DISTANCE/DURATION: 3.6 miles (5.8 km) 2 hours.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT: Service bus Llanrhian 413, *Strumble Shuttle 404 (*seasonal, hail & ride).
CHARACTER: Rugged coast, cliff edge, fields and livestock, steep descent to Porthgain.
LOOK OUT FOR: Traeth Llyfn beach, industrial archaeology: slate/stone quarries and brickworks.
CAUTION: There are steep metal steps down to the beach, but beware – parts of the beach can be cut off at high tide and there is a strong undertow so swimming can be dangerous.
From rich history to spectacular flooded lagoons…
Porthgain means ‘Chisel Port’ in English, and the connection between the history of the village and the construction industry that the chisel represents is apparent everywhere in this pretty little village.
In the harbour, which is still in use, look for the disused brick works (Ty Mawr) and red brick hoppers that used to hold the graded granite from the tiered quarry further along the coast towards Abereiddi.
Slate was also quarried here though the quarry is now fenced off, as its steep sides are dangerous; the tunnel which formerly ran from the harbour to the slate quarry is also blocked off.
Slate was also quarried at Abereiddi and transported along the tram road to Porthgain for export. Mining finally stopped here in the 1930s.
The Sloop Inn in the village dates from 1743. Traeth Llyfn is a extraordinary beach with spectacular (though unstable) cliffs and rock formations.
Look for the Blue Lagoon, an old slate quarry flooded by the sea at Abereiddi.
Text provided by the BBC
Find this Walk
Grid ref: SM813323
SAFETY FIRST!
- Take great care when on the Coast Path
- Stay on the path and away from cliff edges
- Wear boots and warm, waterproof clothing
- Take extra care in windy and/or wet conditions
- Always supervise children and dogs
- Leave gates and property as you find them
