Day 10: 5/5/86 Amlwch to Llanfaethlu

Distance:  30.5km (19 miles)    Total Distance:   124 miles

I started walking at Amlwch harbour.  I found the town itself quite depressing with lots of run down estates.  I walked around the port but was foiled to keeping to the coast by a factory and had to cut quite a way inland.

Porth Leechog and a good bit of camera strap

The disused brick works at Porth Wen

After that the coastal path to Cames was excellent with spectacular bays both large and small.  I stopped in Cames to stock up. The local shop owner told me he felt guilty because he had never been to Cardiff.  I had a pint in the pub on the square and sat outside to watch the village life pass by.

I walked through the back end of town and through the fields to Wylfa power station. There were few people visiting the power station bearing in mind what had happened in Ukraine the previous week. The power station appeared amazingly peaceful but it was horrid to think what would happen if anything went wrong there.  It also appeared amazingly accessible to terrorists.

The path led by a couple of deserted farms and through beautiful gardens and past a stream at Porth-y-Pystyll. The sun shone all day and it made Cemlyn Bay look very good.  I walked on the seaward side of the causeway so as not to disturb the nesting birds on the freshwater side.

Porth-y-Pistyll

Cemlyn Bay

The public footpath disappeared at Camel Head whuch was a real shame as the sceenery was excellent. I eventually had enough of trespassing and having to climb over hedgerows every hundred yards which was not a good feeling, so after seeing the strange white concrete structures at Camel Head I cut inland. 

The Skerries from near to Camel Head - a beuatiful bit of coastline but without full access rights.

It took a couple of miles walking along roads to get back to the coast.  Looking down from Church Bay towards Holyhead was quite spectacular. 

Church Bay was full of surfers packing up after a Bank Holiday Weekends sport.  Even though there as an official path along the coast for the next bit though fields they were full of heffers but seemed to be harmless.  I decided to finish at Borthwein and walked up the hill to Llanfaethlu. 

Looking over to Holyhead from Pen-y-foel

Porth Trwyn- I was forced to walk inland again after this.

I had to walk for quite a while more to get a lift – it being Bank Holiday. I eventually got a lift from someone in a pick-up van whose business had gone bust in Stockport and now enjoyed his life on Anglesey doing part-time work in the restaurant in Borthwain. 

I camped another night at Red Wharf Bay.  I had picked up a Chinese take-away in Amlwch.  After putting up the tent I had a shower and went down the pub and got talking to some of the locals.  It was much emptier tonight as all the Bank-holidaymakers had gone home.

Day 9: 4/5/86 Red Wharf to Amlwch

Distance:  24.5km (15.2 miles)    Total Distance:   105 miles

It was my turn to repay some of the kindness people had shown to me when hitchhiking so I gave a guy a lift who was going from Menai Bridge to Benlleth.  I parked at Red Wharf Bay Hotel and has a sandwich and coffee before backtracking a quarter of a mile and then going around the headland.

Benllech Sand

Traeth Bychan

There was a good coastal path for the first half of the day.  I stopped for a burger and chips and mug of tea at Moelfre.  To get around Traeth Dulas I had to walk quite far inland.  The path across the river itself and along the estuary on the far side was poor – so was the weather.

The broom in full lower at Traeth Lligwy

Traeth Lligwy

West from near Traeth Lligwy

There was no coastal path along the next bit either – with many signs to remind you of that fact too!  The walk along the minor roads was however pleasant enough.  The view coming down to Point Lynas was good.  There was a coastal path to Amlwch though the local farmer had fenced it over at the Amlwch end. 

Point Lynas

The harbour at Amlwch is long and very thin, a natural cutting in the rocks – seemingly used by local trawler-men. 

Amlwch harbour - like I used to be  - long and thin.

I had an ice-lolly at the shop and walked up to the main road to hitch.  It wasn’t long before a young couple stopped and dropped me just by the turning down to Red Wharf Bay.  I camped in the site on the front – a massive site – charged £3 a night but good hot water.  Went down the local pub for grub and a couple of pints.  The pub was pretty crowded with yachting types.