A lifetime of Islands: June 2014

Wednesday 25 June 2014

Island 228 - Ynys Groes, Rhosneigr, Anglesey, Wales

Ynys Groes (Cross Island) is an unremarkable small tidal island about 300 metres from the village of Rhosneigr. It is actually 2 separate islands grouped together but separated at high tide. They are accessible at low tide across the sand. The last 50 metres or so is across some rocks, muddy sand and slippery seaweed. The islands, which rise to a height of about 4 metres are covered in grass and thrift, which was still in flower when I visited in early June 2014. There were also a few dandelions.

Ynys Groes

- definitely enough grass to graze a sheep but there was no sign of any sheep having taken advantage of it in recent years!

Rhosneigr from Ynys Groes

Island 227 - Sach Harri, Rhosneigr, Anglesey, Wales

I originally thought this island was part of neighbouring Ynys Groes but on the OS OpenData large scale map it is named separately. It is located 300 metres to the south west of the village of Rhosneigr and can easily be accessed across sand, some firm mud and a few seaweed covered rocks. The island has no distinguishing features. It rises to a height of about 3 metres and is mainly bare rock with patches of grass and thrift.

Sach Harri looking towards Ynys Groes

Sach Harri looking towards Rhosneigr

Island 226 - Braich Parlwr, Rhosneigr, Anglesey, Wales

Braich Parlwr is an unremarkable small tidal island located 100 metres from the village of Rhosneigr on the west coast of Anglesey. However I don't think it gets cut off very often from the mainland, possibly just at high spring tides or in storm conditions. Other people have described it as a peninsula rather than an island but having studied the seaweed deposits that cover the shingle spit that joins it to the mainland I have decided it is an island. Braich Parlwr is about 150 metres by 50 metres and is low lying and covered in grass and thrift.

Braich Parlwr

Rhosneigr from Braich Parlwr

Island 225 - Creigiau'r Odyn, Rhosneigr, Anglesey, Wales

Creigiau'r Odyn is a very small tidal island located about 150 across a sandy beach from the village of Rhosneigr on the west coast of Anglesey. It is mainly lichen covered rocks with patches of thrift and grass. The only distinguishing feature is a white bollard on the south east side. I presume this is some kind of navigation aid to mark the channel between the island and the rocks of Braich yr Orsedd.

White bollard on Creigiau'r Odyn

Rhosneigr from Creiggiau'r Odyn

Island 224 - Cribinau/St Cwfan's Church, Anglesey, Wales

St Cwfan's Church is located on a very small tidal island called Cribinau on the Ordnance Survey maps but apparently the locals all call it St Cwfan's. The original church was probably built in the 7th century. A stone church was built in the 12th century and this was re-built in the 14th century, although some Norman masonry remains in the south wall. The arched braced roof is partly 16th century. The church is also known as eglwys bach y mor = the Church in the Sea.

The island can be accessed at low tide across the sand/rocks from between Porth Cwfan and Porth China on the western side of Anglesey near Aberffraw. The church was probably originally located on a peninsula but centuries of erosion gradually separated it from the mainland thus creating an island. John Speed's map of 1636 shows it as a peninsula. Erosion around the island continued and the wall around the churchyard was built in the late 19th century to prevent the graves from falling into the sea. The church had become derelict by this time and was restored in 1893-4.

St Cwfan was probably a monk and disciple of St Beuno, with whom he came to North Wales in the 7th century. St Cwfan is thought to have been Irish and may be the same person as St Kevin of Glendalough in County Wicklow, Ireland.

I don't know how I missed this church on my previous visit to Anglesey in 2011 but I have seen it featured on at least 3 television programmes since then and I was glad to have an opportunity to come back to Anglesey and visit it at last. It is a delightful spot on a sunny day. I found my 8,000th geocache there but only after a 20 minute fingertip search of the base of the church wall. The church was locked, so I could only look through the windows at the interior, which is quite plain. I understand that services are occasionally held there.

