Menai Bridge to Britannia Bridge Circular (7.21km)
This is a lovely, easy walk along Afon Menai (Menai Straits) which takes in the beautiful feats of engineering that are the Pont Menai (Menai Suspension Bridge) and the Pont Britannia (Britannia Bridge).
Distance: 7.21km (according to the OS map app)
Time taken: 2hrs 4mins
Total ascent: 207.95m (OS Map app)
Parking: Yes- plenty of options (Pay and Display) in Porthaethwy.
Facilities: No, but there are plenty of cafes and shops in Porthaethwy.
1. There are a few car parks in Porthaethwy (Menai Bridge) but we chose to park at Coed Cyrnol, located between the roundabout with the garage and the roundabout near the bridge. It cost us £2 for 4 hours parking.
To start the walk turn right onto the road heading towards Pont Menai. You’ll pass Waitrose on your right and St Mary’s Church and The Thomas Telford Centre on your left. When you get to the roundabout, walk to the far side but don’t cross over the bridge. Turn down the small one way street next to the Bridge Inn.
St Mary’s Church.
Cross to the left of the bridge.
Go down the one way street at the side of the bridge.
Follow the street down the hill and around a left turn, then take the next street on your right (Ffordd Cambria). There’s a footpath sign part way down on the right which sends you down some steps and out onto the front where you get your first proper glimpse of Pont Menai in all her glory.
Turn right down Cambria Road.
Right again to get to the sea front.
2. Once at the front we turn right towards the bridge. There’s a pleasant little green which has some information and is a lovely place to sit, take in the view and watch the world go by.
Pont Menai.
Pont Menai.
As you pass under one of the arches of the bridge it’s hard not to be impressed by the scale of it.
Pont Menai
White Knight says to Alice,
‘I heard him then, for I had just completed my design.
To keep the Menai Brudge from rust.
By boiling it in wine.’
Lewis Carrol, Through the Looking Glass.
For centuries, travel to Ynys Môn from the mainland was often hazardous. Ferries traversed the Afon Menai at various places but the currents are tricky, and numerous boats capsized or ran aground, often with loss of life. The Afon Menai is particularly dangerous as there are four daily tides which flow in two directions creating strong currents and whirlpools that can sink small vessels. In 1785, a boat carrying 55 people ran aground at the southern end of the Straits in a strong gale. Before a rescue boat from Caernarfon could reach the stricken vessel it sank, with only one person surviving.
In 1800, Ireland joined the U.K. through Act of Union. This meant that the numbers of people wishing to cross the Straits increased as politicians commuted to and from Ireland - parliament in London. The route from London to Caergybi (Holyhead) became an important roadway, representing a physical link between parliament and Ireland. Although well travelled, the journey was still notoriously dangerous.
In 1815, parliament enacted an Act to build the Holyhead Road with responsibly for the project given to civil engineer Thomas Telford. After Telford had completed a survey of the route, he proposed that the best option was to build a suspension bridge over the Menai Strait. Although small suspension bridges had been built before, none approached the scale that Telford proposed for this one.
Despite much opposition from the ferry owners and tradesmen in the ports, construction of the bridge, to Telford’s design, began in 1819 with the towers on either side of the Straits. These were constructed from Penmon limestone and were hollow with internal cross-walls. The stonework was finished in 1824; then began the monumental task of raising the chains that would hold up the central 579 ft span. To avoid rusting between manufacture and use, the iron was soaked in linseed oil and later painted. The sixteen chains each measured 1,714ft and weighed 121 tons. Tunnels were driven into solid rock on either shore to anchor the chains. Then the first section of the chain was secured on the Caernarfon side. More sections were added, resting on wooden scaffolding that led to the top of the eastern tower. Another chain was built up to the top of the tower on the Môn side. The central section of chain, weighing 23.5 tons, was then loaded onto a raft, carefully manoeuvred into position between the towers and connected to ropes dangling down. While a fife and drum band played to encourage the workers, 150 men used block and tackle to draw the chain up to the top of the Môn tower to complete the span. The large crowd that had gathered to watch cheered wildly as the connection was made.
The remaining 15 chains were raised in a similar manner over the next ten weeks. Rods were then hung from the chains and bolted to iron bars that were used as the base for the wooden road surface.
The bridge was opened on 30th January 1826 to much fanfare. It was a triumph of engineering - the biggest suspension bridge in the world at the time.
