Llanddwyn Island/ Ynys Llanddwyn

Hello again people and pooches. It’s Joe the Cocker here after a visit to Anglesey or Ynys Môn. We drove there from our holiday cottage in Talsarnau to Newborough Forest. The reason for our visit was to go to the island of Ynys Llanddwyn, which is the small tidal island off the coast. The island is associated with Dwynwen, the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine, patron saints of lovers. Dwynwen lived in the 5th century and met a man called Maelon, whom she fell in love with. She is purported to have either chosen to remain chaste and rebuff his advances or, an alternative story claims that her father had chosen another suitor for her and refused her permission to marry him. She ran away, and during one night, an angel came to her and offered a potion to help her to forget about Maelon. This turned him into ice! God then granted her three withes. She wished for Maelon to be released from his icy state and secondly, for God to protect true lovers for evermore. Her third wish was that she never fall in love again. These wishes were granted, and she became a nun and established a church on Llandwyn, which means the Church of Dwynwen.

I was impatient to go on our trip because my human had told me that we were going to the seaside again. So, hopefully, I would get the opportunity to have a dip and maybe some zoomies on the beach.

We parked in the Llanddwyn Beach car park at Newborough Forest. On leaving the sandy car park, we passed through a short section of the forest to be greeted by a vast vista consisting of an unrivalled view of Eryri, Snowdonia across the Irish Sea. The mile long route to Ynys Llanddwyn can be seen to the right along the wide beach. On the day of our visit, there was only a handful of visitors heading in the same direction as us.

The island is only cut off from the mainland at high tide for a short period, which makes it easily accessible if you are capable of the beach walk.

My human was keeping a close eye on the weather as some of the clouds over the mainland looked menacing.

I had a ball as we headed towards the island. We walked close to the waters edge so that I could have the dip that I was promised.

It took about twenty minutes for us to walk along the shoreline. Suddenly, we were on our own. The handful of visitors that we had seen earlier had all disappeared.

The approach to the island was in soft pale sand with volcanic lava rocks protruding. Time for us to explore, each in our own ways. My human doesn’t sniff around as much as me. He is missing out on so much!

As usual, I was forced against my will to pose for photographs.

I was busy enjoying myself, climbing on the rocks, as I heard ‘Joe, photo time!’ So annoying!

We both loved the place as we reached the area where the tide covered the sand at high tide, until the big feller had to spoil it by starting his irritating singing. Echo Beach by Martha and the Muffins was todays earwax remover. OK, we were on a beach, but why oh why must I have to listen to his Britains Got No Talent audition?

I think that you can tell from my pained expression what agony I was going through!

So, eventually, we reached the island after a mooch around the famous pillow lavas. The rock formations were formed by lava being squeezed like toothpaste from the seabed.

A few hand crafted stone steps took us to the higher level of the island. This was when the landscape and the views really had an impact on my human, he said.

The island has many secluded beaches surrounded by rugged rocks with 360-degree views. The wind had whipped up the surf as it crashed against the rocks and lapped the sandy coves.

My human said that he apologises for taking so many photographs of this tiny island, but he thinks that it is one of the most beautiful parts of Wales that he has seen.

There seemed to be another stunning view every few yards.

The wind was coming in off the Irish Sea, and even the seabirds were struggling against it.

We could see Newborough Beach and the forest from our elevated viewpoint.

We continued along the west coast of the island, stopping every few yards for David Bailey to do his stuff!

The narrow path undulated as we hugged the coastline.

My human was showing me all the beaches, but I wasn’t being allowed to have a run on one.

And so, I had to amuse myself with a beaut of a stick!

Finally, he took me down the rocks to a beach. Not another person or pooch to share it with.

After a short photoshoot featuring yours truly, it was zoomie time!

We continued along the beach as the shoreline became dominated by rocks.

The waves were crashing against the rocks, which meant that my short moment of freedom from my lead was over.

The rocks were coated with cockles, which my human told me not to eat. As if!

I still managed to climb over some of the rocks while my human clambered over them.

The rocks formed a barrier between the sea and the sand with gaps where the waves crashed through.

With the beach walk over, we rejoined the footpath to investigate the rest of the island.

OK, it was a kissing gate, but I found a way through at the side. My human wasn’t amused because my lead got tangled up. I was amused, however, as I watched him struggling to untangle me. He is an oaf at times.

