Walk Summary
A very short walk (courtesy of Storm Noa) from Newborough Forest to Malltraeth across the Malltraeth Cob. The driving rain was so hard that I couldn't even focus on the information board about the Cob. I'm sure there are good views when the weather is good.
Date: 12/04/2023
Length: 2 miles
Height Gain: 10 m
Terrain: Tarmac path across Malltraeth Cob
Navigation: Simple
Start: Maes Parcio Malltraeth (Newborough Forest)
Route: Maes Parcio Malltraeth (Newborough Forest), Malltraeth
Map: OS26 Anglesey East
Weather: Torrential rain (Storm Noa)
Walkers: Nun
Captain's Log
Rainy Start
I was back at Newborough Forest today. Yesterday I'd walked the Anglesey/Wales Coast Path southwards (see Magical Llanddwyn Island). Today, I'd be walking the coast path northwards. The day started sunny, but got more grey as I drove south from base at Holyhead to Newborough. A light rain started as I put on my boots. It soon gained strength and so I ended up putting all my wet weather gear on. I was in two minds as to whether to set off or to stay in the car until it eased. It didn't look like it would stop though and so I set off. Five minutes later, I was back at the car since I'd forgotten to take my map. This walk wasn't going well. I set off again.
Malltraeth Sands (Or Marshes)
Inland Lakes
Rainy Finish
The first part of the walk crossed a mile long embankment (the Cob) at the head of Malltraeth Sands. The tide was in and the water was almost lapping the embankment. There was a very strong wind blowing down the bay. Every time I tried to look out into the bay I was hit by a horizontal torrent of rain. From what I could make out the skies looked dark and menacing out at sea. Some horses were in a field on the landward side of the Cob and they were trying to stand in the meagre shelter of some gorse bushes. I reached the end of the Cob at the village of Malltraeth. A large information board gave detailed information about the Cob and how it was built. It was too wet to read it though. Later research revealed that the Cob was built in the early 1800s to drain and protect the Cefni Saltmarsh. Shortly after its creation it was breached by a bad storm (no surprise there) and a high tide. It was rebuilt in 1812.
I don't turn around on many walks, but this was going to be one of them. I started making my way back over the Cob to the carpark. Even with my best waterproofs on the water penetrated to my base layers. I'd later learn that the Met Office had named this inclement weather as Storm Noa. It will quite probably be the shortest walks on Nun's Walks...and probably the wettest too. It did knock 2 miles off my Anglesey Coast Path Venture.