The Lleyn Peninsula Coastal Path - A Walking and Cycling Guide

Describes a walkers’ route along the 95-mile coastal path that runs around the Lleyn Peninsula of north Wales from Caernarfon to Portmadoc. Options for mountain and road bikes along the coastal path. Also includes circular walks and rides suitable for day excursions.

The western seaboard of England and Wales has three main peninsulas jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea. Those who are old enough to remember may recall a well-known national driving school using a map of the British Isles to represent a driver, Cornwall being the ‘leg’ and the two peninsulas of Wales being the ‘arms’ holding the steering wheel.

The most southerly peninsula is made up of Devon and Cornwall; moving north one finds the Pembrokeshire headland; further north still is the Lleyn peninsula of North Wales. The southwest peninsula and Pembroke have justly famous coastal walks, but the Lleyn seems to have been overlooked in this regard. This is a great pity – for the Lleyn has much to offer in a traverse of its coastal area.

Of course the Lleyn coastal path cannot match the sheer scale of the South West Coast Path – which comes in at a staggering 630.5 miles (1015km) – nor does it even approach the Pembrokeshire Coast Path at 180 miles (290km). However, its 95 miles (153km) contain a variety of cliff, dune, moor and mountain which is unsurpassed. Indeed, its lack of miles can be seen as a positive virtue – to complete the Southwest Coast Path in one go demands a commitment of time and effort that few people can afford. Even the Pembroke path demands a fortnight for those of normal pedestrian speeds. The Lleyn can be walked in a week without too much exertion.

In addition the Lleyn peninsula is much better defined than its two big brothers. The western end of the Menai Straits at Caernarfon obviously marks its northern limit, and Portmadoc is the finish, because to the south the coastline changes direction quite abruptly to lead into Cardigan Bay. But who can say where the southwest peninsula starts? Although the South West Coast Path runs between Minehead and Poole Harbour, a case could be made for a starting point for the peninsula as far up as Bristol – or even Gloucester? Even more confusingly, where does it end? Lyme Regis, Weymouth or even Bournemouth could all make a claim.

The Pembroke case is somewhat easier for it stays within Pembrokeshire, the county boundaries marking the start and finish. However, such boundaries are merely manmade limitations and the extent of the actual peninsula is more difficult to define; why should it not start at New Quay or finish at Llanelli? There are no such complications with the Lleyn peninsula; it is easily defined as everything to the west of a line connecting Caernarfon and Portmadoc, which is pretty well followed by the main A487 road.

The Lleyn coastline offers much variety, from mudflats to summits in excess of 1800ft (550m), from sand dunes to rocky cliffs, from some of the oldest rock in the British Isles to some of the youngest, and from untouched working villages to popular seaside resorts. There is also a historic precedent to walking the length of the Lleyn, for from the 6th to 16th centuries pilgrims used to make the trip in order to board a boat to Bardsey Island off the peninsula’s southwestern tip. (There are still some organised pilgrimages today). In ecclesiastical terms, three trips to Bardsey were the equivalent of one pilgrimage to Rome.

What the Lleyn does not have is a continuous path alongside its shores and to walk the peninsula demands occasional sorties inland for a mile or two, so that existing rights of way can be used. This means ascending hills parallel with the coast, or visiting villages just inland. Nevertheless, the sea is rarely out of sight, and the majority of the walk stays close to the shoreline.

The nature of the rights of way followed by the Lleyn coastal path also enables cyclists to enjoy many sections of the peninsula, especially on the northern side. Thus this guide serves not only walkers but also recommends cycleways, bridleways and other byways which cyclists can legally use. The nature of some of these bridleways is often rough, and is really the domain of the increasingly popular mountain or all-terrain bike, but options are given for road bikes.

Each section of the walk deals first with the coastal route for walkers, and then includes connections for cyclists. The historical notes and descriptions are equally applicable to both modes of transport.

Not everybody wishes to complete a long-distance path in one fell swoop, even one as short as the Lleyn peninsula path. For a shorter excursion the author recommends starting at either Clynnog, Trefor or Nefyn. In addition each chapter ends with two or three shorter circular walks or rides which provide a taste of the different sections of the Lleyn.

There may be those who wish to walk all or part of the route, but feel that they have neither the time nor inclination to book accommodation, check maps and timetables, and generally plan the route and timings. There are companies who specialise in dealing with the back-up for long-distance walks. Edge of Wales Walks, based in Aberdaron, covers the Lleyn coastal route; details and contact numbers are given in ‘Useful Links’ at the end of this book. They also provide a luggage-carrying and transfer service.

