Distance: 8.7 miles

Max Altitude: 120 m

Min Altitude: 2 m

Height Gain: 243 m

Height Loss: 263 m

Today’s start point was the bus stop where I’d finished yesterday, near Penmon. Quite a fitting location considering I was dropped off having had yet another night’s fantastic sleep in a bed (a bed!). 

It couldn’t have been a more perfect day’s weather for walking, for me anyway. The sky was blue and the sun was beating down. There was a sharp wind to provide coolness. Conditions were ideal and I almost revelled in it as I got underway and aimed for the water’s edge. 

I looked across to the mainland. I scanned from left to right, from Y Gogarth (Great Orme) across to the cliffs at Penmaenmawr. I could hardly believe that just a few days earlier I had walked across there. 

The next landmark was Penmon Priory. St Seiriol (almost me, but not quite) founded a monastery here in the 6th century, which was later reorganised in the 13th century. 

I took a look inside the church too. 

https://instagram.com/p/BH12rAzh-rC/

Nearby was a dovecote built by the rich Bulkeley family of Biwmares in the 1600, who converted the Priory into a home after the Dissolution. 

It has around 930 nesting holes. 

If there’s one thing I enjoy, it’s a good lighthouse. And I knew there was a beaut coming up at Trwyn Ddu (which means ‘black nose’). And it really didn’t disappoint. I mean, look at it –

I spent a good hour here just marvelling at the view and declaring it to be total perfection across social media. That’s Ynys Seiriol on the right side of the photo, also known as Puffin Island. St Seiriol established a hermitage there after he abandoned the priory up the road. The brown rat was accidentally introduced to the island at one point, which led to the puffin population being decimated. But a rat poisoning programme has seen puffin numbers increase again. 

Much as I didn’t want to move on, I had to. The Wales Coast Path was routed inland. I kept looking back at the view every few metres until I almost couldn’t see it at all. 

I walked through fields and up roads. Occasionally I could see the sea to my right. This continued for several miles. I didn’t see a soul. But I did see this sheep with rather a desperate itch –

https://instagram.com/p/BH2868Eh6YO/

I eventually reached a vantage point much further on where I could look back and see Ynys Seiriol with Y Gogarth tucked in behind it. 

Looking ahead gave me my first view of Traeth Coch (Red Wharf Bay) in the distance. This is where I was headed.

And Traeth Coch was to be my stopping point for the day. On I went following the waymarks, which had all been present and correct throughout the day. I even thought to myself how lucky I’d been not to have been lost considering the path had gone inland. And so it was Sod’s Law that almost at that very point the waymarks went missing, which led me to have to guess the way. Of course, I guessed wrongly and wandered into a field of sheep, only to have to wander back again. I tried another direction and was faced with an electric fence. The third option was blocked by a hedgerow made up of entirely stinging and scratching foliage, nettles, brambles and thistles. Brilliant. But I could see a waymark post beyond it. So I had little choice but to climb over the hedge, getting stung and all sorts in the process. Oh to have a machete for these occasions. Or maybe just a flame thrower.

From there it was a straight shot to the beach, which looked idyllic in the evening sun. My feet were in bits once more but the view. Oh that view….