8 Dec 2025
On the train this morning I was looking at my maps and realised that quite a few sections of the walk were very close to the shore or on the beach. I checked the tide tables and realised I would be getting to Cymyran Beach by RAF Valley right on high tide. I was committed to the walk now and I could see that there were dunes by the beach so I hoped I would be able to walk along the top of them.
Valley station is a request stop, so I told the conductor after leaving Bangor that I wanted to get off there. I got to the start point after a 15 minute walk from the station and set off down a farm track and across some muddy fields. There had been a lot of rain and the ground was sodden. The coast path goes over an embankment containing the Valley Tidal Doors. These protect the town from flooding by letting water drain into the estuary but closing when the tide comes in. In 2010, the embankment was raised 0.5 metres to protect against sea level rise due to climate change but if fossil fuel use isn’t drastically reduced this isn’t going to be enough!
After crossing some fields the path went along a boardwalk through some tall reeds and then to a track around a small inlet. The tide was getting higher and the track was submerged but I walked along higher ground to a path winding around a V-shaped inlet. There was a very basic camping area here and in a field was an old ice cream van. The path reached some fields containing navigation lights for RAF Valley and then reached a road and small car park next to the airfield. There were a few cars parked here, I guess a mixture of aircraft spotters and dog walkers.
When I got to Plas Cymyran, it was almost high tide and the track was completely submerged. There was a route around the flooded area though so I walked around to the dunes next to the beach. I could see that the beach was now mostly under water but there were paths through the dunes. As I progressed, there became less available space in the dunes and I was forced to walk a short stretch along the beach. The water didn’t appear to be reaching quite as far up this bit so I tried to time it right so I didn’t get my feet wet. I didn’t time it right! A wave came in and the water rose over my boots. I managed to splosh through the water to a bit where I could get back up on the dunes. There wasn’t much room because the perimeter fence of the airfield was close to the beach at this point but I managed to get through to some kind of outlet pipe which I sat on. I stayed there a little while while the tide turned and had my lunch, occasionally lifting my legs as a wave came in.
There was plenty of fighter jets coming and going as well as other aircraft and helicopters to keep me entertained. About an hour after high tide, I set off across the dunes with wet feet towards Rhosneigr. I was glad the beach section was over and was looking forward to putting on dry socks that I’d packed into my rucksack. It would be another hour before I got to a beach again so the tide should have gone out a bit further by then. No more getting my feet wet I thought…
As I approached Rhosneigr I spotted the bridge over the Afon Crigyll. I also spotted the large amount of water surrounding the bridge and a half submerged coast path marker post. The heavy rain the day before and the high tide had created a lake completely surrounding the bridge. I knew the tide was on its way out so I pottered around for an hour hoping the water level would go down. It did go down a little bit but nowhere near enough. I tried to find a way round but was unable to. A man had been watching me from the far side and he came across to me in his wellies. I explained I was waiting for the water to go down but he told me it probably wouldn’t go down much further. I decided to take off my boots and roll up my trousers and I waded through the cold water to the bridge. Unfortunately it was flooded the other side of the bridge as well but I made it to dry land.
I rumaged around my rucksack looking for the dry socks I’d so thoughtfully packed the night before only to find that they weren’t there. I must have taken them out again when I rearranged the contents this morning. I was a bit fed up at this point and was behind schedule so I decided to end the walk in Rhosneigr. I made my way to a cafe and sat with wet feet having a nice hot chocolate. I got a bus to Llangefni, then another bus to Bangor to catch my train back home.
6.41 miles