Tucked away in the South Eastern corner of Anglesey, you’ll find beach after beach after beach with something for everyone. However one of the most hidden away ones has easily the most to offer.
With stunning views over the Puffin island and along the shoreline of Anglesey, this small and somewhat unknown beach can often be missed. It is not hard to see therefore, why, so many people pick this spot to settle their camper vans for the night, though officially speaking they aren’t supposed to.
Penmon Point, unlike many of its neighbour beaches from Red Wharf Bay and Beaumaris, has a rather unique situation. The beach is parked at the far end of the Baron Hill Estate, founded by Sir Richard Williams-Bulkeley in 1618.
These days it means that the beach sits at the end of aristocrat-owned toll road and will set you back the small fee of £3.50 to take your car down, a tiny remnant of a begone era. Walking down is an option as well with no fee attached to it, but the journey from the entrance, which sits besides the Penmon Dovecot, down to the beach is around a mile.
It is well worth stopping at the entrance as well, as it will give you the oppertunity to visit not only the dovecot, but Priory and St Seiriol’s Well.
The Priory is a historic monastery, with walls that may be the oldest surviving Christian building in Wales, along with a 12th century church. While St Seiriol’s Well was built by the monks of Penmon and believed to have healing powers, both are well worth a pit stop and wander on the way to the beach.
From here, simply pay the toll and follow the road straight down. You can’t miss it as you crest a hill to be met with a perfect view down the road to the sea and onwards to Puffin Island. The road itself is windy and tight in places, though fortunately there are several points to allow for crossing.
Parking is available at the end of the route, though it operates on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to come down early – otherwise you may find yourself having to squeeze your car in somewhere else. Successfully making the journey is certainly worthwhile though as despite being on the East coast, the spot does a fine job of catching sun throughout the day, just watch out for the wind.
The beach itself is pebble strewn, you won’t find an inch of sand along it. This trades off against incredible views which span all around, looking down along the Penmon Nature Reserve in one direction, while across the water you’ll see Trwyn Du Lighthouse and Puffin Island and to the South the coast of Gwynedd and Conwy.
From here you can relax, take in the views, follow one of the walking routes along the Anglesey coastline, or simply enjoy the beach. It is worth noting that due to strong winds and dangerous tides, swimming at Penmon Point is not advised.
Despite being remote, you’ll be happy to know amenities are still on offer with the well worth visiting Pilot House Café, especially if you fancy a drink as their cocktails are to die for. If cocktails aren’t your thing though, they also offer a very tempting scone, one even acclaimed chef Gorden Ramsey said were ‘delicious.’
With everything there is to offer down here, the £3.50 fee to visit suddenly seems like a bargain and on a perfect summer’s day you could spend your whole day here. Whatever you choose, if you fancy a slightly more unique trip to the beach Penmon Point is well worth considering.
Source: Daily Post
