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Porth Gwalch

Bay in Anglesey

Wales

Porth Gwalch

St Gwenfaen's Church, Rhoscolyn
St Gwenfaen's Church, Rhoscolyn Credit: Chris Andrews

Porth Gwalch, also known as Gwalch Bay, is a picturesque bay located on the southern coast of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. It is situated between the villages of Aberffraw and Rhosneigr, overlooking the Irish Sea.

The bay is renowned for its stunning sandy beach, which stretches for approximately 2 miles. The golden sands are perfect for sunbathing, picnicking, and building sandcastles. The beach is also a popular spot for watersports enthusiasts, offering great conditions for windsurfing, kiteboarding, and sailing.

Porth Gwalch offers breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, with rolling sand dunes and rugged cliffs adding to its natural beauty. The bay is part of a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), ensuring its preservation for future generations to enjoy.

The area is home to a variety of wildlife, including numerous bird species that can be spotted along the coastline. It is a great spot for birdwatching, with the chance to see curlews, oystercatchers, and sandpipers among others.

Porth Gwalch is a peaceful and tranquil location, perfect for those seeking relaxation and a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Visitors can take leisurely walks along the beach, explore the nearby sand dunes, or simply enjoy the breathtaking views.

Overall, Porth Gwalch is a hidden gem on the Isle of Anglesey, offering a beautiful beach, stunning views, and a peaceful atmosphere that makes it a must-visit destination for nature lovers and beach enthusiasts.

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Porth Gwalch Images

Images are sourced within 2km of 53.247198/-4.612582 or Grid Reference SH2575. Thanks to Geograph Open Source API. All images are credited.

St Gwenfaen's Church, Rhoscolyn
St Gwenfaen's Church, Rhoscolyn
Ty Crainc, Rhoscolyn Also known as Ty Craingc on the OS map.
Ty Crainc, Rhoscolyn
Also known as Ty Craingc on the OS map.
Sculpture at Borthwen
Sculpture at Borthwen
Paddling round Rhoscolyn Beacon
Paddling round Rhoscolyn Beacon
Skerry hopping round Rhoscolyn Beacon
Skerry hopping round Rhoscolyn Beacon
Heading Back to Borthwen from Maen-y-frân
Heading Back to Borthwen from Maen-y-frân
Caves to explore in Rhoscolyn cliffs
Caves to explore in Rhoscolyn cliffs
Porth y Corwgl
Porth y Corwgl
Trig point at Rhoscolyn Rhoscolyn is a small settlement close to the west coast of Anglesey. The view beyond the trig point is along the coast north-westwards toward a dimly seen, partly misted Holyhead Mountain.
Trig point at Rhoscolyn
Rhoscolyn is a small settlement close to the west coast of Anglesey. The view beyond the trig point is along the coast north-westwards toward a dimly seen, partly misted Holyhead Mountain.
Rhoscolyn Lifeboat Station - Now a dwelling
Rhoscolyn Lifeboat Station - Now a dwelling
Borthwen Beach
Borthwen Beach
Borthwen A few people are about on the beach, but all are well wrapped up on this cold Easter Saturday.
Borthwen
A few people are about on the beach, but all are well wrapped up on this cold Easter Saturday.
Signs at Borthwen A rather oversized sign erected by Isle of Anglesey County Council asking people to keep off the dunes stands by the path down to the beach from the car park. A more discreet hand-written sign points the way to an art exhibition the other end of the beach.
Signs at Borthwen
A rather oversized sign erected by Isle of Anglesey County Council asking people to keep off the dunes stands by the path down to the beach from the car park. A more discreet hand-written sign points the way to an art exhibition the other end of the beach.
Boggy pool Water rising in springs near to St Gwenfaen's Well makes a wide marshy pool above Porth Gwalch, whose cliffs are in the background.
Boggy pool
Water rising in springs near to St Gwenfaen's Well makes a wide marshy pool above Porth Gwalch, whose cliffs are in the background.
St. Gwenfaen's Well Abundant water at the spring for our visit.
St. Gwenfaen's Well
Abundant water at the spring for our visit.
Tilted strata From this distance there is no suggestion of the intense deformation that these rocks have suffered. The rocks exposed are metamorphosed muddy sandstones of Precambrian age known as the South Stack Formation. In this area we are on the northern, gently-dipping limb of the Rhoscolyn Anticline.
Tilted strata
From this distance there is no suggestion of the intense deformation that these rocks have suffered. The rocks exposed are metamorphosed muddy sandstones of Precambrian age known as the South Stack Formation. In this area we are on the northern, gently-dipping limb of the Rhoscolyn Anticline.
Glacially-smoothed outcrop Although the major interest in the rocks here relates to their history of deformation, some glacial features are noteworthy in addition. Here the rocks are of the Precambrian Holyhead Quartzite, and the raised feature on the local skyline is a classic roche-moutonnee. The ice-movement direction is right-to-left, giving a smooth, rounded shape in the up-ice direction, while the down-ice side is heavily plucked and angular.
Glacially-smoothed outcrop
Although the major interest in the rocks here relates to their history of deformation, some glacial features are noteworthy in addition. Here the rocks are of the Precambrian Holyhead Quartzite, and the raised feature on the local skyline is a classic roche-moutonnee. The ice-movement direction is right-to-left, giving a smooth, rounded shape in the up-ice direction, while the down-ice side is heavily plucked and angular.
Bed boundary The steeply-inclined rock surface that ends at the smooth grass is the top of the Holyhead Quartzite, which forms the outcrop to the right of the image. To the left, the cliff edge is formed by rougher, grey-coloured beds of the overlying Rhoscolyn Formation. The steep dip of this contact is the key to understanding the structure of the Rhoscolyn Anticline, a much-studied part of the Precambrian geology of Anglesey, and one which has created great controversy in the past.
Bed boundary
The steeply-inclined rock surface that ends at the smooth grass is the top of the Holyhead Quartzite, which forms the outcrop to the right of the image. To the left, the cliff edge is formed by rougher, grey-coloured beds of the overlying Rhoscolyn Formation. The steep dip of this contact is the key to understanding the structure of the Rhoscolyn Anticline, a much-studied part of the Precambrian geology of Anglesey, and one which has created great controversy in the past.
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Porth Gwalch is located at Grid Ref: SH2575 (Lat: 53.247198, Lng: -4.612582)

Unitary Authority: Isle of Anglesey

Police Authority: North Wales

What 3 Words

///vent.replying.typified. Near Valley, Isle of Anglesey

Nearby Locations

Maen yr Esgyll St Gwenfaen's Well Porth Gwalch Maen-y-frân Porth Saint Rhoscolyn Head

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Nearby Amenities

Located within 500m of 53.247198,-4.612582
Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 53.2500181/-4.611575
OpenStreetMap
Google Maps
Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 53.2502545/-4.610633
OpenStreetMap
Google Maps
Source: PGS
Lat/Long: 53.2507314/-4.6095759
OpenStreetMap
Google Maps
Barrier: kissing_gate
Foot: designated
Material: wood
Lat/Long: 53.247432/-4.6109901
OpenStreetMap
Google Maps
Barrier: kissing_gate
Lat/Long: 53.250991/-4.6086065
OpenStreetMap
Google Maps
The data included in this document is from www.openstreetmap.org. The data is made available under ODbL.
Acairseid Choinnich Oig Sutherland
Aberporth Bay Cardiganshire

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