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.