Walk 6 - 2 Bridges, 2 Lions, 2 Heroes walking and hiking route
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Walk Instructions
A walk on the Coastal Path under the two bridges
crossing the Menai Straits. This walk is a real favourite.
Start/car parking - Bulkley Car Park, High St., Menai
Bridge between Dafydd Hardy Estate agents and Bulkley
Arms - note that when taking the car out, you will find the
exit up the slope at the opposite end of the car park.
1. Exit the Car Park back to the High Street and bear left
and left again down Water Street. The road bends to the
right. Turn left on to St Georges pier where the Bangor
University boat, Prince Madog, may be moored. Return
and turn left on the coastal path until reaching the Menai
Bridge Bowling Green on the left. It’s worth popping into
the Bowling Green and View Point for a panoramic view of
the Menai Straits looking toward Llandudno and the Great
Orme. On leaving the Bowling Green continue along Lon
Cei Bont/Beach Road past the old harbour workshops to
the waterfront.
2. The massive stone arches of the Menai Suspension
Bridge come into view. If you have not seen the bridge
close up before then it is worth doing the walk for this view
alone. Pause a while and marvel at the engineering work
involved in building such a beautiful structure, surely one of
the “Wonders of Wales”. There is an information board at
the water’s edge giving details of the history of the bridge
and the method of construction.
3. The lane continues beneath one of the giant stone
arches before bearing right up the hill for a few yards. Turn
left and follow the coastal walk waymarkers into the small
park at the water’s edge for even better views of the bridge.
If the tide is high you get a close up view of the strong
currents rushing through the arches. There is a mini stone
circle on the right.
4. Leave the park by a gate and turn left on the road to the
bend in the road. Bear left down the path to the water’s
edge and continue on the Belgian Promenade, named after
the Belgian Refugees who built it after the first World War.
5. There is a grand view of the Strait and the Britannia
Bridge to the west, and in the foreground is the church of
St Tysilio on it’s small island. Follow the promenade around
the bend and cross the causeway to the island. A sign on
the gate invites respectful visitors to take a tour.
6. Bear left below a magnificent old Yew tree and take
the winding path to the old church of St Tysilio’s. Founded
in the 7th Century it is a delightful old church and still
celebrates the Christian religion. The path leads round the
circumference of the island but take time to climb the steps
to the splendid granite war memorial that stands proudly
atop the centre of the island.
7. On leaving the island bear left after crossing the
causeway following the path along the water’s edge. The
path cuts between a rugby field and some private gardens
before climbing steeply up a short hill to the A5 Holyhead
Old Road. Turn left and walk along the A5. Approximately
1/4 km after the last house, follow the waymarker down the
path to a bird hide and turn right.
8. From here the trail skirts the shoreline sometimes cutting
through the woodlands, National Trust - Coed Mor. Stay
on the coastal path. There are good views looking back
down the Strait to the Menai Bridge and across the swirling
waters to Fish Trap Island, Ynys Gorad Goch, where weirs
were used to trap fish on the eddying tide. Keep on the
coastal path, turning left towards the coast when opposite
the island. The walk brings you out of the trees to the base
of the towering Britannia Bridge.
9. Follow the coastal path (also marked with a white
lion), turning right just before the bridge (The National
Trust property Plas Newydd can be seen in the distance),
and again turn right following the same signs up a track.
Directly under the bridge turn left up a wide track with the
bridge above and the railway line to the right. The 2 lions
were made to protect the original Britannia bridge. As you
retrace your steps, the statue of The Marquis of Anglesey
(hero of Waterloo) can be seen on the skyline to the left.
Turn left to follow the coastal path. Turn left on a road
and go through a churchyard. When opposite the church
door turn left and the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson is
ahead. He described the these waters as “one of the most
treacherous stretches of sea in the world.”
10. Return to the Britannia Bridge, ignore the right turn
to the lions, but take the coastal path going downhill.
Soon turn left on a path with a metal gate and follow the
path through the woods. At a crosspaths turn left up steps
(ignore the post with a lion on the right), Go up this path to
a stone wall bounding the A5 Holyhead Road.
11. Climb the steps and bear right following the road back
to Menai Bridge. Pause at the view point of the Menai
Bridge by a large lay by - a great view at sunset. Take care
at the busy roundabout where the A5 meets the B5420,
then take the B5420 east back into the town centre. You
will arrive at the crossroads from which the lane opposite
leads to the car park.
An alternative to walking back to Menai Bridge along
the busy A5 is to catch the no 4 bus which goes back
to Bangor via Menai Bridge.
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Disclaimer: This route was correct at time of writing. However, alterations can happen if development or boundary changes occur, and there is no guarantee of permanent access. These walks have been published for use by site visitors on the understanding that neither HPB Management Limited nor any other person connected with Holiday Property Bond is responsible for the safety or wellbeing of those following the routes as described. It is walkers' own responsibility to be adequately prepared and equipped for the level of walk and the weather conditions and to assess the safety and accessibility of the walk.
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