Tuesday 12th April - Holyhead to Trearddur Bay
Wow! Anglesey does us proud! Another lovely day on this lovely island! It was very misty and cloudy as we set out after the very wet day yesterday which just got wetter and wetter. And so back to another new formulation...we had decided that as we had lost some time due to the weather mostly, we would now review our route. Looking at the map we thought it would be reasonable to miss out the parts of the path which are inland detours and in this muddiness could well be not very pleasant walking. to the purists amongst you, maybe this is a bit of cheating but we thought well with the benefit of having walked the path before, we should use that knowledge to make the most of our walk. So we are missing out the walk at the south of the "big" island around the Alaw estuary into Holyhead, the walk from Silver Bay to RAF Valley and the short stretch from Aberffraw to Newborough which has to bypass Bodorgan. So today was to be Holyhead to Trearddur. Parking at Breakwater Country Park, off we set into the mist heading up Mynydd y Tŵr - Holyhead mountain.
Passing the reminders of the earlier industrial heritage - the quarrying here provided the rock for the 1.7 mile long breakwater, the longest in the UK, wiggling its way to the sea.
This was opened in 1873, taking 28 years to build. It was built at a time when the railways had opened up travel extensively and so trade across the sea had also increased. The UK government had decreed that there should be more sheltered harbours provided in view of so many tragedies at sea. We couldn't see across to Carmel Head on the "big" island as we set out, but we watched ferries coming in and out.
We walked around the edge of the coast with North Stack peeping ahead of us, now a redundant fog station.
We decided to drop down to it today which we hadn't done last time around. AS we descended the track, the RSPB warden with her little dog was heading down too to see what birds were there. She told us that not many seabirds are arriving at South Stack just yet but she has seen wheatears passing through and some choughs. We didn't quite get down to the station - we decided we would only have to climb back up!! - so headed back to the path, this time not choosing the summit alternative.
We have done that before in much clearer weather when the views were marvellous - today it was still too misty and we couldn't see the Llŷn - yet!
We headed down to the lookout station and peeped over at South Stack, much quieter than last time when the cliffs all around here were full of birds, and proceeded down the steps towards the lighthouse and Ellin's Tower - now the RSPB information office.
We followed the path right at the edge of the coast and the flowers here were lovely - more squill,
thrift coming out,
white campion, primroses, marsh marigolds here and there - and a yellow one I haven't yet identified. And still lots of the white saxifrage - and celandines of course. And the views here were great with the waves bashing into the rocks below. Across the road then to the Ty Mawr huts, also known as Cytau'r Gwyddelod or the "Irishmen's huts" which we hadn't had time to divert to on our last walk here.
They are really clear to see - around 10 or more of the round huts, the site probably bigger than that at Din Lligwy. All amazing to see - the settlement here is assumed to have been here since the Stone Age with the existing ruins being Iron Age.
There are other sites near Holyhead of other "Irishmen's huts" at Porthdafarch and Plas Meilw. Then down the roadside we went - now with the sun shining! Holyhead mountain summit was now clear to see.
And then crossing the road back to the coast, we passed through a field full of Soay sheep which were also balancing on the wall close to the cliff edge!
We could still see South Stack lighthouse flashing as we walked on.
The rocks along here are phenomenal - in size and colour and formation.
Interesting to see the landward side of the coves were all smooth whilst the seaward/windward side was all craggy and worn! It was such a lovely walk around here - Abraham's Bosom as it is known apparently. We sat here and enjoyed lunch - Provosts jets from RAF Valley flew overhead.
We were beginning to hear - and see - more of them as we came around towards the airfield of course. It was also becoming a bit boggy in parts but not too bad. No rare blue butterflies today - must too cold yet but we had skylarks - and even thought we spotted a pair of choughs....my photo today...
....and a real one....
We also passed a group of coasteers - hanging over the sea!
Could have done it once maybe but not any more! We passed the lovely little cove where we had lunched on our last walk, today with a waterfall shooting down into it. Then we passed the "almost island" ...
with its natural arch ....
and so around to Porth Dafarch with its lovely poem....and its limekiln!
Quite a few people were playing on the beach here as we headed over the headland and then down the road for a little way before reaching Porth y Post and its fisherman - and more mud!
And so we came round to Trearddur passing the huge "haunted house" and then back to the little car. The little Porths across the Bay...
..and Rhoscolyn which we had caught glimpses of ahead waiting for us to pass tomorrow.
Another 9 miles down - and it was then a beautiful, sunny evening.
Wednesday 13th April - Trearddur Bay to Silver Bay
Think this walk was getting better and better - and maybe we were fitter and fitter too! It was a lovely morning as we set off.
It was quite exciting finding a place to leave the car on the small lanes around here. It was so calm and clear as we set off - the sea like a mill pond with the tide out. The views were stunning as we walked around the coast passing Porth Diana and Porth Castell. We could see across the bay to Holyhead mountain.
Leaving the bay behind, we headed over rough ground, Snowdon and the Llŷn ahead of us. ...
We passed a caravan park and then walked around the bay with huge, rocky rocks - the only way I can describe them!
And with those chirruping oyster catchers all along the coast..
Then the view in front was across the water to Bwa Gwyn - the white arch,
with the big white house standing above complete with its cannon still!
Lambs were lazing in the sunshine and Provost jets were overhead. Oyster catchers and gulls were also enjoying the calmer weather.
We passed Bwa Du - the black arch - natural arches really are spectacular.
And the views from Bwa Gwyn back to Holyhead were superb.
All the coves along this coast are so amazing - the colours and shapes are just unbelievable. Here with pink rocks and stack...
We didn't see them today but another couple told us they had seen the goats on the rocks again here as we had last time, and they had watched a peregrine on its nest. And as we came around the headlands, here with the primroses (and Chris!) looking good..
The coasteers were on the rocks again, and the Llŷn was looking magnificent - it really transfixed me today!
We soon passed St Gwenfaen's well - and had a little rest and a wish!
Then up and around the coastguard station at Rhoscolyn overlooking Rhoscolyn beacon and the Llŷn in a twinkling sea.
We dropped down into Rhoscolyn ...
and walked around the beach, Borthwen, where we sat in the shingle and ate lunch
- how perfect was that for a lunch stop? As we left, the tide was coming in and the breeze getting stronger but not too strong. We had decided that we would extend the walk around to Silver Bay but had been unable to park as it is a private caravan park (!) there so we just continued our walk around there...
and would just have to retrace our steps - not a hardship at all on this wonderful day! The views across the water were just so lovely and the waves were now bouncing on the rocks.
Provosts, oyster catchers, gulls and canoeists....
.....kept us amused. We reached Silver Bay where there was a little cafe - so coffee was enjoyed! The sparkling sea and Snowdon watching over us -
and the gulls...
and Provosts!
This bay, Cymyran, stretches right around to Rhosneigr to the south taking in the beach at RAF Valley - there is a river running through it though so it's not possible to cross it entirely which was why this was one of the places we had decided to cut out as the path here crosses inland for quite a distance.
The rocks out there have again been the scene of any tragedies. In fact it it reputed that the people of Rhosneigr did in fact cause some of the wrecks! A most notable wreck was the sister ship of the Cutty Sark, the Norman Court, which foundered here in 1883. And so the walk was almost complete for today. We headed back to Rhoscolyn....it had been a special day!
7 and a half really lovely miles....told you I was a fair weather walker!
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