Cemlyn and Llanrhwydrus circular walk
A truly atmospheric three-mile walk. If you time it right you'll see the sun setting into the Irish Sea.
There's ancient pre-history here plus memories of more recent human achievement and memorials of loss.
Map
Start:
Bryn Aber car park, grid ref: SH329936
1
From the car park, walk out past the monument towards the headland.
2
Turn left through the kissing gate and either follow the coastal path or walk along the beach. You might see grey seals hauled up on Craig yr Iwrch, the rocky island on your right.
3
Enjoy the wonderful sea views as you walk along the coast. If you have time, it's well worth making a short detour to Llanrhwydrus Church. This lovely little building is one of Anglesey's oldest spiritual sites and one of very few pre-reformation churches on the island.
St Rhwydrus church
The burial ground contains two significant graves. Here lies Second World War air gunner Vivian Parry from nearby Plas Cemlyn who won the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). Nearby is the grave of a Norwegian, Christen Osuldsen. He was master of the 'Thomas Humphreys' which hit the Skerries rocks in a gale while sailing from Liverpool to New York in 1867.
4
When you reach the little bay of Henborth be sure to look for the Henborth drumlin - a rock formation that looks like a beached whale. Turn left through the kissing gate.
Henborth drumlin
Drumlins are glacial deposits that expose the geological make-up of their surroundings going back hundreds of millions of years. They are rare things in Britain and this is a particularly fine example.
5
Walk on through the kissing gate towards Hen Felin (Old Mill) and cross the bridge. Turn left onto the lane and walk back towards Cemlyn Bay and the National Nature Reserve sheltered by the shingle ridge.
6
After you pass Fronddu, turn left up the lane. This takes you past the Cemlyn lagoon, established in the 1930s by Captain Vivian Hewitt of Bryn Aber.
Captain Vivian Hewitt
Captain Vivian Hewitt was known as 'the modest millionaire'. His interest in birds led him to build the first dam and weir at Cemlyn, replacing tidal saltmarsh with a large and permanent lagoon which he intended as a refuge for wildfowl.
7
Follow the lane over the causeway and back to the car park. Look out across the lagoon: in summer more than 1,000 terns nest on the islands in the lagoon, while in winter it provides a sheltered haven for many varieties of water fowl.
End:
Bryn Aber car park, grid ref: SH329936
