July 4, 2014: Rhosneigr to Aberffraw

Adrian and Naomi leaving Rhosneigr on a very stormy morning.

The rain, which we had endured on our walk home from the restaurant last night, was still falling steadily as we sat down to breakfast in the dining room of Driftwood b&b. Rachel, sensing our consternation over this development, suggested a much briefer outing in these conditions… instead of walking all the way from Four-Mile Bridge to Aberffraw (with lunch at the mid-point) in Rhosneigr itself) we should consider walking merely from Rhosneigr to Aberffraw. The missing portion of the route (dominated by the air base) was not that interesting but the coastal section to Aberffraw was full of charming sections – and she should know since she frequently jogged between the two towns. I had long ago abandoned any hope of completing all sections of this route anyway and Adrian had no such compulsion so we decided to wait until 11:00 or so and begin our walk then.

Of course it was still raining steadily as we began the day’s march, pausing at a convenience store in town center for some food supplies, which we would now need. Winds were very strong and the nearby beach was populated by wind and kite surfers looking for a little action. It was not pleasant walking, as we took to the nearby Traeth Llydan sands and I could see that my goal of at least ten photos on such an inhospitable day would be hard to achieve – even though I now possessed a waterproof camera. I did take a picture of the windblown surf on our right as we crept forward against the rain.

After an hour or so the route called for us to use a narrow path up to a car park on the main Rhosneigr-Aberffraw road and here I paused for a clandestine pee. This is not an easy process in bad weather for the rain pants have to be rolled down to the knees before anything resembling a fly can be reached – but today there was an additional problem….just before a potentially embarrassing incident I realized that a troop of schoolgirls, hefting surfboards down this path, was about to overtake me. They and some male schoolmates, all in wetsuits, looked cold and unhappy as they struggled through the sand.

View from the burial chamber, Barclodiad y Gawres.

We had to continue forward on the road briefly before taking a path around a headland – where I found a little more privacy. Dominating the site was the remains of a prehistoric barrow, Barclodiad y Gawres, and we climbed the hill in order to shelter in the arms of this monument. Naomi and Adrian had a snack here and I took on a little liquid. I was having a very uncomfortable day and I was very much concerned about the possibility of slipping and falling on all the wet surfaces. We had trouble finding a continuation of the route as we turned left from our refuge but I turned us around and we headed right around the barrow and soon found a path out to a second parking lot on the highway. Here I announced that I was abandoning the coast path in favor of a direct assault (using tarmac) on Aberffraw.

Naomi and Adrian seemed quite content to carry on without me and I certainly had complete confidence in their ability to do so. So, at 1:00, we parted – they could catch up with me at the Crown pub in Aberffraw – a village which I knew to be some two miles to the east. Road walking is never completely relaxing, especially in the rain, but I much preferred the even surfaces now provided and, keeping to the right-hand side, I pushed off with my walking stick and made a purposeful job of it. In many ways this was a supreme athletic achievement for me. (And when was the last time I had walked alone?)

I had my OS map to refer to, though there weren’t many ambiguities, and landmarks were so remote out here that most of the sizeable houses I would pass were marked on the map: Gate House, Merddyn-y-bit, Clafdy, Clwt-y-bont. There wasn’t too much traffic and I must say that the Welsh drivers treated me with kindness, giving me a wide birth as they headed my way. I wasn’t splashed once, though there was a great deal of surface water to wade through, particularly as it ran off the hills I had to climb. Distant views were hard to come by and I paused only once ­– to take a picture of some curious cows. Relentlessly I pressed ahead, Aberffraw growing ever closer, and just after 2:00, I reached the town itself, turned right, and began to look for the designated pub. I had walked a total of five miles today.

After two miles of rain-lashed road walking I reach the comforts of Aberffraw’s pub, Y Goron (The Crown).

All I could see was a hostelry called Y Goron ­­– but, with the help of the pub sign, I could see that this translated as The Crown. I had made it. I pushed open the sliding door and turned right into the snug. I looked like a drowned rat but no one seemed greatly bothered as I ordered my pint and a hot chili con carne with fries. For a while I sat on a wooden chair, which stood a better chance of withstanding the puddle of water I had soon deposited on its seat, but, as I dried off, I moved to a more comfortable upholstered version and here I had a most welcome hot meal. In all, I was well-satisfied with my gear: my new Timberland boots had kept my socks dry and my new Berghaus rain jacket had performed this service for my t-shirt.

As I sat near the front window I had a chance to overhear all the local chatter, as five or six regulars, including one woman, crowded the bar with news of their latest gambling triumphs (horses and football) and discussed what they could get on eBay for every loose object in their households. No one bothered me and I was well content to sit and wait.

I turned on my telephone and almost immediately I received a text from Rachel; she and partner Wendy were home from a shopping expedition and she could pick us up whenever we needed our ride back to Rhosneigr. In the next minute the my in-laws arrived; they too were dripping but they had time to take some refreshment while I called Rachel on the phone. It had just gone 3:30. Naomi and Adrian agreed that it was just as well that I had used the road; at one point they had been required to crawl over some coastal rocks on their hands and knees.

Rachel soon arrived and we sped back to our b&b. I took a hot shower, had a nap, and reported at 6:45 for another rainy walk into town – this time to a restaurant called Sullivan’s. I had to warn the waitress not to slip on the puddle we had just created but we had another nice meal (I had a steak this time) before heading for home and an early night. It had almost stopped raining.

To continue with this journey you need:

Day 4: Aberffraw to Lynn-Rhos-Ddu