The bridge has been modified and reconstructed many times over the years. The roadway was only 24ft wide and, without stiffening trusses, soon proved highly unstable in the wind. The deck was strengthened in 1840 and, in 1893, the entire wooden surface was replaced with a steel deck. Over the years the 4 1/2 ton weight limit proved problematic for the increased freight industry (overweight vehicles would have to carry their loads over in two or more trips and even bus conductors would regularly have to ask some passengers to walk across). So, between 1938 and 1940, the original wrought iron chains were replaced with steel ones, all while traffic continued to cross.
Passing under the arches.
After passing under the bridge you turn left off the road for a very short distance. Notice the modern rock art on your left after you pass through the gateway.
Rock art.
You'll also spot a small stone circle along this section. There are numerous modern stone circles in and around the towns of Ynys Môn that are linked to the tradition of the Eisteddfod. Megan has a lovely time running around them.
Stone circle with Pont Menai in the background.
You pop back out onto the road for a short while before turning left onto the Belgian Promenade. You’ll get your first proper glimpse of our destination at this point as Pont Britannia comes into view.
Heading down onto the Belgian Prom.
Belgian Prom.
Pont Britannia.
Ynys Tysilio with Pont Britannia beyond.
Ynys Tysilio with Pont Britannia beyond.
Belgian Prom
During the First World War, refugees from German- occupied Mechelen (or Malines) in Belgium were accomodated in Porthaethwy. In gratitude for the town’s hospitality they built this promenade along the Menai Strait from Ynys Tysilio (Church Island) to Carreg Yr Halen, completing it in 1916.
The 63 Belgian refugees- men, women and children - arrived by train in October 1914 and were greeted in French by the Bishop of Bangor. From Menai Bridge station, road vehicles took them to the town, passing Royal Welsh Fusiliers who provided a guard of honour on both bridges. At the New Hall in Porthaethwy the refugees were welcomed by a crowd and given a hearty meal. When the local band began to play the Belgian national anthem, many of the refugees cried.
Most of the refugees lived at three houses in Porthaethwy, with 12 housed at the Village Hall in Llandegfan. Most of the men were skilled at marquetry (decorative use of small pieces of wood.)
As you view the Strait from the Belgian Prom, look for signs of churning water. The water between the Menai Bridge and Britannia Bridge is particularly dangerous to mariners because the tides at each end of the Strait are usually at different heights. Water flowing in or out of one end conflicts with that going to or from the other. One name for this stretch is the Swillies (or Swellies), which refers to a whirlpool. Another name for the Swillies is Pwll Ceris.
The Belgian Prom was rebuilt in 1963. The ceremonial reopening in 1965 was performed by the only surviving refugee, Eduard Wilhelms.
The Belgian Prom is a lovely relaxed place with incredible views. Megan always enjoys looking for the “badges” set into the floor (coastal path signs). If you fancy adding a short section onto your walk you can always head around Ynys Tysilio to look at the church and graveyard.
Ynys Tysilio
The early history of the island, including details of the construction of the causeway, is unknown. The first recorded occupation was by Prince Tysilio, later Sant Tysilio, who was the son of Brochwel Ysgithrog, a king of Powys. Tysilio arrived on the island in approximately AD 630, and founded a hermitage there. He remained there for about 7 years, before moving to Meifod, where he became an abbott. No trace of Tysilio’s hermitage survives today.
The present day church was founded in the 15th Century. It’s not known who built the church, but it is likely that it replaced an earlier structure on the same site.
We didn’t head onto the island today as Megan wanted to carry on straight ahead and sometimes it’s easier to just do what Megan says! The path eventually passes the rugby ground before heading uphill and joining the bottom road between Llanfairpwll and Porthaethwy. Turn left when you get to the road, heading towards Llanfair. This is a fairly busy road but there is a pavement. Once you get past the houses the views open up and both bridges can be seen with Eryri (Snowdonia) in the background.
3. The turn off the road is clearly signed (if you get to the first parking spot you’ve gone too far) and the track down through the field to the bird hide at the bottom is pretty obvious.
Turn off the road into Cae Glan Môr.
After going through the gate at the bottom of the hill turn right and follow the fenced off track. Look out for the lion bench (a copy of the stone lions that can be found on either side of Pont Britannia.) This section is really easy walking. There are some well maintained boardwalk sections here and there which Megan loves and means you don’t have to trudge through any mud.
Follow the track.
Having a sit on the lion.
Livin’ the dream.
“King of the boardwalks” (According to madam)
At one point the path splits. Right takes you back up to the road so we go left through a gate and follow the path into the Coed Môr woods. The path does get uneven in places here. Again, there are boardwalks over the worst sections, but be careful of exposed roots, rocky sections and the couple of tiny streams you need to cross.
Beautiful blossoms.
More boardwalking.
Looking back at Ynys Gorad Goch.
