Moelfre, Anglesey

The church of St Gallgo is situated next to the main road between Moelfre and Dulas, about a quarter of a mile after the Moelfre roundabout. It is the main church within the parish and it has a rich history, details of which can be found on the church's website www.royalcharterchurch.org.uk. The website also gives a clue to what the church is perhaps best known for. In its grounds is a memorial to the victims of the Royal Charter tragedy in 1859. In total about 450 lives were lost and 140 of those who died are buried at St Gallgo's. Also specially commemorated is the rector at the time of the tragedy, Stephen Roose Hughes, who worked tirelessly to help the families of those who perished.

The church also has personal significance to me, because my grandparents who died in the 1970s are buried there.

Lligwy Beach is just a mile or so from Moelfre and it is a wonderful stretch of sand that is popular with visitors. One of the most pleasant aspects about it is that it is surrounded by countryside, giving it an open and remote feel, although it is served by two car parks and there are several camping and caravan sites nearby.

The coastal path walk from Moelfre is very pleasant, although slightly hilly in places. If walking from beach to beach along the coastal path, it is best to allow about an hour at a relaxed walking pace.

	Traeth yr Ora is a small and tranquil sandy beach, immediately south of the mouth of Dulas Bay and less than a mile north of Traeth Lligwy. One reason for its tranquility is that it cannot be reached by car. Nearest parking facilities are at Lligwy Beach, but there are several camping and caravan sites nearby.
	North of Dulas Bay and about 1 kilometre offshore lies Ynys Dulas. It is about a mile and a half north east of Traeth yr Ora from where this picture was taken. Ynys Dulas is deserted except for its population of seals. It also has a tower which is thought to have been built by a wealthy local family for shipwrecked mariners in the days of sailing ships and was kept stocked with food for them. The Ynys Ribs boat trips (see links page) include sightseeing trips of the seals close to the island.

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At 178m above sea level, Bodafon is the highest point on the Anglesey mainland. Only Holyhead Mountain (Mynydd Caergybi or Mynydd Twr), on Holyhead Island is higher. From the summit of Bodafon, there are uninterrupted views across much of the island and beyond to the mountains of Snowdonia. I have also read that it is possible to see as far as England, Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man on a clear day!

Bodafon is located a few miles inland, west of Moelfre and south west of Dulas Bay. The pictures above were taken in 2006 from the coastal path between Lligwy and Traeth yr Ora. In the older scanned pictures taken from Bodafon below, Dulas Bay can clearly be seen in the 2 pictures on the right.

Din Lligwy is part of a group of remains from three completely different ages. Din Lligwy itself was an ancient settlement, thought to be used until the 4th century AD. The remains of several buildings and the perimeter wall can be seen. Much older is the Burial Chamber (Cromlech Lligwy) with its huge cap stone. There are also remains of a 12th century chapel (Hen Capel Lligwy). They are all located within the area between Moelfre village, Llanallgo and Lligwy Beach and are accessible from the lane leading down to Lligwy from the roundabout on the edge of Moelfre.

From left to right, the pictures show the Din Lligwy settlement (2 pictures), the burial chamber and the chapel.