Date walked: May 13th 2014

Distance: about 10 miles

OS map required: Explorer 253- lleyn Peninsula West

I had two guides that I referred to: The Lleyn Peninsula Coastal Path by John Cantrell and published by Cicerone (2010) and Llyn Peninsula – The Official Guide- by Carl Rogers and Tony Bowerman, published by Northern Eye Books (2014).

Both 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 both 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 this and the next two posts I was based in Criccieth, staying at 29 Castle Bakery booked through Menai Holiday Cottages (which is directly opposite the castle and is on the route of the Wales Coast Path. )

I drove to Pwllheli and planned to get a bus back from Abersoch that afternoon.

The route out of Pwllheli has a pleasant start with a walk by a reed-lined tidal lake. According to The Official Guide this is part of the Lon Cob Bach local nature reserve.

My map has a bird symbol but they were mostly hiding

On the far side there was a nice view back to the town before the path heads for the coast, passing a school.

Nicely framed don’t you think?

The path joins a road running along the seafront of fairly ordinary modern houses before allowing access to the beach, where the a more pleasing Victorian seaside terrace was painted in tepid pastels.

I wonder if the terrace is listed?

There followed a two-mile walk along the beach only passing some dog walkers.

Unusually the dogs were not interested in me.

At the end of the beach there was a little climb over the headland called Carreg y Defaid, the land behind the bay being protected by a sea wall of massive boulders.

I couldn’t see a way back to the beach but it was nice to be a little higher up for a while and the path along the low cliffs heading for Llanbedrog was easy walking.

You can have too much walking along beaches

There was nothing protecting these  soft cliffs and half way along a fence hung in the air where storms or a high tide had bitten out a chunk.

One hopes that the livestock (and humans) keep away from the edge

As the path nears the village a series of steps descends to the beach where there are “some of the most photographed beach huts in Wales” (according to the official guide).

You couldn’t not photograph them really

I couldn’t decide which view I preferred.

Better than the beach huts was a nice little cafe (and toilets) at the end of the beach so I stopped for a pot of tea and a sit, denying myself cake for no good reason.

I could even have had an ice cream

A little lane takes the path up a short hill and then turns left into the drive of  the Plas Glyn-y – weddw Arts Centre (and tea shop).  Despite only just having had a break I thought I’d have a nosey round this Gothic-styled building. It has several gallery rooms on two floors and I made my way upstairs somewhat embarrassed to realise half way up that I was depositing neat sandy footprints on the plush red carpet.

This green tinged lighting isn’t of my making

Most of the rooms were being re-hung; there wasn’t much that took my fancy.  One was devoted to a pottery collection (yawn) and several boards about the history of the house and of the village. At its heyday Llanbedrog had a tramway bringing day trippers all the way from Pwllheli and boasted several hotels, a sauna and a dance room.

Outside, a newly constructed amphitheatre with some dodgy surrounding planting is clearly going to be used for performances.

That hut looked a bit pants,too, next to such good stonework

From the house the path climbs up steeply through the mature woods of the estate.

A most unusual feature for the walk

The path climbs the side of Myndd Tir-y cwmwd; quite a mouthful for a 400 foot bump.  Near the top is a rusted metal sculpture called the Tin Man which is (officially) famous.

The Tin Man (not made of tin)

Looking back although only from modest height, the view back over the beach and to Llanbedrog was fab.

Sooper

A few minutes later, the views ahead to Abersoch were truly shocking. I know that I bang on about static caravans but the extent of the development behind the beach was breathtaking (not a word I overuse).

Speechless

Bear in mind that these are not houses where people can live, but holiday homes, and yet on a beautiful day in May there was no one making use of the very thing – the beach – which supposedly justifies their existence. It is madness.

As deserted as the beach

In fact there appeared to be very few people there at all. The path drops down to the beach, lined with these white boxes. I passed a couple who told me that one of these on the beach front had sold recently for over £500,000.

Writing this now a month later I still feel shocked at the extent of the development here.  At the time, I did my best to enjoy the great pleasure of having this perfect beach almost to myself.

The magic of a wet beach

I passed one chap who was walking along whilst his dog swam in parallel. He would pick up a stone and chuck it ahead of the dog which was enough incentive for it to keep swimming. The man told me that if he stopped throwing the stones the dog would get distressed and come out of the sea.

If dogs are very stupid, man is definitely more so

As I walked along my attention kept being drawn back to the holiday homes that now were making footholds onto the beach itself by flights of wooden steps.

It was like an exercise in meditation. The homes representing thought and the sea representing the intake and outlet of breath.

Sea…..

Homes…

Sea…

As I neared the town I passed a group of three women carrying their shoes and socks. The river Soch runs into the bay ahead and I asked how deep it was. “Normal” came the heavily eastern European accented  reply.

This was one of the least cautious herons I have come across

Normal or otherwise, whilst it may have suited the wading heron, I decided to maintain dry feet and made for the Lifeboat station at the shore. I walked up the slipway and round the back of the station to join the A499 as it crosses the river.

I like buoys (and sheep)

Abersoch was quiet, not yet swelled by the summer hoards who will fill the cafes and update their beach-wear. I dutifully made the short-circuit of the town as the official path dictates, wondering if the Competition Act covered the costs charged by private car parks.

I made for the beach at the far side of town where I accepted being ripped off for £4 for a tuna mayonnaise sandwich from a cafe.“It’s freshly made” she said, when I remonstrated about the price to the girl serving.  I sat in the sun and watched the beach huts being repaired.

Borth Fawr

I had finished the days walk about an hour and a half before the one bus would leave for Pwllheli so I did something I had not done for years. I hitch-hiked. I found a good spot just opposite the lifeboat station and stuck my thumb out, remembering with some nostalgia the many hours that I had spent doing this in my 20s and the thousands of miles that I had traveled this way in this country and abroad. My positive thoughts must have done me some good. After about half an hour a guy about my age (also an ex-hitch-hiker) picked me up in his open-topped sports car and took me (slightly out of his way) to Pwllheli.