D spotted a juvenile Song or Mistle Thrush in the garden of the cottage where we were staying.
One of B's friends had read that the beach at Benllech was excellent and as E fancied a beach walk this was our destination on the Wednesday. Unfortunately the tide was in so no beach walk! So we continued further up the coast to the port of Amlwch which once exported copper all over the world.
Amlwch developed partly due to ship building but especially to the demand in the 18th and 19th centuries to find an outlet for the Parys Mountain developing coppermines. What had been a small fishing harbour in the town was developed by Act of Parliament in 1793 into a major port for the export of copper.
Approaching the harbour
Plants in Walls
Herb Robert
Ivy-leafed Toadflax
Maidenhair Spleenwort
The harbour was picturesque and reminded me very slightly of Boscastle.
The Copper Kingdom was shut but there was a very good exhibition on Anglesey geology in another building located in the former Watch House - the GeoMonVisitor Centre.
Fossils in the wall of the building - coral and possibly a fish.
Inside there was a wonderful display of polished stones and minerals.
A sample of the oldest rock on Anglesey which is around 800 million years old and contains stromatolites.
Ammonite
A memorial to those who have lost their lives at sea - named on plaques behind the anchor.
Herring Gull
Timothy more or less recovered from his adventures the previous day!!!
The port and coastline surrounding Amlwch contains outcrops of the Amlwch Formation - a brown coloured schist.
D managed to get a photo of Parys Mountain from the car - you can follow a self-guided walk around the lunar looking landscape but unfortunately for me I was the only one keen to visit!
We passed this unusually shaped church in the town - it is called Our Lady Star of the Sea and St Winefride and is a Roman Catholic church built in the 1930's to a design by an Italian architect Giuseppe Rinvolucri.
We returned to Benllech and the tide was now out.
Time first for an icecream - strawberry and clotted cream
Then a walk along the seafront
and onto the beach.
Plastic debris :(
B and E went for a paddle and
D and I went to collect shells, pebbles and look at the rocks.
The coastal rocks here are Carboniferous Limestone separated by much thinner beds of shale or mudstone.
The joints weather out to start forming caves or conduits for natural springs.
I can see a face in the rocks although D couldn't!
We then drove to Red Wharf Bay as B's friend had heard The Ship Inn served good food.
However it was only 4.00 and the pub didn't start serving food again until 6.00 p.m. so after a look around
we drove back to the cottage.
A few hours later we drove to Beaumaris and had a super meal in The George and Dragon.
The next post will include a trip to the wonderful Newborough Forest and beach and a walk to the atmospheric, magical and beautiful Llandwyn Island with its associations with St Dwynwen.
*D Photos taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera
Rest of photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera
Reference "The Rocks of Anglesey's Coast" by Jake E Treagus and Susan H Treagus.
I hope I don't sound like a Smart Aleck but when we are at the ocean the first thing we check is the time of the tides. It is always available locally but these days you can access it from a smart phone or other device. That way, you know when to go for a beach walk and when not to. I don't know whether you have ever spent time probing tide pools after the tide has gone out but it is a fascinating exercise. I have spent many happy hours exploring the rich and varied life in these miniature habitats.
ReplyDeleteDavid M Gascoigne - Thank you and yes I did check them when we went to Llandwyn island later in the week but the beach walk here wasn't so important. Yes, I love looking at rock pools - we didn't do so on Anglesey but I have spent hours in the past on the Isle of Wight and Cornwall. They are just like miniature worlds :)
ReplyDeleteAll the beaches are lovely to walk along, they look wonderful in your photos. We did the same by arriving in Red Wharf bay too early for food, it sounds as if you found a good alternative. The bay at Amlwch does look a bit like Boscastle and the geology gallery looks fascinating another place on my list for our next visit:)
ReplyDeleteRosie - Thank you. It was interesting to note that compared to the Isle of Wight in June, Anglesey especially the beaches were in the main much quieter. Although Beaumaris was always busy (the town centre anyway late Friday pm D and I had the castle to ourselves!!!) and we found Llandwyn Island busy too!
ReplyDeleteThe Geology gallery (GeoMon) only small but full of fascinating stuff and lots of leaflets you can buy :)
I am so pleased you had good weather, it makes all the difference somewhere coastal when so much of your activity is outside. How special to see fossils in the stones used in the actual building, showing clearly a use of local materials. Happy that Timothy is recovering. One more ice cream ought to do the trick?
ReplyDeleteRustic Pumpkin - Thank you - as you say the weather makes all the difference - must admit I am not one for walking round aimlessly in the rain! We were so lucky compared to previous weeks! Timothy was rather annoyed I failed to have an icecream at Newborough!!! He had to wait until Friday!
ReplyDeleteYou picked a really good time of year, it's so sunny and the sea looks so blue!
ReplyDeletePam - Thank you - considering the rain before we went we were very fortunate and it wasn't too hot either :)
ReplyDeleteAnother lovely day out and you got to see so much, you did so well with the weather. Beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteAmanda. XX
Amanda - Thank you - I am glad now it wasn't too hot as so much easier to walk when it is cooler!
ReplyDeleteLovely photos, I particularly enjoyed seeing the rock strata :-)
ReplyDeleteCherry Pie - Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a marvellous beach - well worth returning to once the tide was out. The rock stratification is extraordinary... not sure I've spotted the face, though!
ReplyDeleteCaroline Gill - Thank you. My son couldn't see the face either! Geology there is brilliant - I treated myself to a book on Anglesey geology before we went which proved useful :)
ReplyDelete