Where
is it? Menai Bridge town on the Menai Strait
How long will it take ? : Approximately 2.5 hr. Approx. 4.5
miles
What's the attraction? : Beautiful views of the Menai Suspension
Bridge, the Britannia Bridge, St Tysilio's Church Island and the Menai
Strait
Essentials : Stout footwear. As usual best to take an OS map.
But you won't get lost on this short walk.
Rating : Easy
Car Parking : Car Park in Menai Bridge town centre. The lane
to the Car Park leads off the town square at the junction of the B5420
and the A545. As of 2008 parking is 90p for 4 hours.
Facilities : Several Pubs and Cafes in Menai Bridge including
the Liverpool Arms close to the start and finish point.
Directions : [ Map
of Menai Bridge Walk location ]
Leave the A55 at junction 8, taking the A5 to the junction with the B5420 roundabout.
Continue along the B5420 to crossroads in town centre. Car Park behind the shops. |
 |
Lets Go !
Exit the Car Park and bear left and left again down Water Street. The
road bends to the right becoming Stryd y Paced with the Menai Bridge
bowling Green on the left hand side. Its worth popping into the Bowling
Green and View Point for a panoramic view of the eastern Menai Straits
looking toward Llandudno and the Great Orme. On leaving the Bowling Green
continue along Lon Cei Bont past the old harbour workshops to the waterfront.
The massive stone arches of the Menai Suspension Bridge come into view.
If you have not seen the bridge close up before then it is worth doing
this walk for this view alone. Pause a while and marvel at the engineering
work involved in building such a beautiful structure, surely one of the
"wonders of Wales". There is an information board at the water's edge
giving details of the history of the bridge and the method of construction.
The lane continues on beneath one of the giant stone arches before bearing
right up hill for a few yards. Leave the lane at this point and follow
the waymarkers into the small park at the water's edge for even better
views of the bridge. If the tide is high you get a close up view of the
strong currents rushing through the arches. We were lucky enough to see
a lone seal enjoying himself in the blue waters of the Menai Strait.
Leave the park by the gate at the north west corner and return to Lon
Cei Bont as far as the bend in the road. Bear left down the lane to the
waters edge and continue on what is known as the Belgian Promenade, named
after the Belgian Refugees who built the promenade after the first World
War.
There is a grand view of the Strait and the Britannia Bridge to the
west, and in the foreground is the church of St Tysilio on it's small
island. Follow the promenade around the bend and cross the causeway to
the island. A sign on the gate invites respectful visitors to take the
tour of the island.
Bear left below a magnificent old Yew tree and take the winding path
to the old church of St Tysilio's. Founded in the 7th Century it is a
delightful old church and still celebrates the Christian religion. The
path leads round the circumference of the island but take time to climb
the steps to the splendid granite war memorial that stands proudly atop
the centre of the island.
On leaving the island bear left after crossing the causeway following
the path along the water's edge. The path cuts between a rugby field
and some private gardens before climbing steeply up a short hill to the
A5 Holyhead Old Road. Turn left and walk along the A5 for some few hundred
yards and after passing the last of the houses look out for the waymarker.
Follow the waymarker down the path back toward the Straits. The trail
bears right cutting across the field. The field can be quite boggy. Keep
to the slightly higher ground in the middle of the field to keep your
boots dry. In early summer the field is ablaze with yellow iris or flag
iris.
From here the trail skirts the shoreline sometimes cutting through the
woodlands. There are good views looking back down the Strait to the Menai
Bridge and across the swirling waters to Fish Trap Island, Ynys Gorad
Goch, where weirs were used to trap the fish on the eddying tide. The
final part of the outward walk brings you out of the trees to the
base of the towering Britannia Bridge. One could say that the scenic
part of the walk finishes at the bridge and it's all down hill from
here. But don't take me literally as it is actually uphill from the water's
edge to the final part of the forest trail.
From the base of the bridge take the track up hill until the ground
levels out, still below the bridge structure. Take the metal gate on
your right hand side and follow the path through the woods. After a short
while the trail descends before finally climbing again. Bear left
at the set of steps that lead off from this track toward a stone wall
bounding the A5 Holyhead Road.
Climb the steps and bear right following the road back to Menai Bridge.
Take care at the busy roundabout where the A5 meets the B5420, then take
the B5420 east back into the town centre. You will arrive at the crossroads
from which the lane opposite leads to the Car Park. Refreshments are
near at hand in several cafes and pubs including the Liverpool Arms.
