MALLTRAETH

The village of Malltraeth lies at the end of Malltraeth Sands at the point where the River Cefni flows into the bay.  The name of the village derives from the Welsh for 'salt marsh'.  Thomas Telford cured the flooding which used to be a regular occurrence here by building a large embankment called Malltraeth Cob.  This area is a magnet for birdwatchers, with the Malltraeth Marsh RSPB site providing a habitat for our feathered friends consisting of reedbeds, marshes, wet grassland and little lakes.  Visitors include wintering wildfowl and there have been breeding bitterns in the past.  Another wildlife haven is Newborough Forest to the south of the village and the adjacent Newborough Warren National Nature Reserve with redshanks, godwits and ruffs among the birds which frequent the area.  There are hides by the Parc Mawr lake for observing the birds.  Llanddwyn Island near Newborough, which is attached to the rest of Anglesey for most of the time apart from at high tide, is topped by a striking 19th-century whitewash lighthouse which was used for some of the dramatic scenes in a film called Half Light, a psychological thriller starring Demi Moore.  The drama of the film itself is easily matched by the location, with its spectacular views of the Llyn Peninsula and the sea.  This short YouTube item made during the filming demonstrates the beauty of the location.  There are cottages next to the lighthouse, one of which contains displays on wildlife and the environment, while another has been restored to how it would have been around the year 1900.  The island separates Malltraeth Bay from Llanddwyn Bay, a 4-mile stretch of sand backed by vast dunes.

Map of the area.

Llandwyn Island from Newborough Beach

The old lighthouse on Ynys Llanddwyn - geograph.org.uk - 489180. Photo by Ian Warburton, via Wikimedia Commons.