N.Wales Bridge To Bridge

This ambitious dual project had been on the drawing board for some time. Selecting the right location was paramount to its success.

It comprised a two-day walk, about ten miles each day, that hugged the spectacular North Wales coastline. We based ourselves in Menai town and used the excellent rail service to get to our start/finish points. The walk started at Conwy Bridge and ended at Menai Bridge; Lllanfairfechan served as our halftime hiatus.

Linda (accompanied by Henry) focused on producing a dog-friendly adventure. She deemed it a great success (despite the lack of ‘poo’ bins!) … it was very safe, and there were plenty of wide-open beach opportunities for pampered pooches to enjoy.

For my part, I was eager to cater for the, often neglected, mobility scooter fraternity … by producing a lengthy offering. I achieved this on Day One … it was an uninterrupted carpet of smooth tarmacked perfection.

Often, when contriving disabled-friendly walks, a snag was encountered! … to achieve the distance and tackle the gradients, a powerful scooter would be required. Scooters have size limitations on trains, so to achieve this linear, private drop-off and pick-up, transport arrangements are required.

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DAY ONE: Llandudno Junction to Llanfairfechan ~ 9.2 miles / 800 feet ascent

To-day’s walk was served up with a generous portion of glorious scenery and sprinkled with a dose of intrigue(???).

A sublime opener was provided by the ‘chocolate box’ seaside town of Conwy and a riverside stroll that led to its marina … to see how the poor people leisure!

We now tapped into National Cycle Route 5 for the remainder of to-day’s route. From the golf links, a couple of minor roads led us to a narrow corridor of splendour that sandwiched the beach and a large holiday park. Thereon, we ran in tandem with the A55 ‘Expressway’. This is a wide ribbon of excellence, a shared cycle and walkway configuration that seemed to work in harmony in this case.

Upon reaching the oasis of Penmaenmawr, we seized the chance for a much-needed break . Only the pristine beach and the sound of crashing waves were in evidence to keep us company.

Fully refreshed, we got back to running cheek-by-jowl with the world of motor mayhem … or so we thought. The road suddenly splits … westbound cars disappear into a deep tunnel, built in the early 1930’s. Eastbound cars remain on the open road. We assumed that we would continue to hug the coastline, as the train line does, and around the tunnelled headland on the seaward side. It doesn’t go around … it goes OVER!

This ingenious hidden gem came as a complete surprise. Astonishment morphed into intrigue as it soon became apparent that this new cycleway configuration was not as new as we thought … it is actually part of Thomas Telford’s original and “spectacular” coast road. It was built in 1830 and probably in turn followed the line of an ancient track(?).

Our day ended with an inauspicious drudge through residential Llanfairfechan, but a very pleasant final stretch along the promenade came to the rescue to left feeling very fulfilled.

Telford’s Road ~ Where the old road meets the new

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DAY TWO: Llanfairfechan to Menai ~ 10.7 miles / 750 feet ascent

To-day’s treat could not have contrasted more to yesterday’s. Our route hugged close to the rugged , exposed coastline … courtesy of the Wales Coast Path (870 miles in its entirety!). Recent storms (this was written in April 2024) and natural erosion made sections challenging.

This is a wild stretch, with very limited facilities … but we were spoiled for choice selecting a picnic spot!

On reaching the Penrhyn Estate, an inland detour is traditionally required … or at least, that’s how it used to be. Remarkably, a recent permissive path has been constructed, making for happy walkers … they now avoid a forced shoreline departure. This popular walkway took us to the outskirts of Bangor. To be frank, the town was a disappointment … it was sleepy when we passed through (obviously its inhabitants didn’t know we were coming!).

Once again our finale came to the rescue … via Upper Bangor and the peace and tranquillity of Nant-porth nature reserve.

Penrhyn Castle ~ Bangor Pier

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