Date walked:  22nd June 2014

Distance: about 11 miles, although by the official website it should have been about 8. Go figure.

Map required:  OS Explorer  253: Lleyn Peninsula West. 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)- which claims that the route is 892 miles). 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 this and the next walk I was based at a bed and breakfast just up the hill from the village called No 2 Dolfor. I had come up the day before.  Breakfast was very good (a nice fresh croissant to start was a treat). After breakfast I had time to kill as my friend Philip was driving up to meet me from Cardiff. Originally we had thought 11am was a realistic ETA, but I  had pushed this back to 1pm the day before to take the pressure off his driving. I strolled down to the beach to sit and watch the world go by. Which on this warm morning was very pleasant, apart from that sense of ‘hanging around’.

At 12:56 I received a text from Phil saying that he had “finally seen the sea”. He thought that he was half an hour away; it was after 2pm when his beaten up old Peugeot 106 appeared. He was very apologetic. I’ve known Philip for nearly 40 years; time-keeping isn’t one of his strengths.

We checked him in and then headed for our destination at Porth Colmon; a tricky place to find even with map in hand. It’s a quiet little cove with enough room for a few cars. We left Phil’s and then drove mine back to where I finished up last night, so it was about 3pm by the time we reached Mynydd y Gwyddel. Then we had lunch.

The Wales Coast path at Mynydd y Gwyddel photographed by Charles Hawes

Don’t you think he is a ringer for the actor from Hinterland?

We were only just after the longest day of the year, so daylight was not going to be a problem, but, knowing that they stopped serving at the Gwesty Ty Newydd in Aberdaron around 8.30 I thought it prudent that we didn’t seek out  the nearby St Mary’s Well. We started with a climb to find a flat area with remnants of a concrete base (a WWII construction, where “hundreds” were stationed according to a BBC website) and some concrete steps.

Remnants of Word War II camp at Mynydd y Gwyddel, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

The concrete steps are still in good nick

Over the brow of that hill, a further climb took us by more evidence of man’s recent occupation in the form of several areas of rubble.

View over Aberdaron bay from Mynydd Mawr, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Phil demonstrating that is was quite a pull up to here

Near the top, on Mynydd Mawr, was a little concrete building – the old Coastguard lookout station.

The old coastguard station on Mynydd Mawr, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Just read the photo (I couldn’t find any more detail)

The lazy or disabled can reach this by car.

Car approaching Mynydd Mawr coastguard station, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Mind you, that could be me in the future

And some creative type had come equipped with spray cans.

Graffiti on rock near Mynydd Mawr, Lleyn peninsula, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

It’s rather good isn’t it? I saw another a bit further on

The view was certainly superb.

View to Aberdaron Bay from Mynydd Mawr on the Lleyn peninsula, photographed by Charles Hawes

Looking back to Aberdaron Bay

We were glad on this warm day of the long slow descent towards Porth Llanllawen.

View to Porth Llanllawen from Mynydd Mawr, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

It’s striking how cultivated fields stand out a mile against rough grazing

The stream above the beach is crossed by a footbridge and as we began to climb down towards it we were fascinated by a flock of sheep making their way, single file, up the opposite side of the valley.

View to Mynydd Anelog from near Mynydd Mawr, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

I guess that’s why sheep paths are so narrow; Mynydd Anelog in the distance

As we approached the footbridge the tail-enders crossed before, us rushing up the hillside and forcing the rest of the gang to up their pace.

Footbridge at Porth Llanllawen, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

A couple of miles followed of wide, well-worn path between masses of bracken. Sharp descents alternated with steep climbs as we passed several coves and inlets.

View from Mynedd Anelog north, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

I think we are on the side of Mynedd Anelog here

In one such valley we came across a large colony of orchids. Philip has been a city dweller since we left university in 1977 but I was still surprised that he didn’t recognize this relatively common wild flower.

Orchid colony on the Lleyn peninsula near Mynydd Anelog, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Common spotted?

