Date walked: 10th April 2015
Distance: About 5 miles
Map used: OS Explorer 263: Anglesey East
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It felt like a long time since I had finished my last section of the Path at Menai Bridge. And it had been – over 7 months. So I was quite excited to be giving myself the best part of a week to complete my perambulation of Anglesey’s Coast Path. The very nice people at Linksair had kindly given me the return flight to Anglesey from Cardiff; a fabulous service which takes less than an hour, saving a very long drive.
I find this “open curtain” policy rather reassuring
It was a bit cloudy, so I missed out on the best bit of flying – peering down at the landscape. On the other hand I was being met at the airport by my cousin Sally who lives in Benllech and had very generously offered to take me down to Menai Bridge, drop my bag at my hotel in Beaumaris and to put me up the next night. Sally and I may never have met, or if we had it was so many years ago that neither of us could remember the occasion.
We got off to a great start as she tore into me for being the last to emerge from the tarmac. She was chatty, forthright and fun and I immediately felt reassured that I would enjoy her company.
I asked that she leave me on the mainland side of the bridge; someone quite reasonably having suggested that when doing the Wales Coast Path it seems right to walk at least once over one of the bridges that crosses the Menai Strait.
Telford’s suspension bridge is as impressive close to as it looks from a distance and I enjoyed the crossing, happy in the knowledge that I only had a few miles to go before I was due a beer.
I have been to Menai Bridge several times when I had come up to photograph and stay at nearby Plas Cadnant, so I was more familiar with its shops that any place that I had passed through in the previous 700 or so miles of walking the coast. The path just takes the busy A545 at first but over to the right were pleasant views over the strait to the little islands of Yns Faelog and Yns Gaint.
I think I’ve got my islands right.
The entrance to Plas Cadnant is just off this road. Stephen Anderton and I included the garden in our book Discovering Welsh Gardens and its affable owner, Anthony, has been generous in allowing Anne and I to stay in one of his several delightful self-catering lets, converted from the buildings of the estate.
Not very well hidden
I have photographed the garden several times, but sadly had no time to pop in, so here’s a pic I took on a previous April visit.
This is the kind of picture you get by getting up early in the morning
Thankfully, the Coast Path route leaves the main road shortly after it crosses a bridge over the Afon Cadnant….
…..taking a minor road just to the north but parallel to it, passing though the unremarkable village of Llandegfan. It has a shop. The additional elevation does improve the views no end, though, and I had a fine one to the Garth Pier at Bangor (see my walk of 26th June 2014), the perspective making it look as if it might almost reach the Anglesey shore.
In fact it reaches less than half way across the Strait
After a couple of miles on this lane the road heads north ….
….but the Coast Path keeps to an easterly direction, passing over a little wooden bridge and through a bit of rough ground that was covered in large clumps of beautifully flowering gorse.
Gorse is a real spirit lifter
Re-joining a small lane, over to the left was the Baron Hill Golf Club. Golfers always make me pause as I admire at their ability to whack their little balls up into the air and far ahead of them whilst when I try the same I usually move it twenty or thirty yards along the ground and then usually in the wrong direction.
The other thing I like is that those like me often hit their balls out of the course, providing pickings for the keenly eyed.
before you complain about my stealing, think how confusing it would be for the golfers if I had thrown it back onto the course
After the golf course the Coast Path follows the steep hill into Beaumaris, providing an exhilarating whizz for cyclists and a fast pace for walkers.
Near the bottom of the hill, I liked the striped roof of the cemetery’s chapel…
and paused at a newly decorated grave.
Beaumaris (it’s name means beautiful marshes) is by far the most attractive town on the island and this is reflected in the wide range of shops and hotels lining its main street. I was staying at the Castle Guest House, which was at the end of the street near the castle. The bar was packed when I arrived around 6pm and my bag waiting in their quieter guests sitting room/reception. After unpacking I had a quick wander around the town and settled on the bistro upstairs at the Cafe Neptune where a couple of Peronis satisfied my thirst and where I had the best burger I had had in years. I think I chose it as I remember Anne and I eating there on one of our stays with Anthony and I liked the feeling of connection.
Now – once a fortnight, please, so that sanity may prevail in our house.
No sheep. Again.
Thought pic of Plas Cadnant looked a bit Gardens Ill. How did that happen?
Xxxx
I’d forgotten that you had only covered the western side. Look forward to catching up with you in a fortnight. Yep, that “open curtain, hands off” approach is very reassuring. And you can get some kudos from the fact that the rate of price drop for your book is half that of Anne’s original tome. Probably because the photos are better.
Desperately seeking my copy of your book. Unfortunately, I “file” my books in random piles in two houses, so the search goes on. I enjoy being dropped into these unknown topographies, with names I have no idea how to pronounce, and vicariously enjoying the walks.
It’s ok James, he has no idea how to pronounce them either !
Now come on Paul, don’t malign the poor fella! You know he’s trying hard and, it’s rumoured, he may actually manage to pronounce “Veddw” correctly this side of the next millennium.
Humph. The sooner they learn to speak english the better.
A thought – if “Veddw” is English then it’s “Vedoo”. But if it’s Welsh, it’s “Vethoo”. It’s in Wales and they do say “When in Rome…..” and all that! Or you’re spelling it wrong!
Anne got in there quick! But I was going to say the same thing. The place is pronounced “Vedoo” by most people locally, though some also say “Vedda” . The spellings seem to me to have probably followed the pronounciaition, so it doesn’t make sense to work the other way round.
There’s also quite a full explanation in The Bad Tempered Gardener, of course…
This is the Welsh border and has had its own idiosyncratic names and spellings for over two thousand years, The idea that we’d know how to spell or pronounce any of them ‘right’ is just ummm… wrong. XXXX
Such rudeness! I always have stab at it.You are obviously not a good teacher.
Sorry about the lost book. It’s the big floppy green one. You can pick one up for a song over here (2nd hand- it sold out new and they decided not to do a third re-print). Welsh pronunciation is easier if you pop a pebble in your mouth and spit a bit when talking.
Wonderful pictures!
Boats, ‘planes, bridges; what more could a man wish for?
Colin
Thanks!Ice cream. One should always wish for that. And decent beer and a nice room for the night. And decent weather. Which I did not get much of if you read the next few posts.
Good to have you back on the WCP. We’re still plodding along, as far as Poppit Sands, just outside St Dogmaels last time out. Rather poor carpark cafe: have you noticed the lazy cafe habit of producing a range of fillings, which they will put in a sandwich, baguette, pannini, a baked potato, or a trough, no doubt?
Loved the monotonal Menai Bridge pic with the rust streak and the ‘one you prepared earlier’ of Cadnant; great reflections and I haven’t seen Bergenia (I think) used to that extent before – good pic for season spotting.
Happy to be back!. Just finished putting the itinerary together for the finishing leg of the walk in August. Glad you are still following on. You know I hadn’t thought about fillings from cafes before – other than thinking that they cannot be that fresh when they are sitting in big tubs. Thanks for the pic appreciation!
Lots of comments here, Charles eh? I think the blogger doth protest too much. I’m terribly jealous of your peek into Biggles’ cockpit but feel awkward that you are a golfer. And I was so rude about the silly sport too. I’ll get my coat.
Haha, well not as many as yours. I’m not a golfer. Anne and I go the the Ashton Court pitch and put once a year and knock the ball along the ground and I get excited when it goes in the air. But I do admire the skill that golfers have. Having said that I am also concerned about golf courses being sited in places of landscape sensitivity – which is most places if you ask me. So you can take your coat off.