Coastwalk , Llŷn Coastal Path

Trefor → Morfa Nefyn

Distance: 11.0 miles
Ascent: 650 metres
Duration: unknown

Learning the language
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In Welsh the letter 'f' has an English 'v' sound, and since the word "tre" means "town" we had expected the correct pronunciation of the name of our starting point be "tre-vor", with a short first syllable and long second. We were wrong. It turns out the 18th century village of Yr Hendre was renamed in the 19th century after Trevor Jones, manager of the local quarry.

Coastal roads usually have a good reason for turning away from the sea. At Trefor the A499's excuse is the three-peaked mountain Yr Eifl. (Its name means "the two forks", referring to two passes that cross the massif, but the English name derived from a contraction and a transliteration is The Rivals which serves to describe the summits' competition for height rather well.)

Yr Eifl has been in our sight for a long time now. Indeed it forms one of the dragon's teeth in the silhouette of the Llŷn when viewed from Abystwyth, a vista with which Emma is very familiar. It was tempting to detour to the very top but instead we sufficed with the bwlch which - having reviewed the map this evening - appears to be the highest point on the entire British coast path.

The views from the col were stunning, with Anglesey stretching out to the north, The mountains of Snowdonia to the east and the remaining teeth of the Llŷn to the west.

A mile later the path dropped steeply to the abandoned (and some say cursed) village of Nant Gwrtheryn which has in recent years been brought back to life as a Welsh language and cultural centre.

St Bueno's church in Pistyll - the next village - remains largely unchanged since an unknown hand inscribed the word 'Alleluia' and the date, 1050, above the east window. This quiet and peaceful church was originally built in the seventh century by St Bueno, one of the many Bardsey saints, and was one of the stopping-off points for pilgrims journeying to the island. Filled with foliage and flowers for Easter, there was a tangible sense of its connection with the past.