Postcard from North Wales 2018

[Anarita John]

We have had a very long break this year, from the end of June to tomorrow, the 28th August, when we return to Anarita. We went on the Thomson Spirit for the last time and had a week down in Pembrokeshire. Whilst at home in Penrhyn Bay, I have been walking the Anglesey Coast Path. It was exactly a year ago that I decided that I would walk it, when I did the last leg of the mainland coast path from Chester to Bangor, and when I reached the Menai Bridge, I decided to walk across and I walked on to Beaumaris.

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In March Rach, our daughter, and I walked the short distance from Moelfre to the Pilot Inn at City Dulas. It was the beast from the East weekend and freezing cold. In fact so cold that my hands froze when I took my gloves off to take photos and I kept my woolly hat and hood up for the whole of the walk.
Just a month later, in April, I completed the sections from Menai Bridge to Moelfre. It was lovely spring weather and we had a heatwave and people were in the sea.
During this summer holiday I have walked the West Coast of Anglesey, from Menai Bridge up to Holy Island and from Holyhead round to Moelfre. It has been a brilliant experience and I have met lots of other walkers who were completing the path. On the sand dunes at Aberfraw I met an adder on the path. It was a warm day and it slithered into the marram grass.

The highlight of the walk for me was the scenery around the north coast, from Amlwych to Camaes, which was the hardest walk I have done for years.

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This is the only St Patrick's Church in Wales. According to legend, he was shipwrecked on a small island off the coast and came here. He lived in a cave where there was a well and, in gratitude built this church.

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On the section from Camaes to Amlwych there were lots of very steep sections.

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There were lots of inlets like this on the north coast and also on the section from Trearddur to Holyhead.

[Anarita John]

I enjoyed all of the sections I did and would recommend Anglesey as a brilliant place to go for a holiday. The scenery and coastline are so varied.

Just out of Menai Bridge, heading towards Plas Newydd and Llanfairpg I came across this promenade. It was built by Belguim refugees during WW1.

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I walked across a causeway to Church Island.

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Also, a mile further on, I came across Admiral Lord Nelson, looking out to sea. It was erected by an artist who was experimenting with concrete and was used as a navigation aid.

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[Anarita John]

The last section I did, around the west and north coast of Holy Island, on my way to Holyhead was also spectacular, from lovely beaches in the south to a rocky coastline in the north.

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This sign amused me as it had been waterproofed with, guess what? and also it was not very secure as one of the pins had come out.

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This seat must be the most comfortable outdoor one in Wales. I had my lunch here and spent around an hour talking to various people. Attached is the view from the seat. It was near South Stack Lighthouse.

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I wonder if anyone can guess what this building was used for. I thought it looked like a Greek Church.

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[Anarita John]

From South Stack to Holyhead was quite a climb, both up and down. I went round various headlands and, altogether on the last leg, climbed 2700 feet.

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Finally I arrived at St Cybi's church, Holyhead, the start and finish of the Anglesey Coast Path. It had taken me 15 days to walk around the 130 miles of the coast path. It was a fantastic experience.

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[Lofos-5]

Thank you. I enjoyed these photos. Well done. A.

[trevnhil]

I agree Well Done, it is a great achievement, and thanks for posting the interesting pictures

[cyprusmax47]

Well done, respect to walk 130 miles in 15 days. I am exhausted after 1 mile. Nice pics from a very nice area....

Max

[aphrodite]

Great photos and well done on your walking, what an achievement. Wales is lovely, but I have to confess that although I have been to Anglesey several times, I only saw the countryside from a driver's window - on my way to catch the Holyhead to Dublin boat, mostly at night. I blinked and missed it all, sadly. X

[Lofos-5]

Hope it still will look as nice in “2108”...

A.

[Anarita John]

So do I. Just corrected my typo.
Back now in Anarita. Will have to soon start my walks along the front at the harbour again and get on my bike now that the sun is not quite as fierce. I can manage 6 miles in two hours walking on the flat but, when it was hilly on Anglesey I was down to less than 1mph in places and averaged only 2mph on some of the walks.