Muddy Fields

To be honest, the next mile was a bit of a nightmare. It consisted mainly of crossing many boggy fields and lanes. The overnight frost had not not been cold enough to freeze the water in the fields and sometimes mud threatened to overflow into my boots. My trousers soon got muddy to the knees. The stretch along the tarmac country lane couldn't come soon enough. When I finally got to the country lane I gave a sigh of relief and I started walking along it. Unfortunately, the frost which hadn't been cold enough to freeze the water in the fields, had been more than cold enough to coat the tarmac with black ice, and I was soon wishing to get back to muddy fields again.  

The sun was up now and I got a superb view of the Snowdonia mountains. Some of the peaks were still in cloud, but those that I could see were coated white. The Anglesey Coastal Path had actually strayed away from the coast at this point. At Cae Mawr I started making a bee line for the coast. In one of the fields I came across a sheep with her head stuck in a wire fence. I've freed sheep before and its a tricky business. There was so much mud around this one that I decided to leave it for the farmer.  

Menai Strait

The path dumped me on to the shore line at a point that used to be used for an old ferry crossing. There was no evidence of it now since the tide looked to be well in. The OS map and direction post indicated that I should make my way along the stony shore line. There was no sign saying you shouldn't attempt it at high tide and so I presumed it was okay. I noticed that the cliffs were pretty much unassailable and that the seaweed was right up to their base. It was only a 10 minute walk along the shore until I got to a road, but it did make me think about my return journey. Looking at the OS map, I could see an alternative path that ran parallel to the shore and that reassured me somewhat.  

The next couple of miles were superb with marvellous views across the Menai Strait to Caernarfon and Snowdonia. I could see the huge outline of the castle at Caernarfon. The OS map shows sandbanks on the Anglesey side of the strait, but these were covered up by the incoming tide. I disturbed a Heron on the shore and it took off and headed off westwards. I'd seen lots of birdlife so far and it was unfortunate that I'd not brought my long lens.  

I walked past the entrance to a Sea Zoo and a 'world famous' salt making establishment. Both were open to the public, although I couldn't see any queuing cars to get in. The places were a bit off the beaten path and I guessed that they'd see most visitors during the summer months. The path went inland and across some more fields, although these weren't like the bogzones I'd waded through earlier this morning.  

Brysiencyn

At Liandan the path hit another tarmac road. Officially, this was my turnaround point on this stretch of the walk. As a bonus, I decided to walk up the country lane to the small village of Brysiencyn. The OS map showed it as having a carpark and I wanted to check it out as a potential parking spot when I continued the Anglesey Coastal Path at a later date. It was only a 10 minute diversion and so I thought it wouldn't be much hassle. There was indeed a small carpark in the village (room for maybe a dozen or so cars). An unexpected bonus was a delightful café next to it and I took the opportunity to refuel with a coffee and some fruit cake. There were plenty of other people in the establishment and the 3 staff seemed surprisingly busy. The quality of cake and coffee convinced me to use Brysiencyn as the starting point for my continuation of the coastal path along the Menai Strait. It is an extra bit of road walking off the trail, but who cares.   and the great man scanning the western Menai Strait for French frigates. 

Return 

The signage on today's walk had been excellent. Due to the fields and the intricacies of the route, there had been great potential for going astray, but the brilliant signage kept me on track the whole time. I could easily have done the walk without a map, although I always take one anyway to get a feel of the 'big picture' of a route.  

I had my lunch sat on a bench near the entrance to the Sea Zoo. There was a big information board nearby that gave some details about the Menai Strait. The information display had once had an electronic feature where it looks as though you could flick a switch and hear the different calls of the local birds. A pool of water had formed on the top of the mechanism and my guess (which turned out to be correct) was that it was out of action. 

The tide had actually come in some more along the stony shore, but there was still enough room for me to make my way to the exit point to the fields. The sheep was still stuck in the fence. I was tempted to try and release it but there was so much mud that I'd get coated in the stuff if I tried. Sorry sheep. I'm sure the farmer would come along to check his flock at some stage.  

The field bogzones were even worse when I returned. It appeared that the morning frost had frozen some of the ground this morning and had actually made my progress easier. It had all melted now and there seemed to be even more water around. This would have been a path that I would have definitely avoided if I hadn't been doing the Anglesey Coastal Path Venture. Ase expected, the giant stepping stones didn't provide any issues on the re-crossing. They were drier and the frost had melted.  

There were only 3 other cars at the carpark. I suppose it was midweek. Apart from the boggy field hopping, I'd really enjoyed today's walk. The stretch along the Menai Strait had offered memorable views of the Welsh mainland. I'm looking forward to returning to the area at some point to continue the journey along the Strait...oh, and have some more of that coffee and fruit cake too.