picnic. Public toilets just above the beach were open and very clean.

There's a lot to see at Porth Amlwch. We had thought we might, at the end of the walk, call at the Amlwch Heritage Centre for a coffee and cake, but we were a little too damp by then. This will wait for another day.

References: Maps and Guides

This blog will refer to the maps and guides we are using.

We usually take the Ordnance Survey maps, for a more detailed picture of where we are, and in case we really get lost:

Explorer 262 Anglesey West/Gorllewin Ynys Mon
Explorer 263 Anglesey East/ Dwyrain Ynys Mon

But for many walks it is simpler to follow a guide. We are using

Coastal Walks Around Anglesey, Volume 1, by Carl Rogers, Mara Books, ISBN 0 9522409 6 3
(ours is the May 2004 edition) [We'll call this Rogers Volume 1]

Coastal Walks Around Anglesey, Volume 2, by Carl Rogers, Mara Books, ISBN 0 9522409 5 5
(March 2006 edition) [Rogers Volume 2]

Best Tea Shop Walks on Lleyn & Anglesey, Dorothy Hamilton, Sigma Leisure, ISBN 1 850587248 [Hamilton Tea Shop Walks]

Circular Walks on Anglesey, Dorothy Hamilton, Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, ISBN 0 86381 478 6 [Hamilton Circular Walks]


The Anglesey Coast Footpath's Official Guide (ISBN 1 902512 13 8) is another book by Carl Rogers, this time covering the whole coastal path (anti-clockwise) and bilingually. This is probably better for reading up at home rather than taking along each time.

The laminated maps of the Coastal Footpath are invaluable. You can download these (or something similar) as pdf files from the coastal footpath website, but the hard copy laminated version (A4 size folded to A5) is just what you need in your pocket, and to hand when the wind is blowing and fingers cold. You could probably get by with these alone for most of the path - but they are only sketches and not as accurate as the OS map.

We have also picked a few other leaflets, including a series 'Circular Walks on the Isle of Anglesey, named after the Celtic Saints', published by Menter Mon.

The blog won't give away the detail of routes in the books: readers are expected to buy their own! But we will try to comment on their content as we go.

An Introduction

We decided to walk the Anglesey Coastal Footpath, but not all in one go or in any systematic way. In fact it all started off in doing one or two Sunday afternoon strolls, then realising it could all be part of something bigger. The "Tea Shop Walks" guide indicates the style of our beginning, but we bought one or two more maps and guides, and soon started colouring in the Coastal Footpath map for those stretches we had covered.

The Coastal Footpath is 125 miles long. Their website says you can do it in twelve ten-mile walks. This is not our style; we don't count ourselves as such serious walkers. But we do enjoy the scenery, the exercise and the relaxation of, say, four miles, perhaps little longer when we have the time and the energy. We are generally doing this in circular walks - so will have covered 250 miles by the end of it.

This blog came later (so we are going to have to write something up about what we did earlier). We will try to write up each new walk we do, with a note of the experiences, good and bad, for the benefit of other walkers and the amusement of our friends and family.