Traeth Llanddwyn Beach and Ynys Llanddwyn island
On the south coast of the Island of Anglesey in Wales there is a beach which looks out to the mountains of Snowdonia across the bay. This place is a beach-lovers paradise, with a shallow water bay, perfect for safe swimming, and a long sandy beach backed by Newborough woods.
Newborough woods is a nature reserve and sanctuary for the rare native red squirrel. This cute little rodent is a smaller cousin of the grey, but unfortunately they have become endangered in the UK because of the invasive grey squirrels competing for territory and food.
The Early Bird Catches the Worm
We set off driving from Liverpool (two and a half hours from Anglesey) at six am in the morning as I had researched Newborough Beach and read about a walk to 'the island of the blessed' on a peninsular near the beach that becomes cut off at high tide.
I hoped for a deserted beach in the bright morning sun...
When we arrived, I realized that many local people visit here for sunrise walks, as there was already a bustle of people in the nearby carpark. But as we walked along the beach to the west, and the island/peninsular, passing people grew less, and we experienced that feeling of quiet that I had remembered from previous early morning walks.
As we drew near to 'the island of the blessed' I noticed some interesting rock formations with verdant green seaweed growing in the nooks and crannies of the stone.
I later learned that the area has an interesting geological past.
These pillow-shaped rocks were formed by lava bubbling out of the seabed in Anglesey's tectonically active past. They are some of the oldest rocks on the island.
The Wild Isle of the Blessed
As we walked up the path to the island I saw a sign informing visitors to take special care where they walked as the island is habitat to the 'ringed plover'.
This small bird builds its nests among the rocks, and even on the beaches, surrounding the island.
So if you visit watch where you step as these lovely little birds have eggs that look like small stones, an act of camouflage which would keep them safe in a world without humans.
The island has a lovely wild feel to it, and a tranquility that infuses the grasslands. Ringed Plovers flit from heather and gorse, in an eternal dance of nature hunting small insects on the wing.
This pastoral beauty was enhanced by the quiet murmur of the breeze born from the mountain slopes of Eryri National Park (Snowdonia) across the bay.
As we turned a corner I was greeted with another scene from another time and place. A herd of wild ponies were brought to the island in the 1950's to help graze the grasses and maintain the fragile dune environment when myxomatosis deiminated the rabbit population.
St Dwynwen, Patron Saint of Love
These gentle giants seemed oblivious to us and grazed in front of the ruins of the 16th century chapel that was built in honor of St Dwynwen, the welsh patron saint of love.
Llanddwyn Island is named after St Dwynwen, who retreated to the island in the early 5th century after an unhappy love affair. She had fallen in love with a youth named Maelon but her father, King Brychan, wanted her to marry someone else. According to legend, an angel visited her and gave her a potion that healed her loss and turned Maelon into ice.
Dwynwen was granted three wishes: firstly, that Maelon would be thawed; secondly, that true lovers would have their dreams fulfilled; finally, she would never marry. She then devoted her life to God and lived on the island until her death in AD465.
Source: nationalchurchestrust.org
This chapel was built on the site of St Dwynwen's original 5th century church and location of a holy well, where it was said the saint could devine the faithfulness of a lover through the movement of the eels that lived in the well.
The legend of St Dwynwen made 'the island of the blessed' an important site of pilgrimage in the 16th century when pilgrims would leave offerings, making this one of the richest religious sites in Tudor times.
Who knows, perhaps this island held religious significance stretching further back into the ancient past as pagan/druidic sacred places included two particular landscapes; that of oak glades and sacred wells.
The Romans and early Christian church are well documented as appropriating sacred sites of pagan worship, and Anglesey is known to be a bastion of the druidic order before their massacre by the Romans in the 1st Century AD.
Anglesey has one of the largest concentrations of ancient ruins and burial sites in the northern hemisphere with 89 prehistoric scheduled sites.
Ynys Llanddwyn a Landscape of Natural Symmetry
The island of the blessed is truly a gem of a walk; with history, nature and a photogenic landscape, it has everything.
It is also a short walk (of only 4 miles round trip) and provides many opportunities for spotting wildlife. The coast around the island is frequented by grey seals, and a variety of birdlife can be spotted from the cliffs.
I found that there was a wonderful symmetry to the landscape that inspired a sense of balance and clarity of mind.
On the approach to the lighthouse the sun illuminated the grassland creating a warm contrast between land and sky. The various sacred crosses and buildings seem to come together in a perfect aesthetic.
As we wandered around this sunny paradise, I reflected upon my connection with nature.
I always find peace in these types of places, the connection with history and nature seems to feed my soul so much more than the hectic interaction of the human-made city environment.
This leads me to wonder if I'd be better off living as a hermit in some wild place like Ynys Llanddwyn island. I guess this is a common theme for many people dissatisfied with modern life but in the absence of my own private island, these types of walks in nature bring me back to myself.
As we headed back to the beach, leaving the rolling hills of the original love island behind, a curious wild pony followed us while grazing languidly at the verges of the path.
I was kicked by a horse when I was a teenager, so am a little wary of the power of these majestic animals. But I didn't feel any fear of these wild creatures, they seemed to fit into the environment so perfectly that my fear dissipated in the breeze with the fading scent of wildflowers.
Beach Life - Watch Out for the Wasps
We spent the rest of the day on the beach, sunbathing and relaxing with the crowd.
The beach is very popular, so don't expect the tranquility of the island here. Having said that, it was only crowded close to the entrance to the carpark and we only walked about 4 mins down the beach to find a spot with plenty of space around us.
Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of bees and wasps patrolling the beach for a free meal. However, don't let this put you off as they only really bothered us when we got out food... at which point we had to do a little dance around our deckchairs while scoffing down our sandwiches at double speed.
After lunch, I spent most of my time in the sea as Newborough beach has a sand bar about 100 meters out that creates a shallow bathing pool. Even beyond the sand bar the seabed slopes very gently away and there is no current.
I finished the day up by doing a bit of zen stone balancing before the long drive home.
Thanks for reading.
