After our visit to Moelfre and the small patch of coastal limestone pavement click here, I decided to do a very quick series of sketches. These were done whilst I was manning my stall in Keswick and took about two hours - while serving customers. I suppose at least this meant I couldn't be too precious about what I was doing, as I was talking etc at the same time as drawing!
Just along the coast from Beaumaris lies Penmon - with a priory, cross, well and a very impressive dovecote....and a walk out to the lighthouse.
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| The 13th Century priory and modern day church. |
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| The 10th century cross. |
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| Inside the church. |
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| The 15th century dovecote. |
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| Inside the dovecote and below. |
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| Penmon lighthouse ..and below. |
With a damp day forecast, we decided to go to Beaumaris. The castle was a must - I didn't realise it was a World Heritage site, as part of the group of 'Castles and town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd' comprising Beaumaris, Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech. It was well worth an explore...and I love the fact that it is marketed as The Greatest Castle that was never built...or more accurately, never finished due to a lack of money and a bit of trouble brewing with the Scots. There are four defensive rings including the moat - the scale and proportions of the castle is impressive.
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| Some of the 300 arrow slits... |
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| The entrances into the main area had three portculises. |
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| The Chapel - one bit that was finished. |
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| The stained glass windows. |
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| Plenty to explore... |
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| View from the wall tops. |
Continuing our walk from Moelfre, we headed inland and past the ruined 12th century Lligwy church, to Din Lligwy - a defensive settlement that was buit in the late Roman period. This was quite impressve, with an outer defensive wall, round huts and rectangular huts. The settlement was made of limestone pavement which had just been lifted from the sites bedrock. After that we visited Ligwy Cromlech - a neolithic burial chamber with an impressive capstone. When excavated in 1909, it was found to contain two different groups of bones making up the remains of 15 to 30 humans.
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| The cromlech. |
At home we are used to Limestone Pavement on the fells, but not on the coast....so plenty of photos that may lead to a variety of artwork.
The Moelfre headland is home to some spectacular coastal limestone pavement ....and rather conveniently there is a publicised round walk click here that incorporated this, although it doesn't mention it, as well as a good beach, a late Romano village with round houses and a Neolithic burial chamber. Oh, and a great cuppa and cake at Ann's pantry at the end too. I'll do another couple of blogs on the pavement and the village in due course....
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| Moelfre. |
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| Fossiliferous limestone beds. |
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| Fossils....albeit small. |
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| Fossil reef. |
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| Limestone pavement. |
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| Solution features... |
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| Spectacular platforms..... |
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| Cahpel Lligwy - 12th Century. |
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| One of the round houses at Din Lligwy - a village settlement. |
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| Neolithic burial chamber. |
