2025 Tuesday, Sept. 16

Anglesey

The weather report indicated we could avoid rain by leaving the mountains and heading to the sea. No problem — we had several places to see on Anglesey, an island off Wales near the English coast.

6.81 miles, mostly sunny on Anglesey, 53 degrees, 76% humidity.

Richard’s ReLive video is here: https://www.relive.com/view/vmqXJePN7oO

Our first stop was the traditional tourist stop — the Welsh town with the longest name. It’s worth a selfie, anyway!

Next we stopped at a nearby church to view the grave of a Welsh prince inside the church.

Sadly, the church was locked, so . . .

. . . Richard and Simon did their best to view the stone through the window.

The cemetery has a mix of new and ancient gravestones, some very ornate.

This stained glass window is on the north side of the church. Since this church was important to the Welsh prince, we might wonder if the faces on either side of the window might be representations of the prince and princess.

Gargoyles on the north side decorate the gutters. This dragon (see his pointed tail?) stands ready to channel water through his mouth.

This imp looks like he’s standing guard, ready to pounce if necessary.

The Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest is along the southwest coast of Anglesey, an area in northwest Wales. We are headed across the sand dunes to the small tidal island of Ynys Llanddwyn.

The Menai Strait separates us from mainland Wales. From this vantage point, we can see Snowdonia National Park.

Ynys Llanddwyn is a tidal island, attached to the Isle of Anglesey except at high tide.

The ruins of St. Dwynwen’s Church gave their name to the island, as the name Llanddwyn means “the church of St. Dwynwen.”

St. Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, celebrated in Wales on January 25. She is said to have resided in Anglesey in the 5th century.

In one legend, a young man named Marlon Dafodrill falls in love with Dwynwen but she rejects him. In another legend, she cannot marry him because her father has promised her to another. She prays to fall out of love, and an angel appears with a potion that turns Maelon to ice. God then grants her three wishes: that Maelon be released from his icy fate, that God watch over all true lovers, and that she remain unmarried.

In thanks, Dwynwen retreats in solitude becoming a hermit until her death around 460 AD.

There are two lighthouses on the island. This one is Twr Bach, built between 1800 and 1818. A solar-powered light was installed in 1975 and displays a red or white light to indicate safe and dangerous passage. The rocky shore is pillow lava, formed underwater.

Twr Mawr lighthouse, that marks the western entrance to the Menai Strait. It opened in 1845 and is 11 meters tall. It was lit using a Fresnel lens from 1861 until 1975.

Back in Llanberis, we hiked to Dolbadarn Castle.

This castle was built in the early 13th century by Llewelyn ab lorwerth. It is a fine example of a Welsh round tower. 

In 1282 at the end of the second Welsh War of Independence, Dolbadarn  was partially dismantled. Edward I took the timber beams for use in Caernarfon Castle.

When Llewelyn an lorwerth died in 1240, there was a struggle for succession. His grandson defeated his brothers in battle in 1255 and became Prince of Gwynedd. Llewelyn imprisoned his eldest brother, Owain Goch, at the castle where he was held captive for 22 years.

A large slate quarry is behind Simon.

It’s been a busy day so we enjoyed dinner at a Llanberis restaurant. Simon and Richard had meat pies, and Jan had salmon.

Stanley lives next door and keeps an eye on the comings and goings.

8 Responses

    1. I also loved these gutter decorations and probably would have missed them if the church had been open. Sometimes the surprises are the best!

      I have no idea how to pronounce the longest name, but I don’t even know how to pronounce most Welsh words. There are so many double L’s and double F’s and a surprising absence of traditional vowels. What words do we know that use “W” as a vowel?

  2. Loved your picture of the lighthouse! Gorgeous! One of my favorite experiences in traveling is interacting with the dogs we meet up with along the way. In Europe they are much more free-roamers and friendly. Liked your next door neighbor! Dan

    1. We’ve seen a lot of dogs and some in prams. Nearly all are decked out with rain gear—one owner said it keeps the dirt off them. Now we’re seeing specialty store featuring items for your dog, and even eating establishments with dog specialty (kind of like you might have a children’s menu).

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