Friday August 5^th      Bardsey Island

 

We left Caernarfon soon after 8.30am for Aberdaron, one of the furthest points down the Llyn Peninsula, North Wales. We had booked ourselves onto the only boat that takes people out to the island nearly 2 weeks previously. Many had been cancelled and this week it seemed like our day was the only safe one for crossing due to high winds- Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday were and would be casualties to the weather.

We eventually reached Aberdaron with only a mile to go to the little “port”, Porth Meudwy. We thought we had plenty of time but the roads weren’t clearly marked and Aberdaron with its narrow old stone bridge was too much of a challenge for me at the end of a stressful drive, again down seemingly unlikely single track roads. Luckily a pedestrian gave us directions via the Tir Glyn caravan park. The boat would leave at 10.30 and we found ourselves in a field where we parked and then walked down a stony track still with no sign of the sea!

At last the tree clad slopes either side of the track gave way to a small inlet and we saw the yellow catamaran draw near to the shore. It came as far up as it could then Colin, the boatman got out and pulled it to dry land with a towing vehicle. He ticked off our names and refused payment till after we got back as he said it would be unlucky! There were 9 of us altogether. There was a man from Liverpool who knew his birds and the others all seemed to speak Welsh. They were a jolly crowd particularly the dairy farmer from Wrexham who wanted to see the monastery and didn’t like water!

We all screamed when the fibre glass boat built by Colin hit the waves and bounced along sending up spray, high at the sides though we didn’t get wet. The journey lasted 20 minutes. Though the island is only 2 km off the mainland we couldn’t go direct because of rocks and currents. Bob said I looked green but that was because I was scared of the boat tipping over and not because I felt seasick- maybe I have been to enough islands to have my sea legs. Colin said it can be a lot rougher and it was quite windy even today.

 

 

As we arrived people were swimming around the slip way and rocks beside it. Again the boat was dragged by a vehicle up to dry land where Colin put steps against it for us to disembark. We had 4 hours to explore Bardsey before we could leave at 3pm. Colin handed us all a map. Fingers crossed the weather doesn’t take a turn for the worst as in 2000 17 visitors were stranded 2 weeks on Bardsey because of gales!

The island has a pastoral feel to it. A group of dark coloured cattle grazed nearby. The fields are edged by mounds of stones now grassed over. We saw many sheep. Colin also has a bigger version of his passenger boat for transporting livestock.  

Clouds had given way to bright sunshine but with the wind we didn’t notice how strong the sun was. Not expecting the weather to be that good we hadn’t thought of sun protection though I could have used my brolly as a sun screen. We were generally unprepared – everyone else seemed to have sandwiches but we hadn’t brought anything to eat except a banana and a couple of biscuits thinking that as you could buy tea and coffee from the farmhouse that there may be some sort of food. The little craft shop, selling lovely but expensive things like felted bags and hats, had a container with flap jacks and biscuits and some cans of drink you could buy using an honesty box and that was it except salad ingredients from a well- stocked vegetable garden that were offered for sale.

The farmhouse has a wind turbine which is sufficient for their needs and for the few hours brews are available ( 11-1). After sitting at the picnic tables provided I definitely needed the loo- it had been a long journey, then on the water and then fluid intake. Trouble is the only public loo is probably about half a mile away. Still I was pleased there was one.

Many of the houses are holiday cottages. Bardsey Island Trust has owned the island since 1979. There are no TVs, radios, toasters, microwaves, pylons, telephone lines, satellite dishes or any mobile phone masts. There aren’t even many people though some guests stay 2 weeks at a time for years running. It must be hard to cater for a family when all your food has to be brought over on the boat and lack of electricity means fresh food will go off. I saw a lad with a sand eel in a jar, much fatter than those seen in the beaks of puffins. He said it tastes like sardine. Maybe they supplement what they have with fish they catch!

We decided that we wouldn’t walk up the hill, the Marilyn as opposed to the high Monros. A Marilyn (derived from Marilyn Monroe) is a hill of at least 150 m. Bardsey is just 1 mile long by 0.6 mile wide and is the 4^th largest offshore island in Wales.

As we walked a farmer was cutting and baling his grass for silage. The fields aren’t large. Apparently he is not going to make his own silage anymore as the cost of transporting the machinery isn’t viable.

The boatman has moved to the mainland with his young family but his poet and ex teacher mother still lives there. There is always an artist in residence and we saw some of her paintings on the wall of an exhibition house. The slates on the floor had strange green long leaf shapes- could they be fossils? The paintings were interesting- I remember fish on a plate and cats mainly. Also around the walls were photos of the resident islanders and a bit about them.

 

A hand- made sign directed visitors to the compost loo in a little hut. It was alcohol hand wash- water is precious. It wasn’t smelly!

The farmer from Wrexham was disappointed with the monastery which was just a ruin of the Bell Tower from the 13^th century Augustinian abbey. This was once a place of pilgrimage and some of the peaceful spirituality still seems to remain though the legend that 20,000 saints are buried here has got to be an exaggeration!

