Pentraeth: Forest, Bay and Historic Traces

Red Wharf Bay, the conifer forest of Pentraeth Forest and historic buildings give Pentraeth its distinctive character. You can include coastal scenery, a circular walk, a section of the Wales Coast Path and evidence from different centuries in your travel plans. When looking for a holiday apartment, this mix is a good starting point: consider whether you want to spend most of your days outdoors or also explore architecture and the history of the Earth.

Forest and coastal scenery

Pentraeth Forest is a 3 km² conifer forest established in the 1950s. The forest offers an excellent viewpoint over Red Wharf Bay, whose Welsh name is Traeth Coch. The bay lies on the east coast of Anglesey between the villages of Pentraeth and Benllech. Here, you can enjoy both the forest perspective with views across the bay and the coastal geography of Anglesey’s eastern side.

Circular walk and Wales Coast Path

The Pentraeth circular walk begins at the car park on Brick Street in the village centre, near the church. This starting point gives you a clear reference for planning a route through the village and is also close to an important historic building.

The route from Pentraeth to Beaumaris starts after parking in Pentraeth, follows Brick Street, crosses a bridge and reaches the Wales Coast Path through a cattle grid at the quieter end of Red Wharf Bay. The distance to Llangoed is 12 miles (19 kilometres); the full route is 15 miles (24 kilometres).

For planning purposes, the two routes offer different points of reference: the circular walk starts centrally near the church, while the route to Beaumaris can be assessed by its partial and total distance. This lets you weigh up a loop starting in the village against a walk along the Wales Coast Path.

Architecture and the history of the Earth

The Church of St Mary in Pentraeth is a Grade II listed building. Its west wall preserves medieval masonry; it also contains important monuments from the 18th and 19th centuries. Different periods come together in one building: the medieval west wall and the later monuments.

The Panton Arms Hotel is also part of Pentraeth’s village landscape. The hotel and inn dates from the early to mid-18th century and is an integral part of the village scene. Along with the church, it offers another architectural point of interest for anyone interested in the village’s historic character.

Nearby, Stone Science is a family-run museum with dioramas about the history of the Earth, including dinosaurs. The collection also includes thousands of fossils, minerals, crystals and arrowheads. Its geological themes offer a different focus from Pentraeth’s buildings and the landscape around the bay. Those planning a trip around several interests can consider nature, local history and geological collections as distinct themes.

Highlights for your trip

When looking for a holiday apartment in Pentraeth, you can first consider which of these themes you want to shape your stay: forest and coastal views, the routes, or historic and geological discoveries. The combination of a circular walk starting in the village centre and a Coast Path route described by distance provides practical guidance for planning, while the church, Panton Arms and Stone Science appeal to other interests.

Discover more destinations: Rhosgoch, Dwyran, Llanfachraeth, Newborough, Llangefni, Benllech, Llanbadrig, Gaerwen.

Back to the wider travel guide: Isle Of Anglesey.