Needless to say sheep continued to be our companions for much of the walk, grazing on the cliff-tops.

View to Dinas Fawr from the Wales Coast path on the Lleyn peninsula, photographed by Charles Hawes

Here providing a foreground interest to our view to Dinas Fawr (or is it Dinas Bach?)

By the time we were approaching Porthor (Porth Oer, or “Whistling Sands” according to the OS map), I was hoping that the seasonal beach shop did not keep British cafe times and close at 5.

view to Whistling Sands from near Dinas Bach on the Lleyn peninsula, photograhed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

I was going to be very upset if the shop was closed

It was 5.30pm when we got there and a couple were having tea on the terrace – we were in luck. Tea and cake for me, an ice-cream for Phil. Hooray.

Whistling Sands (Porth Oer), photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

The silent beach of Whistling Sand (and a squeak is hardly a whistle, is it?)

Whistling Sands is known as such because it is said that if you walk on the dry sand it squeaks.  Not for us it didn’t. We tried the back of the beach, then the middle, then headed for the firmer sand by the water and all was silent; disappointing.

Whistling Sands , also known as Porthor, photographed from The wWles Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Philip looking disappointed

Sandcastle on the beach at Whistling Sands, photographed from The Wales Coast path by Charles Hawes

I remember building sand castles on the beach as a child and was glad the constructor of this effort was spared the trauma of seeing it washed away.

At the end of the beach my OS map indicated a need to head inland and follow a minor road for a mile or so. In fact a route keeping to the coast has been opened since it was published; so much better, keeping close to the thrift-covered cliff tops.

Thrift on the cliff tops near Porth lago on the Lleyn peninsula, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

Lovely stuff, Thrift (latin name Armeria, but which species?)

Porth Lago was deserted despite its near perfect setting and gently shelving beach.

Porth Lago, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

No time for a paddle (must indulge myself sometime); apparently RS Thomas liked to.

I don’t know how long this section of the path had been opened but it seemed to have been little walked and at times it was difficult to be confident that we were walking where intended.

The Wales Coast Path near Porth Lago, photographed by Charles Hawes

I think Philip began to doubt that we were on a path- the idea!

Not that this mattered; it just meant it was a little harder work as we negotiated our way around the rocky headland.

Near Porth Ferin, photographed from The wales Coast Path on the Lleyn peninsula by Charles Hawes

I’m not sure what Porth we are passing here; must get a camera that embeds GPS info (any excuse for a new camera)

It was nearing 7pm now and I began to think that we were not going to make it back to Aberdaron for supper. The little cottages we passed at Rhwngyddwyborth were still the best part of two miles from Porth Colmon.

Rhwngyddwyborth - meaning?

Lovely spot; very isolated

And ahead, though rapturously beautiful, the rugged coastline began to feel a bit of a threat to my fantasy supper.

Twyn-Melyn to Porth Colmon_39

There we are saying: “have we got to walk around all of that still”?

The OS map showed a pub at Tudweiliog about three miles from Porth Colmon, so we agreed Plan B and  crossed fingers that hadn’t closed or had Mondays off; we upped our pace over the several gullies we had still to cross.

The Wales Coast path near Porth Ty-mawr, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

It’s not good when you see these nice steps and think “all those to do”

Philip was very tolerant as I studied the map ever more closely and put back our arrival time at the car several times; we agreed that peanuts and crisps were an acceptable substitute for food if enough beer accompanied them.

Gate on the wales Coast Path near Porth Colmon, photographed by Charles Hawes

“I’m sure that its just around the corner”

It turned out to be just after 8 when we reached a flight of steps which I was confident would deliver us to the cove at Porth Colmon.

Steps down to Porth Colmon, photographed from The Wales Coast Path by Charles Hawes

“just around the corner, trust me”

And I was right, for once.

Twyn-Melyn to Porth Colmon_45

We reached the car at  8.10,  and the Lion Hotel at 8.25, a full 5 minutes before last orders for food were being taken. Sometimes a pint tastes that extra bit special. This was one of those occasions.

 

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