Along this section you will keep the Straits in sight on your left and you may notice a house on a small island right in the middle. This is Ynys Gorad Goch (the island of red weirs).
Ynys Gorad Goch
Experts say that probably the earliest method of catching fish in any quantity was by stopping the mouths of narrow tidal creeks with brushwood or stones, through which the water would run off at ebb tide, leaving the fish inside the barrier, high and dry. When it was found that this barrier blocked the ingress of fish on the subsequent flood tide, some arrangement had to be made to allow them to pass the barrier while the tide was flowing. This could be an opening in the wall which could be closed at high water.
At low tide, two weirs can be seen clearly on Ynys Gorad Goch, one to the north and the other to the south of the island. The angles of the weirs on Ynys Gorad Goch are so set to catch maximum quantities of fish passing through the Afon Menai on the ebb tide. There were several such weirs along the Afon Menai, from Bangor to Caernarfon. The swift currents and unusual combination of tides which meet near Pont Menai created excellent conditions for this type of fishing.
These fisheries are very old and the earliest known document relating to Ynys Gorad Goch is dated 1590. At this time the island and its fishery was leased by the then Bishop of Bangor to a Thomas Fletcher of Treborth. He had to pay ‘Three pounds and besides one Barell full of hearinges at the tyme of the hearing fishinge’.
A later map refers to this as Bishop’s Island. There is a Bishop’s Room in part of the house which is an observation room, and above the centre window is a carving of a mitre, and below it the inscription ‘I.R. 1808’. This is a reference to John Randolph, Bishop of Bangor at the time. The story goes that Bishops would come to meditate here. The island and fishing rights were eventually sold by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1988, and from that time it has had a succession of private owners.
High tides can divide the island in two. On the smaller, easterly rock stands a curing tower. Tradition has it that Ynys Gorad Goch supplied fish, fresh or smoked herring, to several monasteries in Ynys Môn since the 13th Century. In the early 20th Century it was fashionable for visitors to cross to the island to enjoy whitebait teas. They would walk down to the shore by a footpath through the Coed Môr woods, ring a bell placed on the shore for the purpose, and a boat would put out from the island to collect them.
During very high tides in the spring and autumn, the water sometimes reaches the outside of the house on the front and west side.
4. We soon leave the woods and come right under Pont Britannia. We spend a bit of time here as it really is lovely. Pont Menai is clearly the more beautiful of the two bridges but I really do have a soft spot for the Britannia and it does have its own sort of elegance. It’s certainly impressive when you’re stood underneath it looking up.
Pont Britannia.
Some winding gear?
Pont Britannia.
The completion of Pont Menai was a boon in easing the journey to the island, particularly for travel to Ireland. However, the rapid rise of rail travel later in the 19th century meant that there was soon a need for trains to cross the Straits. When plans were first being made to build a railway to Caergybi, it was proposed that the carriages be taken over Pont Menai; the carriages would be uncoupled from the locomotive at one end, then drawn across one by one, using horses, to a waiting locomotive at the other end.
This idea was abandoned and plans were drawn up for a new bridge by Robert Stephenson, son of the locomotive pioneer George Stephenson. He faced the challenge of building a bridge rigid and strong enough to carry a heavy train of many carriages. This was done by making the bridge out of two long iron tubes, rectangle in shape, through which the trains would travel. When first conceived, the tubular bridge was to have been suspended from cables strung through openings at the top of the towers. However, after engineering calculations and tests of the finished tubes it was decided that they were strong enough by themselves to carry the trains.
Like Pont Menai, the stonework was constructed of limestone from Penmon, although sandstone was used internally. The tubes themselves were constructed on the banks of the Straits. Stephenson faced a much greater challenge in raising the 1,500 ton finished tubes than had Telford with his much lighter chains. He too would float the tube into position. However, the process didn’t go so smoothly with the first tube as with the Pont Menai chains, and the giant tube came close to being swept out to sea. Fortune prevailed and it did finally end up in place. Then, very slowly, using hydraulic pumps, it was raised into position. Stonework was built up under the ends of the tube as it was lifted in order to support it if the lifting equipment failed. This was fortunate as one pump did fail, but the tube only fell 9 inches.
With the tubes in place the final touches were added. These were the four magnificent limestone lions that guard the entrances to the bridge. They were carved by John Thomas, who had also done stone carving for the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace. The lions are almost 4m high and sit on plinths of equal height. The bridge was opened on 5th March 1850.
