Saturday 19th May – Ty Newydd, Uwchmynydd

In the morning we walked the short distance to the end of the Braich-Y-Pwll headland to St. Mary's Well. A small spring feeds a tiny stream that runs down the little valley leading to the rocky shore. Just a few metres away a series of rock-cut steps, followed by a scramble over rocks takes you to a small pool just above the level of the high tide. The pool and the rocks below are covered in moss indicating that the water is fresh. It is said that the pilgrims stopped here as part of their pilgrimage and to collect water for their trip over to Bardsey Island. However there is a small well associated with the spring in the valley and this looks like a much more practical place to collect water. It is also said that the pilgrims set off from here in their boats but I find that very difficult to believe as the coast here is very rocky and totally unsuitable for boats. It would surely have introduced even more risk into what was already a dangerous crossing to the island. Local believe that the embarkation point was much more likely to have been Porth Meudwy, just a short distance around the coast where there is a sheltered bay and beach. The Medieval pilgrims were travelling to the island of 20,000 saints and the walk and crossing were so difficult that three pilgrimages to Bardsey were considered by the church to be equal to one pilgrimage to Rome.

After lunch I took a walk around the hill of Mynydd Mawr, the highest hill on the headland. I could see a long way from here but the overcast conditions made it look very gloomy. However the main reason for climbing the hill was to phone my brother. We couldn't get an Orange or Vodafone signal in the campsite but here there was excellent Orange coverage.

Photos: Walkers drinking water from the mossy pool that is St. Mary's Well; Jane at the more practical St. Mary's Other Well; The prehistoric standing stone opposite Bardsey Island.