We followed a marked walk through fields. Tiny arrows gave us the confidence that we weren’t trespassing even though we were among the sheep. Then we were walking right by the coastline and a lone seal was playing in the water. It is a very pretty island!

Bob had a message on his phone to say “welcome to Ireland” so he switched it off. A little bird hide looked out to sea. Made substantially out of wood and splattered all over walls and ceiling with mosquitos it gave us a comfy sit down as the seats were cushioned. Perhaps people spot whales and dolphins from here. There is a wealth of wildlife.

As we neared the place where the boat came in we could hear keening sounds. In the bay before the lighthouse were seals basking on rocks, some fat with pups. While others floated or played in the water. Occasionally a fight would break out, as they jostled for a better spot. This is a haul out area with many seals at one time. They made a strange noise and you could imagine why the ancient mariners thought them to be sirens luring them on the rocks.

 

I walked to the lighthouse but Bob decided his back had done enough walking. It is unusual in that it is square in shape, tapering slightly to the top. Painted with red and white stripes it stands 98 feet high. Because of bird casualties there, Trinity House has positioned perches on top of the lantern- the lighthouse is on their migratory route. All is automatic and shut up now.

Apart from the little craft shop, exhibition house and bird hide there was nowhere to shelter from inclement weather that I could see. There were few if any trees- maybe in gardens.

It would have been good to have experienced a night or two here with clear skies as the lack of light pollution according to one” two - weeker” gave a wonderful starry panorama.

It was a little less bumpy on the journey back and we all paid our ferry fees of £30. Surprisingly we still didn’t feel hungry which was lucky! Next time we’ll bring supplies…

 

 Thursday 4th August       Ynys Gifftan                                                  

 

 

The sat nav took us off the fast road towards Portmaddog on almost single track, hilly, winding and across uninhabited high moors. The views were spectacular and I had to consciously concentrate so as to not be distracted as I was the designated driver for most of the 2 days away. Bob had been digging out a pond in the garden and this resulted in a strained tendon. This in turn made him walk awkwardly and put his back out. We almost cancelled the trip but then he thought he would make it after all.

  We were travelling first to Ynys Gifftan, a tiny island near to Portmaddog, then staying in Caernarfon before driving the Llyn Peninsula for Bardsey Island the next morning.

The best place to cross is about half a mile from Talsarnau Station where we parked the car. We saw a small group of people walking across the sand from the north and also a few from the south though. You could see there was less sand our way. The tide was right out when we arrived and there is a window about 3 hours either side. I believe I could see Harlech castle on the south side.

We crossed the railway line ( by which we noticed you could travel to Birmingham, surprising us somewhat) There was a stony but wide track that took us down to another gate and across what must have been fields but now is a maze of gulleys cut into the mud.

 

 

 

Some are deep with water, others too wide to leap across. Above is a lush grass but the whole area is a puzzle to solve if one doesn’t want to get uncomfortably wet. The grass here is reputed to have been used for the courts at Wimbledon, the quality is so good. We thought these rivulets were made by rain but then we noticed seaweed and shells and thought the tide must sometimes come this far. Wellies, to our mind, are essential. Some of the area is polluted with cow pats making the water foul.

It seemed to take for ages to either jump from tussock to tussock or climb down to wade through (though the water came over my wellies) pinpointing the easiest route to the sands. Bob and I took different routes both thinking ours the best. We looked back to see the white building of the station and decided that that would be the place to make for on the way back. This” marsh” as it is marked on the map is a wide area and featureless except for the fences and intricate veins of water set in the green field. This was far harder to cross than the causeway.

Reaching the sand there was a channel that apparently always need to be waded. Then it was virtually dry but soft sand that our boots sank right down into. There is a view of Portmeirion that could be seen from the start of this walk. This village built between 1925 and 75 in Italian style was used for the TV series The Prisoner in the 1960s.

We reached the island and walked up through the rocks to the bracken covered path. The island was gifted by Queen Anne in the early 1700s to Lord Harlech. She added a caveat that it should never be sold on. It is now owned by the 6^th Baron of Harlech and although there have been tenants the island is uninhabited now. The small house and garden can be seen amongst unkempt trees and foliage.

From the top we could see the Italianate buildings, colourful across the bay. It was impossible to walk far as the brambles, gorse and bracken dominated the island.

 

 

There was rusting farm machinery on the shore line and looking back towards the station were 2 egrets. A miniscule crab scrabbled in a puddle. We didn’t explore behind the island as rounding a bend the sand tried to swallow my boots. Also we knew the tide came in rapidly so we headed back in the direction of the station that stands out on the mainland being pure white. There is a gateway just to the left of, though not level with it, that leads up the lane , over the train track to the “car park”

  We tried to retrace our steps in the marsh but it was impossible to remember our previous routes. I slipped on the mud and had to be given a hand by Bob who was managing really well despite his back and leg. We were exhausted by the leaping about – at least I was- but we enjoyed it nonetheless. The adventure in this island is definitely in the travelling to and from it. It took us more than an hour and a half but less than two altogether and we were grateful for our waterproof boots.