I recommend the café at the Llys Llewelyn Centre in Aberffraw - excellent coffee cake and toasted sandwiches and very friendly and helpful staff. There is some limited parking at Porth Cwfan but the walk down the lane from Aberffraw and then back to Aberffraw via the coast path is delightful and very easy. It is about a 5 mile round trip.

St Cwfan's Church from the south at low tide

St Cwfan's Church

Wall around St Cwfan's Church

St Cwfan's Church at low tide

There are seats at both ends of the church

Thursday 19 June 2014

Island 223 - Ynys Peibio, Holyhead, Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales

Ynys Peibio is a very small tidal island located about 50 metres from the beach to the south east of the port at Holyhead. The original purpose of the small square tower on the island seem to be uncertain. According to the website of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales it may have been a leading mark for Holyhead Harbour and may have aligned with a structure called Madoc Chapel. When I visited in June 2014 it had found a new use as a public toilet - lovely!

Ynys Peibio is covered in long grass and thrift, which was in flower when I visited. It is easy to access from the nearby housing estate and involves a very short walk across a pebble beach avoiding the seaweed where possible. At the time of my visit it had a geocache.

Not sure what the original purpose of this arch was but you can see Ynys Peibio through it and it gives easy access to the beach down some steps

Ynys Peibio at low tide

Ynys Peibio

Ynys Peibio looking north towards the port of Holyhead

Island 222 - Shell Island/Mochras, Gwynedd, Wales

Shell Island is also known as Mochras but whether it is actually an island or not is debatable. It is certainly accessed via a tidal road, although this only gets covered over by water at high spring tides and then not for very long. However to the south of the island it is joined to the mainland by sand dunes and low lying land. The island is located a couple of miles to the west of the village of Llanbedr.

The River Artro currently flows out to sea north of Shell Island but before 1819, when it was diverted by George Finch, the 9th Earl of Winchilsea, it used to enter the sea to the south of the island. He altered the course to improve access to the wharf at Pensarn, which was the shipment point for slate from the local quarries. Large scale Ordnance Survey maps of 1887-1949 still show the former course of the river cutting back into the dunes to the south of the island but stopping short of cutting it off.

I wasn't going to count it as an island for the above reason but it is listed in my book Islands of England and Wales by Donald McCormick (1974) and having gone to all the trouble to visit it (the roads in Mid and North Wales, even the A roads, are incredibly windy and it takes ages to get any distance) and paid £5 for a day pass I am going to count it.

Shell Island is currently run as a very large campsite - 300 of the 450 acres are available for camping and it claims to be the biggest campsite in Europe. However it doesn't feel that big, as it is divided into smaller areas, which are divided up by stone walls, hedges and undulations. The island was bought in 1958 by the Workman family who still run it today. Campers choose where they want to camp and I can't imagine that it is ever completely full, as it is so large. There are 6 toilet blocks dotted around the site and there is a comprehensive road system giving access to the whole island, making it the ideal island for the disabled or lazy visitors! According to the leaflet you have to arrive in a car, you cannot arrive by train. I am not sure why?

The island gets its name from the shells that can be found on its beaches. I could see shells on the beaches but was a bit disappointed that they don't seem to be any more plentiful than on other beaches I have visited. The best beach in my opinion is the one at the south end of the island, which is sandy. There is a harbour for small boats at the north east end of the island and the island is also popular with anglers.

The Holiday Centre in the middle of the island has a bar, restaurant, snack bar, launderette, gift shop and supermarket. However apart from a few essentials like bread and milk the supermarket mainly seemed to stock junk food.

I enjoyed my 2 hours on the island in June 2014 and if I liked camping, which I don't, I think it would be a great place to camp. It was raining when I first arrived but the sun soon came out. Being lazy and in a hurry I explored most of the island in my car using the excellent road network. Away from the Holiday Centre it was a very peaceful place.