Anglesey Wicklow Walks

Anglesey, North Wales, is quite often referred to as the Island of Romance and Wicklow as the Garden of Ireland.  Put these two together and you have one amazing tour.

Anglesey is rich in mystifying history, standing stones, burial chambers, hill forts and exhilirating views. The island has over 100 miles of spectacular coastline, consisting of cliffs, dunes and long sandy beaches that are a natural habitat to a wide variety wildlife, flora and fauna, all waiting to be admired and enjoyed.

Anglesey Walking Holidays have joined up with our friends at Footfalls, Ireland, who will take care of you over on the Green Isle.

Wicklow, deservingly gaining the title as the "Garden of Ireland", offers its visitors

everything from a wild and scenic mountain landscape, made up of domed heather clad mountains to deep wooded glens, meandering streams, waterfalls and tranquil lakes.

One of its finest jewels would be Glandalough, wich is situated in the centre of the county.  Glendalough is home to one of the finest Monastic Ruined Cities that you will find anywhere in Europe.  Dating back to the 6th century the settlement was the hub of learning throughout  Europe.  The settlement was originally founded by St. Kevin and it is said that he first came to Anglesey, where he built his first church on the west coast Eglwys Cwyfan, before moving to Glendalough.

Please note: our itinerary description is Wales and Wicklow.  This package can be reversed sthat you can start in Wicklow followed by Wales.

We can tailor this tour to suit your needs"

SAMPLE PACKAGE ANGLESEY/WICKLOW

DAY 1    Arrival Day
Arrive at Manchester of Liverpool Airport and take the train to Bangor (North Wales) where we will meet you and take you to your accommodation at Llys Llewelyn, Aberffraw. We can also pick up from Anglesey Airport, of if you prefer you can drive to the accommodation yourself.

Aberffraw is a small village on the south west coast of Anglesey that dates back to around 7000 BC. Near the village lies one of the finest beaches on the island, so don't forget your swim suit. .

DAY 2    Walk the Rhosyr Heritage Walk. (6.5 miles)
Rhosyr walk -  Start at Newborough village by the Pritchard Jones Hall.  (sir John Pritchard Jonees was the Chairman of the famous Dickens and Jones shop in London and the fall features in the Restoration programme with Griff Rhys Jones a few years ago). Passing St. Peters  Church and Llys Rhosyr, the remains of the Royal Court of the Welsh Princes. Follow path towards Llanddwyn Beach and Newborough Warren, one of the largest dunelands in Europe, with views across the Menai Straits and Traeth Abermenai.  (Abermenai Point once had a port which was bequeathed in the 11th century to Angharad, the Princess of Wales, by Gruffydd ap Cynan, the Irish born King of Gwynedd.  Ap Cynan was half Viking, his mother being Ragnhildr, the daughter of the Norse ruler of Dublin.) 

Follow the track to Llyn  Rhos Ddu car park with bird hide and marram grass sculpture which will lead you back to your starting point at the village of Newborough.

Morning and afternoon pick up to and from walk.
After returning to Aberffraw you have the choice of walking the Llewelyn
walk (5 miles), which begins and ends at Llys Llewelyn.

DAY 3 Choice between the Menai walk (8.5 miles) or Dwynwen (8.5 miles).
Pick up to and from walk.
Menai walk - Starts in Bynsiencyn, and parts follow the Coastal Path and the shore of the Menai Straits.  From Brynsiencyn, walk westwardly through fields down to the Straits to the shoreline at Mermaid Holiday Cottages.  Follow the road parallell to the coast passing Foel Farm and the famous Anglesey Sea Zoo and Halen Môn.  (The Anglesey Sea Zoo offers an exciting opportunity to come face to face with some of the fascinating fish and sea-life that live around the coast of Britain.  From Angel Shark to Octopus, the aquarium is packed with over 100 different species).

Your walk continues along the pebbly shore with views over to Snowdonia and Caernarfon Castle, then onto fields at Plas Trefarthen. (The area around Plas Trefathen is thought to have been the site of a battle between the Romans and the Druids in AD61. The Druids were the priestlyi and learned class in the ancient Celtic society of Western Europe, Britain and Ireland.  The  Romans saw them as ferocious freedom fighters rather than pious priests.  Anglesey was their last stronghold.)

