Monday May 5th 2025

We started our day with a long run along the Lon Las Ogwen Railtrail. The railway was originally built to transport slate from Penhryn Quarry to the Penhryn Port. We parked in Bangor and ran the short distance to Penhryn Port and the start of the trail. I was doing my long run and planned to run out for an hour then back again. G was still recovering from the London Marathon so he did a shorter run then went to wait at a cafe. In the end I just made it to Bethseda, about 18K there and back. The trail was beautiful, and even though it was all uphill to Bethseda, it was never super steep (about 175 m of elevation in total). Coming back downhill was fun.

I got a bit turned around once in Bangor, but eventually found the cafe, Clio Lounge where I was meeting G. I had the big veggie breakfast and a hot chocolate. Then it was back to our accommodation for a shower and a nap. We had some active plans for the afternoon and I needed to recuperate. Once that was taken care of we headed back out, this time to Anglesea. There are many great walks to do on Anglesea, but I picked Llanddwyn Island because the photos looked stunning and it provided a combination of history and landscapes. We started the walk at the Llanddwyn Beach carpark. The different walks are signposted, but you basically head through the forest a short way, then take the path to the beach and walk along there to the island. It is really a headland that becomes an island at high tide, so do check the tide before you head out. On the afternoon we were there the tide was running out so we knew we’d be fine. From the beach and the island there are beautiful views back to Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsula. I even managed to pick out the mountain I had planned for our hike the following day.

Once on the island we followed the meandering path along the coastline, then came back through the middle. The island was a pilgrimage site for St Dwynwen, patron saint of lovers, until King Henry VIII put an end to pilgrimages. The church here, which is now in ruins was once one of the wealthiest churches in Wales. There are also two lighthouses, pilot’s cottages, two stone crosses erected in the saint’s memory and wild ponies.

It was mid-afternoon by the time we’d finished our walk so we decided to drive up to Holyhead and the South Stack Lighthouse. We knew we would be too late to visit the lighthouse but thought we’d take in the views. Visibility was pretty good, but we couldn’t see Ireland which is supposed to be a possibility on clear days. We did see the ferries plying the waters, as they leave from Holyhead for Ireland.

We still had a little bit of time before our dinner booking and I really wanted to get a photo of Menai Bridge, so I did a little google and found a likely place for good views. The Menai Bridge is a suspension bridge finished in 1826 that spans the Menai Straits between Bangor and Anglesea. Until then ferries took passengers and freight across this dangerous stretch of water. Cattle was a large industry on Anglesea and they had to be swum across the Straits until the bridge was built.

For dinner we ate at Dylan’s in Menai Bridge (the town on Anglesea where the bridge crosses). We both had fish and it was excellent. Highly Recommended.

Total Steps: 37,030