Date walked:  24th  June 2014

As I was writing this day up I was finding more to say than on most days and many images that I was reluctant to leave out, so I have split the day into two. Part two will be published in a week’s time.

Distance walked : about 6 miles

Map required:  OS Explorer  253: Lleyn Peninsula West and 254 Lleyn Peninsula East.

I had three guide books to refer to for this walk:

Llyn Peninsula – The Official Guide- by Carl Rogers and Tony Bowerman, published by Northern Eye Books (2014).

The Wales Coast Path- a practical Guide for walkers by Chris Goddard and Katherine Evans and published by St David’s Press (2014). I have reviewed this book elsewhere on the blog.

The Lleyn Peninsula Coastal Path by John Cantrell published by Cicerone (2010)

All of the above guides assume that you are walking north to south. Since I am doing the opposite the detailed directions are of limited benefit but all contain various and differing practical information and historic background and I will refer to them as I feel so moved.

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For the last three walks I had a roof over my head in Aberdaron, but today I was going to wild camp. Which meant that for the next three days I was going to be carrying  a tent, sleeping bag, mat and a change of clothes as well as a well stocked toiletries bag – a lot more weight than a day pack.

Although I do like walking with friends I was glad to be returned to my own company as I drove up to Morfa Nefyn. I was very lucky to find one space left in an unrestricted bay in the road that I had taken from the beach yesterday, so by 10 I was double checking that I had locked the car and heading along the cliff top path round Penrhyn Nefyn. This was a good vantage point to look back to Porth Dinllaen…..

Panorma of Porth Dinllaen. photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Nice morning. Cooler than yesterday.

…. and ahead to Porth Nefyn.

View to Porth Nefyn photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Nice beach and no pub to be disappointed by.

Passing though Nefyn’s back-streets a property called Garth Hudol caught my eye and had a plaque on it that I couldn’t read. My camera could though: “Elizabeth-Watkin Jones 1887-1966”.

Garth Hudol, Nefyn, photographed from The wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

How about that for a creative use of Photoshop?

The Coast Path then passes St Mary’s Church, which was being renovated; I liked its jolly ship weathervane but thought it’s tower rather out of proportion with the body of the church. The church is the home to a Maritime Museum.

St Mary's church, Nefyn, photographed from the Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Albeit slightly exaggerated by my perspective

A quiet green lane passes by a rather quiet well.

John Morgans well outside Nefyn, photographed from The wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

John Morgan wasn’t so noteworthy as to be listed in Nefyn’s famous people.

Not much further on,  some of the spoil slope of the disused granite quarry of Gwylwyr Carreglefain had been laid as a neat wall.

Disused quarry below Gwylwyr Carreglefain, photographed from The Wales Coast path by Charles Hawes

The wall may be difficult to make on in such a low res pic

The lower slopes of shattered rock were being colonised by a pretty little pink plant that I didn’t recognize.

Plants on the spoil slopes of the disused quarry of Gwylwyr Carreglefain, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

This is going to be difficult for you to identify

The path continued to rise revealing a slightly intimidating series of hills which I was clearly going to have to cross.

View to Yr Eifi photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

At some point today there’s going to be serious climbing to do

Just before crossing a road, a high stone wall is all that’s left of  the Plas Pistyll hotel that once stood there and right by that a rather bizarre fenced off  viewing point.

Very strange; I couldn't see who this was going to be used by

Very strange; I couldn’t see who this was going to be used by

Shortly after crossing the road I passed through the hamlet of Pistyll, on the far side of which St Beuno’s church was tucked into the hillside.

St Beuno's church, Pistyll, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

I kicked myself later for not taking the time to have a look- though it was probably locked.

I only read afterwards in the official guide that the C15th church was an important stopping off point for medieval pilgrims route to Bardsey. It is also the stopping off point for the actor Rupert Davies. 

Headstone of actor Rupert Davies, in St Beuno's church, Pistyll, photographed from The wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Best known for the 1960’s TV series “Maigret”

I continued to climb along this most amenable of paths when I saw ambling towards me a long-haired young man carrying a ruck sack and a holdall. He beamed a friendly accented “hello” and told me that he had spent the last three days on a mountain. He announced that he was a poet from Holland and that he wanted to be famous.

“Would you like me to write you a poem?” he asked. “It will only take 10 minutes”.

We sat down and he said “Give me three words”.

I gave him “Wales, Coast, Path”.

My poem writer from Holland

My poem writer from Holland

He got out a pad and began to write whilst I enjoyed the most wonderful sky opposite us.

Sky over the sea near Porth Pistyll, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

After about 15 minutes he stopped, straightened himself up and read the poem as if to an audience of more than one and some sheep. It’s rather long to reproduce in full so here’s the end:

“The coast is so full of wonder and pride, that it will take a keen eye to

whisper the beauty of it. But I will try. And maybe succeed to let you

guys and girls know that their is still much to know about live

but for the start, wander around and about Wales, being free

and maybe you will understand, then that beauty comes from within”

Cestmir the poet. email cestmir@live.nl

www.cestmirsgedichten.webs.com

I said that I couldn’t make him famous but I would include him in my blog. We chatted a bit more. He was going to travel the world for 2 years and was off to see JK Rowling.

“Oh, does she know that you are coming?” I asked.

“No, but I know where she lives; I found it on Google”

We shook hands and said goodbye; his open hearted spirit giving me an internal smile for the rest of the day.

Shortly after saying goodbye to Cestmir I found a pretty little camera or phone pouch on the path which I thought might be his and sent him a pic of it from my phone but he replied that it wasn’t his.

So if it's yours get in touch and I'll send it back to you

So if it’s yours get in touch and I’ll send it back to you

 

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