GRADING OF THE CIRCULAR WALKS
The circular walks are graded either A, B or C. Whilst this is very much a subjective assessment it may help when a choice has to be made. Cycle rides are not graded, but the total distance given will assist in making a decision.

• A Walks of a serious nature due to their distance, or height above sea level. Tracks may be indistinct or non-existent, and reasonable skill with map and compass will be needed, particularly in bad weather.
• B Walks on obvious tracks or with plain landmarks. Nevertheless, such walks may cross boggy or difficult ground, and boots are recommended.
• C Easy walks on good tracks suitable for all ages.
  

MAPS
The vast majority of the Lleyn coastal path is covered by OS Landranger 123, somewhat predictably entitled ‘Lleyn Peninsula’. This gives a good overall impression of the walk at a scale of 1:50,000. (Extracts from these maps, covering the whole route, appear in the guide.) For better detail, including field boundaries, the OS Explorer series at a scale of 1:25,000 are excellent. The peninsula is covered by Explorer 12, Lleyn Peninsula West, and Explorer 13, Lleyn Peninsula East. The description of the route makes frequent reference to these OS maps, giving six-figure map references. Use is also made of compass directions, so NE is North East, WSW is West South West, and so on.

The sketch maps in this book are intended to complement the OS maps. They do not cover the entire route, are not exactly to scale, and do not show features such as contour lines or detail other than directly on the line of the route. Their purpose is to assist the passage in places of particular complexity – such as farms – and to confirm the existence of stiles, gates, walls, fences and other features not noted on OS maps.

The whole route follows footpaths, bridleways, byways and lanes. All such thoroughfares are legal rights of way. Occasionally one may come across illegal blockages – usually new fences – but this has been found to be a minor problem on the described route. Any such problems have been reported to the appropriate County Highways Authorities, but if a right of way is found to be blocked it is worth writing to the relevant authority. For those wanting to know more of their rights and obligations concerning such matters the Ramblers Association produces some excellent literature.

EQUIPMENT
Following a coastal path normally requires less skill with map and compass than when making a high traverse across desolate mountains – keep walking and keep the sea on the right and you can’t go wrong! Unfortunately, as noted above, the Lleyn peninsula coastal makes occasional sorties inland. Even a cursory glance at the map shows the mountains of Yr Eifl blocking the way along the northern side of the peninsula.

Thus the path does cross higher land than is generally the case with coastal walks, and at its highest point reaches 1345ft (410m), with an optional excursion to 1670ft (509m). One of the circular walks reaches 1850ft (564m). Such stretches are not very long, but the country is unpopulated and desolate. Such areas demand reasonable competence with map and compass for whilst the way is straightforward on a clear sunny day conditions can soon change above 1000ft (305m), with mist descending and wind speed rising.

The way for cyclists does not reach such dizzy heights – but one section reaches a height of over 800ft (244m). This is on a perfectly good road, but on a breezy day it can still be decidedly chilly!

As well as map and compass the usual extras should be carried as for any day out in the country: waterproofs, warm clothing, food, whistle and torch. Walkers are recommended to wear boots as there are occasional boggy sections. Modern lightweight ones are ideal. Cyclists follow a drier route, but there is still the odd ford or wet patch to cross for those choosing the off-road alternatives. Cyclists may also wish to wear protective headgear.
Any reasonably fit person who walks regularly in the countryside will find this route holds no dangers and many pleasures. Even the novice walker or families should have no real difficulty if care is taken. The higher sections can be avoided, if necessary, by using lower lanes and secondary roads, but at the price of less pleasant scenery and views.

The Lleyn is rarely very busy, but at peak times – such as Easter, Whitsun and the summer school holidays – it may be advisable to book accommodation or campsites in advance. As noted above Edge of Wales provides a booking service, and there are several websites providing lists of accommodation along the peninsula (see Appendix 3).

GEOLOGY
Some of the oldest rocks in the world can be found in the Lleyn peninsula. The standard table of geological time scales names the oldest rocks as Pre-Cambrian, over 600 million years old. Certain formations are up to 2500 million years old, and examples can be found in the Lleyn peninsula and also in Anglesey. As one might expect there is precious little information concerning this era, but the location of some of these particularly ancient rocks is noted in the walk descriptions. The Lleyn is generally made from old hard rocks; most of the remaining areas fall into the Cambrian and Ordovician eras, the oldest classifications after Pre-Cambrian.

The geology of the Lleyn is influenced by the upheavals which formed the main part of the area covered by the Snowdonia National Park. The huge pressures which formed the mountains of Snowdonia also crumpled and folded the rocks of the Lleyn, creating a confusing geology. Added to this are more recent events such as the volcanic activity of some 70 million years ago when basalt lava was forced upwards, solidifying to form hard bands (dykes).