Go onto the lane by Llanidan Church, now in private ownership, and Porthamel Hall, once the residence of Llywarch ap Bran in 1137, head of one of the Fifteen Ancient Tribes of Wales. Walk back to your starting point at Brynsiencyn.

Dwynwen walk - Drop off at official car park at edge of Newborough Forest. Walk through the forest with Malltraeth Sands to your right, cross the sadany headland of Traeth Penrhos heading towards Llanddwyn Island, Island of Lovers and named after the  Welsh patron saint of Lovers, Dwynwen.  The island is a favourite with geologists due to the pillowlava formations which can be seen there. Llanddwyn is also part of the Newborough Warren Nature Reserve. If the tide is right go onto the island to see the Celtic cross and remaining sections of the chancel wall of the monastery dissolved by Henry VIII. Visit the old lighthouse and pilots' cottages before coming off the island and returning into the forest and dunes to reach a track leading back to the official car park (starting point).

DAY 4  Choice of walking the Maelog Heritage walk (5 miles) in the
morning, .

Maelog walk - First part is a circuit of Llyn Maelog Lake with constant variety of birds (bring binoculars) including cormorants, grey herons and warblers. This area was the inspiration for world famous natuer artist Charles Tunnicliffe and a large collection of his work may be viewed at Oriel Mon in Llangefni, alongside the work of the most famour Welsh artist Sir Kyffin Williams.

The route follows the rocky coastline to Porth Tyn Tywyn, one of several award winning beaches on Anglesey. Follow the coastal footpath to the  magnificent setting of Barclodiad y Gawres, a Neolithic period burial chamber. This is a cruciform passage grave and it encloses a series of burial chambers which include stones carved with spirals, chevrons and zig zags simillar to the Newgrange tombs in Ireland.

Continue down to another beach Porth Trecastell or Cable Bay.  This cove played an important and historic role in transatlantic communications.  A telegraph cable line was established between here and Howth in Ireland in 1855.  Eleven years later, after finishing the link betweeen Ireland and Newfoundland, Queen Victoria sent the first official telegraph to the then President of the USA, James Buchanan.  90 words took 16 and a half hours to transmit!

Retrace your steps along the Coastal Footpath to Porth Nobla beach and Traeth Llydan back to Rhosneigr, with Holyhead Mountain facing you, back to your starting point.

(There is an option to lengthen this walk following the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path and finishing at St. Cwyfan's Church - the church in the sea.  Reachable only at low tide, it is dedicated to the Irish saint Caoimhgin or Kevin, who of course settled in Glendalough in Wicklow).

Afternoon transfer to Holyhead Ferry Terminal for departure to Dun
Laoghaire.

Pick up at Dun Laoghaire by our counterparts, and taken to your accommodation in the Wicklow mountains.

DAY 5: Glen Da Lough, the “Valley of The two lakes” (8. Miles)

Your walk starts and finishes at your accommodation, taking in some of the most spectacular scenery in Wicklow and a visit to an old Monastic Settlement that dates back to the 5th century. 

DAY 6: Trooperstown Hill and the village of Annamoe (9. Miles)

This walk takes you along some quiet country roads and laneways to the summit of Trooperstown. From the top on a clear day it is possible to see almost every mountain in the Wicklow Range and across the sea to the Welsh Mountains. 

DAY 7: Pick up from accommodation and taken to Dun Laoghaire port for
ferry crossing back to Anglesey.  Transfer from Holyhead terminal to
car/station/ airport for departure.

PRICE £550(Sterling) PER PERSON-BASED ON TWO PEOPLE SHARING.

THIS IS  A SAMPLE PACKAGE AND CAN BE CHANGED TO SUIT THE CUSTOMER’S PERSONAL NEEDS.

                           info@angleseywalkingholidays.com

Ynys Llanddwyn, Môn           Glendalough, Wicklow

3 Penrallt, Menai Bridge, Anglesey.  LL59 5LP