Amlwch, Anglesey

1. START If starting from the bus stop (SH444929), head left along the road (Lon Goch), turn left at the T-junction and then fork right. Bear right at the next T-junction, ignore the first turn on the left (Craig y Don) and carry on downhill. At the bottom, turn left into Quay Street past the Adelphi Vaults and keep left where the road divides, passing a Coast Path signpost. Keep ahead along a paved path that leads down to the attractive harbour. Pass the Copper Kingdom centre on your right. Nearby, note the GeoMôn Rock Clock, which shows the Anglesey rocks in their geological periods. Continue up past the Sail Loft Visitor Centre to the car park at the end of the road. Continue along the track following the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path waymarks (featuring a hovering tern). A gentle walk along the top of the low cliffs towards Point Lynas (the headland and its lighthouse are visible in the distance) brings you to Porth Eilian. 

 

2. Bear left along the road, which leads towards the lighthouse (built in 1835 and unusual in having a castellated tower and walls, which enclose the main house and two cottages). Soon, leave the road on the right to continue along the coastal path which cuts across the base of the headland. Back on the coast, the path heads on uphill, affording distant views of the Snowdonia Mountains, which provide a dramatic backdrop to much of the walking along Anglesey’s coast. As you look back in the other direction, there are good views of Point Lynas. (Note: the path between Porthygwychiaid and Bryn Fuches is permissive and may be closed for a number of days in the year when shoots are taking place. The inland lane is an alternative route then.) 

 

3. At Porth yr Aber, the path turns inland and heads up through fields to join the lane. Keep ahead along the road, then turn off left down through a field and left along the road down past the church to the Dulas estuary. 

 

4. Turn right along the path beside the estuary to reach a parking area at the road end. This stretch is accessible apart from up to an hour either side of high tide. Continue along the lane for a short distance, then turn off left as signed. Cross a footbridge over the river and head up inland to the A5205. Turn left to the Pilot Boat Inn, and then across fields back to the coast and the lovely sandy beaches of Traeth yr Ora and Traeth Lligwy (pictured). Note the striking rock formations from Lligwy to Moelfre and the Royal Charter monument as you approach Moelfre and its car park (SH513863).

Anglesey’s 200km/125-mile Coastal Path – now part of the 870-mile Wales Coast Path – comprises a variety of fine coastal landscapes: beaches, dunes, coves, impressive rock formations, harbours and nature reserves. The walking is generally quite easy and every section can be walked as a linear route on an ad hoc basis using the island’s bus services (the timetables provide a very useful summary of which services cover which sections). This lovely stretch in the northeast of the island is particularly well served by regular daily buses. Amlwch is the most northerly town in Wales, notable for its copper mining history. It was the discovery of a rich vein of copper ore on nearby Parys Mountain in 1768 that brought about the dramatic transformation of Amlwch town and its port. During the 18th and 19th centuries the Parys Mountain copper mines were the largest in the world. The award-winning Copper Kingdom heritage centre at Amlwch is well worth a visit. (Check for opening times at www.copperkingdom.co.uk.) The walk finishes at the picturesque village of Moelfre.