As we neared the southwestern tip of the island, the coastline became more rugged. The wind had picked up, and the air was filled with the sound of crashing waves and screeching seabirds.

We found a rock for my human to park his butt on while he had a coffee, and I munched on a few biscuits.

Just off the coast is the tiny islet of Ynys yr Adar or Bird Rock, which is inhabited in the spring by 1 per cent of the UK cormorant breeding population.

Up to this point, our island visit had been concentrated around the coast, but there is more to Llanddwyn than beautiful coastal views. We could see St. Dwynwen’s Cross along the path ahead.

On the highest point of the island stands St. Dwynwen’s Cross. It was erected in 1897 and is dedicated to the saint.

Further along the path, at the tip of the island is Twr Mawr, the lighthouse at the entrance to the Menai Straits. It was constructed in 1844 in the style of Anglesey windmills.

I couldn’t resist another climb on the rocks while the big feller took more snaps.

Twr Mawr became an active lighthouse in 1846 and continued to guide shipping until its closure in 1975.

The former lighthouse no longer contains a beacon, and a small rounded roof replaces the light.

A vast panorama of Eryri and the Llyn Peninsula, along with the epic Irish Sea, can be seen from the walkway that surrounds the building. Well, I couldn’t see it because the surrounding wall is about four feet tall!

As we looked towards the southeastern tip of the island, we could see a smaller lighthouse. Twr Bach preceeds Twr Mawr and was originally a beacon or unlit lighthouse. Unfortunately, it was built in the wrong place and could not be seen by approaching vessels in the Irish Sea. Hence, the bigger lighthouse was constructed to replace it. Nowadays, Twr Bach is fitted with sophisticated navigational aids whereas Twr Mawr is redundant.

After a swift mooch around the beach, we were off to look at more of the islands history.

Closeby is the former lifeboat station that was built in 1840.

The lifeboat station was manned by pilots who were housed in a row of nearby cottages. Volunteers from Newborough would help on the larger rescues.

Two of the cottages were, until recently, used as a historical display depicting the pilots lifestyle.

The view from the cottages is beautiful across the Menai Straits and over to Eryri.

The view from the front door of one of the cottages on a beautiful day would be a far cry from a pilots mind during a ferocious gale with ships in difficulty.

The cannon still stands outside of the cottages that was used to sound the alarm of an impending lifeboat launching.

The wind had dropped considerably, leaving an idillic and picturesque vista.

We turned away from the rip of the island, and we were soon presented with a view of the ruins of the 16th century St. Dwynwens’s Chapel. The funding for the chapel, which replaced an earlier chapel, came from pilgrim visits in Tudor Times.

The ruins fascinated my human with its windows framing some lovely views of the island. It gave me some time to mooch and sniff. I could smell horses. I was startled by the sound of two fighter jets that zoomed over our heads. Humans!!!

My human took a few snaps. Then, a few more. Followed by a few more. I told him not to put too many in my blog.

I did tell him to take one of me looking away into the distance, though.

One last photo, dad!

A few yards from the ruins stands a Celtic Cross. This cross was erected in the early 20th century by FG Wynn, the same landowner who erected the larger plain cross on the island. An inscription says,’They lie around did living tread, this sacred ground now silent – dead’ in both English and Welsh.

As we headed back along the eastern side of the island, we were gifted with more spectacular views of a calmer sea and sandy beaches.

We passed a few wild horses that live on the island. My human kept me well away from them in case I frightened them. He must be joking. They are ten times the size of me, and I was outnumbered. Anyway, I’m good around critters except squirrels, of course. Oh, and cats and birds!

We passed through a lovely hand carved gate on our way back that looked even more weather beaten than my human.

There are a few wells on the island, but Merddyn Cil is the most likely site of the well visited by Medieval pilgrims. Thousands of pilgrims would have washed their hands and feet and had their heads annointed here. We found it as we were about to leave the island marked by a small plaque.

More beaches and views grabbed my humans attention as we walked back to the flight of stone steps to leave the island.

We had spent a few hours on this tiny spit of land, and both of us had enjoyed every minute.

Even I had to stop for one last look across the water to the mountains in the distance.

OK dad. One last photo!

Ynys Llanddwyn is the most magical place with some of the most fantastic views and amazing coastline. Go there if you can, Till next time!