30 Dec 2025
I checked the weather and the time of high tide and decided today was favourable for getting across the Afon Braint via the Rhuddgaer stepping stones. I set off down the lane towards the river, slightly nervous, but met a chap with his dog coming the other way who told me the crossing was passable. Phew! I had ended my previous walk part way across because a couple of the stones were submerged.
The 28 stepping stones are massive, each one weighing more than a ton. I crossed carefully because some of the stones had a thin layer of mud on them. After the stones I headed north east by the river. Today was the coldest day so far on my charity walk and there was some frost on the ground and any water on the ground had a thin layer of ice. I had wrapped up well and didn’t feel cold though. The path soon left the river and crossed farmland heading towards the Menai Strait. In two locations, the path crosses the courtyards of two houses giving me the feeling of trespassing. The first was a beautiful grade II listed farmhouse called Cae’r Llechau and the second was an impressive 8 bedroom Airbnb called Tan Tŵr.
After walking down a lane for about three quarters of a mile, I reached the edge of the Anglesey Riding Centre from where I got a view across the Menai Strait to Caernarfon Castle. I turned left down a farm track through trees and caught sight of a something moving in a tree. It was dark red and my hopes were raised that I could at last have caught glimpse of the elusive red squirrel. I had hoped that at some point on my journey around Anglesey I would see one but hadn’t so far. I got my binoculars out and was delighted to watch a red squirrel going about its business for a few minutes. A local man walking his dog passed me and told me that he had only seen one a handful of times in his life so I felt privileged to have seen one. That’s the first time I’ve seen a wild red squirrel outside of Scotland. The last time I saw one was in a reserve at Formby on Merseyside.
I turned right across a couple of fields then down some steps onto the pebbly beach on the Menai Strait. I then headed along the beach towards Tal y Foel pier. There was a ferry here used for hundreds of years to carry men and cattle between Anglesey and Caernarfon across the treacherous strait but it was closed in 1954. The Mermaid Pub nearby is now holiday accommodation. A road continues along the edge of the strait and passes the Anglesey Sea Zoo and Anglesey Sea Salt (Halen Môn). I popped in to Halen Môn hoping to go behind the scenes but the daily tour was ending when I arrived. The path goes for a short distance along the beach where I saw some metal detectorists and then across some fields. I heard a woodpecker drumming in the distance which surprised me a bit because I thought they only did that in the spring.
The path meets a lane near Llanidan Hall with its walled garden. This is part of the National Garden Scheme and can be visited along with the nearby medieval Church of St Nidan. After passing the hall, a track leads down to the Menai Strait and then the path goes along the beach for about half a mile. I met a lady called Anita here with her three dogs, Orla, Lily and Izzie and I stopped for a chat. She works in mental health finance and was very interested in my walk so I gave her my details. The path then follows a stream inland and winds around fields to the Moel y Don road.
After walking a long way up the road I arrived at the A4080 road. I’m beginning to feel the effects of too much food at Christmas! I crossed the main road and down a B road to a footpath leading to the Bryn Celli Ddu Chambered Cairn. A did a detour to visit the site (not included in my mileage). It’s considered to be the finest example of a passage tomb in Wales. I had to take off my rucksack in order to squeeze through into the dark chamber. Inside was a strange pillar of rock and someone had left yew and holly branches on shelves of stone within the walls. All very spooky.
I made my way back to the official path and carried on over fields to the Llwyn Onn holiday cottages and then down the track back to the A4080. I finished my walk at Aber Braint near the famous village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch
10.07 miles