More recently, during the Ice Ages, the Lleyn was covered in ice sheets many hundreds of feet thick. These sheets scoured and eroded the rocks, but as the ice melted and receded the material embedded in it was deposited on the landscape. This material – a mixture of pebbles, clay, sand and mud which has been ground together – is called boulder clay.

The most recent geological changes to the Lleyn are the mudflats and dune areas. When the vast ice sheets melted, the land – which had been pressed down by the huge weight – tended to rise up. This can be identified by ‘raised’ beaches, which lie above the present level of the coastline. The action of the sea created new beaches and sand dunes, while rivers brought mud and shale down to the coast.

It is this variety of old and new, of deposits and volcanic activity, of land movements both up and down, which gives the Lleyn its rich diversity of scenery. The mixture of coastal cliff, sandy bays, moorland, heath and dune ensures that there is no chance of getting bored while walking this route.

HUMAN HISTORY
The Lleyn is well endowed with archaeological remains. The first settlers who left any trace of their culture were peoples of the early Stone Age who lived here around 8000BC. Their custom of burying the dead under stone monuments ensured that they left their mark on the landscape. Examples of their work can be found on St Tudwal’s peninsula, south of Abersoch and in the area west of Aberdaron. The south side of the peninsula was home to Neolithic settlers who learned the art of making stone tools; the axe factory on Mynydd Rhiw is an example of their industry. However, the most obvious early features are the Iron Age hillforts, not surprisingly found on the summits of the volcanic outcrops such as Garn Fadryn and Garn Boduan. The best preserved of all is Tre’r Ceiri – the ‘Town of the Giants’ – on Yr Eifl.

Often a trip to such sites is disappointing for the layman; only an expert can make out the line of the fort and the remains of the various buildings associated with it. It seems that a fertile imagination is needed to ‘see’ the ruin – but this is not the case with Tre’r Ceiri. The ramparts, defences and circular huts are all plain to see. There has been a certain amount of restoration work, but even those parts which have not been restored are in a good state of preservation. The site forms the basis of one of the circular walks in Chapter 4.

The Romans, who spent a good deal of effort in subduing the Welsh tribes, do not appear to have bothered too much with the Lleyn. The defence of Wales was based on a series of forts and roads. Caernarfon was the most westerly of the major forts, and there are no important fortifications on the Lleyn; indeed there are very few Roman remains at all. There is a small fortified outpost at Derwydd-Bach (477454), now a reed-covered site, and the remains are hardly visible on the ground. It is also only 300yd west of the A487 road (the demarcation line of the peninsula) – so it only gets on to the Lleyn by a whisker!

Dinas Dinlle (see circular walks, Chapter 3) had a small Roman fortification at the southern end of the beach on the site of an earlier Iron Age fort. This was probably a signalling station for the main fort at Caernarfon, and commands an excellent view of the entrance to the Menai Straits. Finally the 6in OS map (1:10,000) shows some small Roman remains at Tremadoc, including a bath house, and some sort of shrine. It is likely these were originally part of some larger villa.

Despite the general lack of remains the Roman influence would have been felt across the Lleyn. For instance there is a famous ancient gravestone in the churchyard of the village of Llangian, just inland from Hell’s Mouth and therefore a considerable way down the peninsula. The grave is marked by a stone pillar inscribed with the words (in Latin) ‘Melius the Doctor, son of Martinus, lies here’.

The Anglo-Saxons appear to have followed the Romans’ lead, for there is little of their culture to be found on the Lleyn. The Normans left the occasional relic in the form of isolated mottes and certain roads, particularly around the Abersoch and Nefyn areas.

More important changes to the geography of the Lleyn occurred between the 13th and 17th centuries when a variety of wars and Acts of Parliament had an impact on the area. The Enclosure Acts ensured that the traditional open fields shared among a community were replaced with smallholdings and enclosed pastures.

As befits a peninsula the Lleyn has always had strong links with the sea, both for trading purposes and, no doubt much to the annoyance of the inhabitants, in terms of invasions by unfriendly raiding parties. Many fishing villages and small ports developed, and during the 18th and 19th centuries Portmadoc, Nefyn and Porth Dinllaen achieved a certain reputation for shipbuilding.

The shipping trade was greatly helped by the increase in quarrying. One glance at the mountains of Yr Eifl shows the huge scars which resulted from this industry. Trefor, the village below the mountain, was a thriving port, sending stone to the industrial towns of northwest England. Other communities prospered briefly through mining, but the trade soon diminished, and derelict hamlets bear testimony to the decline.

