Date walked: 1st August 2014

Distance: about 8 miles

Map used: OS Explorer No.263: Anglesey East

At the start of these walks on Anglesey I flew from Cardiff to Anglesey Airport near Holyhead on the excellent Citywing service. They have lost the contract since!

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I had stayed last night at Ardudwy bed and breakfast on the far side of Brynsiencyn. Although Menai Bridge was only an easy 8 miles away I would then need to get a bus back to the airport for a 4pm flight so I had requested breakfast at 8am.  It was an exceptional breakfast to0. I was delighted to be offered a bowl of fresh blueberries and there was fruit on offer to take with me on the walk.

As Derek The Weather had predicted it was raining. Quite hard. So  with waterproofs and gaiters in place I was re-tracing my steps through the rather dreary village by 9.  A  track opposite the Groeslon Hotel (nice place and is sadly closed now) headed for the Menai Strait and re-united me with the coast path at Llanidan House. The official map for the Wales Coast Path gives you a choice here between a minor road or a beach walk for the next 3/4 mile. The tide was in and I was getting wet anyway, so I opted for the firmer surface of the road.  Across the rough field on the other side of the strait I had a murky view of  Y Felinheli (see my post from Caernarfon to Bangor) .

View to Y Felinheli across the Menai Strait, photographed from The wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Not a great pic I know but the best I could do.

A half a mile  from where the two routes converge I was faced with another split.  Checking with the map I couldn’t see why the route was shown to the right as I found that it was just heading for a jetty at Moel-y-don.

Official Anglesey Coast Path sign photographed by Charles Hawes

On a wet day, this was a bit irritating

The path turns away from the coast and takes a minor road north-west towards the A4080. On a fine day and with more time I might have had a look at the church by West Lodge.

Church at the end of drive of West Lodge, Anglesey, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

I failed to find out the name of it, sorry

The road passes the entrance to Plas Coch (a posh caravan park with a spa and fancy house) and then reaches the busy A4080.  I must have missed the sign telling me to go straight across the road and I had not updated my map on which the coast path had come to a halt. So in my ignorance I turned right, writing a letter of complaint in my head to Natural Resources Wales. But it was my bad.

The entrance to Plas Newydd was about half a mile on the right.

Entrance to Plas Newydd photographed by Charles Hawes

Sod the Whistler or the garden, they think this is their best selling point?

I knew from when I had visited to photograph for Discovering Welsh Gardens (see how subtly I got that in) that their cafe was close to the entrance so I decided to pop in for a cup of coffee.  Regrettably they did not have a copy of the book in the shop, so heres’ a pic of their urinals.

Brynsiencyn to Menai Bridge-7

I did get onto the path about half a mile later as a gate on the north side of the road to Llwyn Onn showed me how it had been intended that I avoid the road walk.  But now the official route does follow the road, albeit with a stone wall dividing one from the other.

Wales Coast apth next to the A4080 on Anglesey, photographed by Charles Hawes

There was a whole day like this on the Hadrian’s Wall path

I provided some interest for some sheep as I trudged along.

My sheep shot of the day

My sheep shot of the day

Plas Newydd’s exclusion zone finished just before the village of  Llanfair­pwllgwyn­gyllgo­gery­chwyrn­drobwll­llanty­silio­gogo­goch and here the path heads for the coast again. There was a seaweed- covered little harbour at Pwll Fanogl and shortly afterwards a private pier with a rather neglected and curious stone building at its shore-side end.

Building on pier near Pwll fanogl photographed from The Wales Coast Path on Anglesey by Charles Hawes

Must have been cosy with a fire in

The path then follows a narrow ledge by the seaweed covered shore, giving me, though the rain, a murky view of  Britannia Bridge.

View to Menai Bridge from near Nelson's statue, photographed from The wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Better than walking on the beach

I did need to get onto the slippery beach in order to approach the statue of Nelson commemorating his fall at Trafalgar that stands by the water, but it’s always fun popping seaweed.

Brynsiencyn to Menai Bridge-19

The path heads inland now and passes through the churchyard of St Mary’s parish church.

St Marys Church near Llanfair PG, photographed from the Wales Coast Path on Anglesey by Charles Hawes

Still raining, as you can see

I was very pleased to see some gravestones carved with the weeping tree that I have been noticing on on off in north Wales.

Gravestone in St Mary's parish church, Anglesey, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

This is not the most elegant rendition I have seen of the tree

Also of interest, and which I had a good look at despite the rain, is a memorial to those that lost their lives in the building of the Britannia  Bridge.

Britannia Bridge memorial, St Mary's churchyard, Anglesey, photographed by Charles Hawes

Memorial plaque to those who died building the Britannia Bridge, photographed by Charles Hawes

(and, so as not  to waste space, some others).

emorial to accountant for the BritammiaBridge, photographed by Charles Hawes

From the church, the path passes underneath the Britannia Bridge. Opened in 185o, it was built to just take the railway line but was adapted to also take road traffic in 1980; it was a noisy but fascinating place to be (and it was dry).

Underneath the Britannia Bridge, Anglesey, photographed by Charles Hawes

This was taken though the fence.

After a mooch around I had a look at the lions (which are at both ends but not visible from the road).

Four fat lions
Without any hair
Two on this side
And two over there

(John Evans 1826 -1888  possibly not Wales’ greatest poet)

The path descends to the base of one of the main supporting pillars…..

The Britannia Bridge, Anglesey photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Fantastic to be so close up to such engineering

….. and then turns left, passing though a narrow strip of woodland at the water’s edge. Fields follow the wood and the view now is to the Menai Bridge – an altogether more elegant construction  than its younger sister.

The Menai Bridge from near the Britannia Bridge, Anglesey, photographed by Charles Hawes

A terrible pic I know but needs must.

Entering the town was a confusing business.  I kept to the road passing the Royal Waitrose.

Waitrose in Menai Bridge, Photographed by Charles Hawes

I have it on good authority that Kate shopped here.

The path seems to find another way to the bridge. Either way I reached a Wales Coast Path sign pointing over the bridge to Gwynedd.

Wales Footpath sign from Menail Bridge to Gwynedd, photographed by Charles Hawes

What would you have done?

I was on the other end of the bridge in June, as I walked to Bangor. I’ve already skipped a few miles (and added a few!) of the path to date as you know. It wasn’t a difficult decision not to walk over the bridge twice. I made my way down the hill into town in search of the bus stop.

I found the stop. And a public toilet that enabled me to decently get out of my wet things and into my glad rags. Next to the toilets was the library so I went in there to check on the bus timetable and was greeted by Discovering Welsh Gardens facing outwards on a shelf by the door.

Discovering Welsh Gardens on display in Menai Bridge library, photographed by Charles Hawes.

What joy!

The bus ride through Anglesey’s interior only served to remind me what an architecturally god-forsaken place the island is; and its landscape isn’t much to write home about either. So if you intend to visit, my advice is to stick to its wonderful coast.

The airport terminal building was empty but for the three staff when I arrived an hour before my flight was due. The TV was bringing News of Fresh Disasters (that’s a very old joke for Anne), but I had my phone to play with. The departure lounge was poor on the people watching front; there were six of us on the flight back to Cardiff.

Just to make me feel at home it was raining when we got off the plane.

Citywing flight from Anglesey to Cardiff, photographed by Charles Hawes

 

 

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