The present day bridge has a much different appearance than the original. This is because it has been reconstructed after a disastrous fire in 1970. A group of teenagers accidentally set fire to the bridge which spread through the whole tubular structure and caused so much damage that the tubes were in danger of falling into the Straits. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=13gi96VldbU&feature=youtu.be)
As assessments were being made as to how to repair the bridge the local County Surveyor came up with the idea of making two bridges out of one. It was proposed that Pont Britannia be rebuilt as a two level bridge carrying both trains and road traffic in order to ease the congestion on Pont Menai.
Rather than being a tubular bridge the new span is now supported by arches. A single railway track carries trains to and from Caergybi. On top of this is a roadway carrying traffic on the A55 Expressway. Today, the lions that once had pride of place at the entrance of the tubular bridge now sit forlornly below the road surface as thousands of vehicles thunder past.
After taking our time to enjoy the scenery, we carry on uphill, following the track to the side of the bridge. When you get to an area underneath the bridge itself, where the track crosses to the other side, we head back on ourself and up to look for the lions. Sadly today there is work being done and we can’t get very close. Usually you can go up to them and have a proper look. Megan was quite disappointed, despite having seen them before!
There’s a lovely little Welsh poem about the four lions by a local man John Evans who lived in Porthaethwy between 1822 and 1888. He was known as Y Bardd Cocos (The Cockle Bard) and wrote poetry that wasn’t meant to be funny, but often was. He was convinced that his poetry was brilliant, despite universal derision.
“Pedwar llew tew
Heb ddim blew,
Dau ‘rochr yma
A dau ‘rochr drew.”
(Two fat lions
With no hair,
Two on this side
And two on the other.)
Can you spot the lion peeking through the gap?
Lion by the railway.
We head back onto the main track and follow up past the Carreg Bran Hotel. It’s a little pull up this hill, especially with Anwen on my back who is now nearly one and weighs a ton... especially when she’s asleep!
Having a snooze whilst Mam does all the work.
At the top of the lane we cross the busy main road that we had walked along earlier and go up the street opposite. There is no pavement here. At the top of this street we turn right, away from Llanfairpwll. It’s not long after this that we cross over the A55. Megan enjoyed the fact that we had been both under and over the ‘big road’. As soon as you’ve crossed turn off the pavement onto the old road, near the care home. You can carry on on the pavement of the main road if you want but I thought it would be quieter and more pleasant to walk the old lane.
Views from the old road.
The old road between Llanfair and Four Crosses Roundabout.
5. I had fully intended on walking to Four Crosses Roundabout along the old road, then turning down into Porthaethwy and back to the car along the roads. However, there is a footpath half way along this section which crosses fields back down to the bottom road. I made the mistake of giving Megan the option of which route to take and she chose the footpath (mainly because she could see cows. We live on a farm... with cows. Apparently these ones were better.) The path itself wasn’t an issue at all. In fact it was very easy to follow and quite beautiful. The problem came with two very narrow kissing gates. The first I avoided easily by going through the gateway next to it where the farmer had used electric fencing to keep the cattle in. I made sure I closed everything up after me and there was no issue.
Access to the footpath over a style and through a gate. I went through the big gate. Megan likes a challenge.
Easy path.
Dandelions in our hair.
Friendly calves.
Beautiful views.
Panorama.
Having a chat.
Right at the bottom of the path though was another kissing gate leading directly onto the bottom road we had walked along earlier (a 60mph road at this point). I tried to fit through the gate but there was no chance with Anwen on my back. My two options were to walk all the way back up with a flagging Megan, or climb the gate next to the kissing gate. So, stern words were had - telling Megan to stay in the field until I had climbed the gate. Again, being a farm girl, I am used to clambering over gates but I’ll admit it’s an added challenge doing it with a baby on your back. Poor Anwen was woken up in the process! As I touched down successfully on the other side, and before I could gather myself together, Megan decided to come through the kissing gate herself and head obliviously towards the road. I’m not ashamed to say there was some yelling, some tears and some sulking (mostly by the 4 year old) whilst it was drilled into her the importance of doing as she’s told! Luckily there was no harm done but it was a lesson learnt for both of us.
Lovely stone kissing gate... unsuitable for a fat lady with big boobs and a baby in a rucksack.
The gate I had to climb with the road beyond.
We crossed the road here very carefully. It is fast and the visibility isn’t great for the cars (you kind of have to peer out of a hedgerow so they can’t really see you too well). There is a pavement on the other side. We turned left and headed back towards Porthaethwy, retracing our steps slightly. You could head back the way you came along the Belgian Prom but we were tired so carried on along the road. When you get to the roundabout with the garage you go right and the car park is on your right not far after that.
This is definitely a walk I would do again, although I think next time we’ll avoid the kissing gates (at least until Anwen can walk the route herself).
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