In the 20th century there have been more foreign raiding parties: ‘tourists’. The impact of tourism has had its effects on the local economy, and it is necessary to manage this industry with as much vigour as any other. Large parts of the peninsula have been given the protection of the status of Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and in the 1970s over 50 miles (80km) of the coastline were designated as a Heritage Coast. Whilst there are those who say that the protection such designation gives is insufficient, it is at least recognition of the beauty of the scenery. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 has allowed the designation of certain areas to be opened up to public access. These areas were officially opened at the end of May 2005, and are noted in the main text.

THE PILGRIMS' ROUTE TO BARDSEY
Bardsey Island – called in Welsh Ynys Enlli – is right at the tip of the peninsula. For hundreds of years it was a particularly holy site; pilgrims made their way along the peninsula to Aberdaron, from where a boat could take them the last few miles to Bardsey. Many holy stopping places developed along the route to cater for both the spiritual and human needs of the pilgrims. Three pilgrimages to Bardsey counted in ecclesiastical terms as one trip to Rome (or, some authorities say, to Jerusalem). So in following the coastal path the walker is continuing an ancient tradition – but I do not suggest that by walking the coastal path three times you can count it as the Pennine Way!

The main pilgrims’ route is along the north coast. The following sites have been identified as holy stopping places, starting from Caernarfon: Llanwnda, Llandwrog, Clynnog-fawr, Llanaelhaearn, Pystyll, Nefyn, Edern, Tudweiliog, Penllech, Llangwnnadl and Aberdaron. The significance of many of these places is related in the text as the route reaches the appropriate point.

It is interesting to note that nearly all references to the pilgrims relate to the north coast. One is forced to speculate that pilgrims from the south of England would reach the Lleyn first at Portmadoc. Why then did they not follow the south coast of the Lleyn to reach Bardsey? In fact there are ancient relics and holy sites on the south coast, and connections with certain of the saints of Bardsey in some of the south coast villages. Nevertheless, such sites are ignored by earlier references to the pilgrims’ route. A further question for pilgrims from the south of England and Wales is which route did they take home after reaching Bardsey?

One can speculate that the north coast route was originally of no greater importance than the south coast, but that certain famous saints such as Beuno (of whom more later) settled on the north coast and so that became the traditional route. The completion of the whole coastal walk will ensure all possibilities are covered.
What then of Bardsey itself? It is said that 20,000 saints are buried on the island. There is a legend that the soul of anybody buried on Bardsey cannot go to Hell, which might explain its popularity as a resting place. However – before you book a plot – another interpretation of the legend is that the inhabitants of Bardsey were all immensely pious and God-fearing, and that is the real reason that they never went to Hell.

There are many stories of Welsh, Irish and Breton saints. Some names are well known – St Patrick and St Columbus for instance – others less so. The common thread between them was the fact that they travelled along the western seaboard of the British Isles and continental Europe.

Tradition states that one St Cadfan sailed up from Brittany with a company of monks, landed on Bardsey and founded an abbey. Most sources put this event in the first half of the 6th century, but one or two place it earlier. The number of dedications in the names of holy sites and ancient churches is a good indicator of a particular saint’s level of influence. Using this method St Cadfan’s influence can be traced from the Gower in South Wales to Anglesey. Thus it is by no means improbable that he could have visited Bardsey, although his name is not found there.

Cadfan’s successor as abbot of the abbey is said to be St Lleuddad; a field on Bardsey bears his name, and the church at Aberdaron is jointly dedicated to him. Another of Cadfan’s followers, St Maelrhys, has a church dedicated to him between Aberdaron and Rhiw.

So was St Cadfan the first holy man of Bardsey, or were there monks and hermits on the island at an even earlier date? What little evidence there is suggests that holy men were using Bardsey before the year AD500, thus predating most estimates of Cadfan’s arrival. A sliver of evidence comes from the life of St Dyfrig, who is confirmed as a mature man of the church in AD521, by which time he was a full bishop. Towards the end of his life he retired to Bardsey and died there. His name is not mentioned in the lists of those associated with Cadfan, yet he was famous in his own right. It seems likely that he predated Cadfan.

The monks of Bardsey had a difficult life, not only in sustaining themselves through farming and fishing, but also in dealing with pirates and raiders. The community managed to prosper over the centuries, but not without many upsets (see the Bibliography).

In 1979 the ownership of the island passed to the Bardsey Island Trust, and it was declared a National Nature Reserve in 1986. The island is particularly famous for its birdlife, both resident and migratory. An observatory was established in 1953, from where ringing and tracking operations are carried out.