Wales

Aberystwyth to Mynachdy’r Graig walk

View of the sea and flowers on the clifftop at Mynachdy’r Graig, Llanerchaeron. — Mynachdy’r Graig in summer | © National Trust/Gwen Potter

This walk will take you from the historic seaside splendour of Aberystwyth, along the Cardigan Bay coast to the former monastic grange of Mynachdy’r Graig. You'll take in the views over Cardigan Island, Ynns Enlli (Bardsey Island), the Lleyn peninsula and Snowdonia.

Near to

Llanerchaeron

Start point

Royal Pier, Aberystwyth, grid ref: SN581818

Trail information

View route

Print trail

Difficulty*

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 10.5 (km: 16.8)

Duration4 hours to 5 hours

Dog friendly**

*Moderate to rugged paths with some steep sections. For further details, see section marked Terrain.
**Dogs should be kept on a lead near livestock. For further details, see section marked Facilities.

Optional bus back to Aberystwyth

The full 10-mile trail involves walking back along the same route, or if preferred, you can catch a bus back (X40, X50 or 550) to halve the time.

Address
Royal Pier, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales, SY23 2AZ
Directions via Google Maps
By train
Aberystwyth station 0.2 miles (0.3km).
On foot
Aberystwyth sea front is on the Ceredigion Coast Path.
By bus
Routes X50, X40 and 550. See Traveline-Cymru.
Traveline-Cymru
Cycling
National Cycle Network route 81 (Aberystwyth to Newtown).
National Cycle Network
By road
Aberystwyth is served by the main A487 and A44 trunk roads.
Total stages: 9
Total stages: 9
Start point
Royal Pier, Aberystwyth, grid ref: SN581818
Stage 1
Start the walk from The Royal Pier, Aberystwyth.
Stage 2
Walk south with the sea on your right, past the castle.
Stage 3
Take the next turning on the left along Tan-y-Cae road (South Road) to the main A487 and turn right over the River Rheidol on the Trefechan Bridge.
Stage 4
From here, take the Pen yr Angor road (which is the second road on the right), walk past Anthony Motors Mazda Garage and over the small bridge onto the storm beach of Tanybwlch.
Stage 5
There is a car park on the shingle by the stone jetty. Follow the coast path through the gate on your left and along the flat track at the top of the beach, which leads straight to the climb up Allt-wen.
Stage 6
Follow the coastal path markers along the path.
Morfa Bychan and lime kilns
Along this section of the walk, you'll pass Morfa Bychan, one of the many granges owned by the monks of the Strata Florida monastery, near Tregaron. Rhys ddu (Black Rhys) lived here when Owain Glyndwr fought to make Wales independent in the 14th century. Rhys was captured by the English and hanged. Look out for the remains of several lime kilns along the coastal path. These were used to burn limestone imported from South Wales, which was used in building and for spreading on the land to improve its fertility.
Stage 7
The path moves down to the abandoned farmhouse of Ffos-las and on to the National Trust property of Mynachdy’r Graig.
Stage 8
You have now reached Mynachdy’r Graig.
Mynachdyr Graig
Originally another of the granges belonging to the monks of Strata Florida, the name Mynachdyr Graig translates as 'monk's house on the rocks'. Purchased by National Trust in 1992 (although the farmhouse is privately owned), this 63-hectare (153-acre) farm includes excellent examples of recently restored 19th-century farmstead buildings. The estate features considerable lengths of typical Cardiganshire walls and banks, and a diverse range of natural habitats. It provides an unusually good example of coastal heath and sedge-rich tussock mire. Look out for earthworks on the middle section of the terracing, by the road down to the farmstead - local legend has it that these are pirates' graves.
Stage 9
You can now either retrace your route back to Aberystwyth, or walk up the track to the lay-by on the A487, where the bus (X40, X50 or 550) will stop on request and transport you back to Aberystwyth.
End point
Royal Pier, Aberystwyth, grid ref: SN581818
Trail map
Aberystwyth to Mynachdy’r Graig walk | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
You made it
Share your experience

Place

Llanerchaeron

An elegant Georgian villa, designed by architect John Nash in 1790, complete with a walled garden, farmyard lake and wild parkland. Remarkably unaltered for over 200 years.

Close-up of a common blue butterfly perched on a flower stalk at Coombe Hill

Trail

Cwm Tydu to Cwm Soden butterfly walk

Take a circular cliff-top walk from the little bay of Cwm Tydu to Cwm Soden near Llanerchaeron, spotting butterflies and a variety of other wildlife along the way.