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Isolated: Llanddwyn Island is a tidal isle cut off from the mainland at high tide<\/p>\nBy
\nDavid Atkinson<\/p>\n
Stuck for something romantic to impress your loved one this Valentine\u2019s Day? I was \u2013 until I discovered the patron saint of Welsh lovers, her folklore-rich domain in Anglesey and the wonderful appeal of an away-from-it-all, romantic break in North Wales.<\/p>\n
The country celebrated St Dwynwen\u2019s Day on January 25th and there\u2019s plenty to learn from the quirky Welsh equivalent to February 14th.<\/p>\n
The event in Wales is no commercial free-for-all; it taps into the poignancy and romance of the Celtic soul.<\/p>\n
Remembered: Two crosses stand near Twr Mawr lighthouse, close to St Dwynwen\u2019s church<\/p>\n
Dwynwen was a 5th-century beauty, the daughter of the King of Powys. She fell for a dashing young prince called Maelon, but her father would not agree to the marriage. Maelon attacked Dwynwen in a fit of passion and was turned to ice by an angel.<\/p>\n
Dwynwen pledged that if the angel were to bring Maelon back to life, she would devote herself to God alone. She then crossed the mountains of Snowdonia on horseback to find a site to establish her simple church and begin a life of spiritual devotion.<\/p>\n
She settled on Llanddwyn Island, a remote tidal islet off the west coast of Anglesey. Young lovers from across Wales would seek out Dwynwen for saintly blessings for their forthcoming marriage until she died in 497AD.<\/p>\n
Isolated: Llanddwyn Island is a tidal isle cut off from the mainland at high tide<\/p>\n
The medieval love poet Dafydd ap Gwilym first popularised her story in the 13th century, writing: \u2018Dwynwen your beauty is like a silver tear. Your church is ablaze with candlelight.\u2019<\/p>\n
Even today, Welsh lovers will exchange gifts of love spoons or jewellery engraved with love poetry on St Dwynwen\u2019s Day. Some may even take their sweetheart to the beach, close to the ruins of Dywnwen\u2019s church, to pop the question.<\/p>\n
I decided to follow her trail, strolling a seven-mile walking route through the Newborough Warren National Nature Reserve.<\/p>\n
I made my base in Beaumaris, the visitor-hub town of Anglesey. It was a cosy spot to soak up some great Welsh hospitality with a clutch of brightly painted hotels, cosy pubs and funky shops strung out along Castle Street, the main thoroughfare.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Tranquil: Beaumaris is the town most visitors head for on Anglesey<\/p>\n
On the boat-bobbing quayside, I drank in panoramic views across the Menai Strait to Snowdonia.<\/p>\n
After a comfortable night at The Townhouse, the contemporary-styled sister hotel to Beaumaris stalwart Ye Olde Bulls Head Inn, and a slap-up breakfast of local delicacies that included cockles and lava bread, I was ready for my day\u2019s walking.<\/p>\n
The walk lead me through Forestry Commission land, where red squirrels frolicked with early-spring fervour amongst the Corsican pine and silver birch trees. There was a chill in the air but my heart was warmed by the closeness to nature and a delicious sense of tranquility.<\/p>\n
Dropping down to Newborough Beach from the sand dunes, the wind engulfed me in a fine veil of salty sea-spray and gritty sand. But I pushed on. After all, Dwynwen didn\u2019t shirk from her saintly duty, nor bow down to the elements. Neither should I.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Legacy: There are few remains of St Dwynwen\u2019s church but her story lives on<\/p>\n
My reward as the beach opened up
\nbefore me was a glorious yomp across the tide-washed pebbles, the sea
\ncrashing on the beach beside me with a throaty roar. Further ahead, a
\nweathered sign marked the perimeter of Llanddwyn Island, the headland
\nstretching out into the Irish Sea, and weathered stone steps led
\nthrough a series of elaborately carved gates to the saint\u2019s inner
\nsanctum.<\/p>\n
Dwynwen\u2019s ancient, moss-covered church may have long since fallen into ruins, but the stone altar still stands proud, while a stoic Celtic cross dominates the eerie landscape. As a testament to the church as a place of pilgrimage even today, I noticed a faded bouquet of blood-red roses atop the ancient altar.<\/p>\n
The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William have been living just a short distance from here while he serves as a search and rescue helicopter pilot. I wondered if they sometimes strolled this stretch of sand. It seemed a perfect spot for some time together away from the public gaze.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/5-300x188.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Dreamy: A view through the dunes of Newborough Beach towards the Llyn Peninsula<\/p>\n
Along the headland, there is a small exhibition about Dwynwen and the geology of her remote outpost in a series of stone-built pilots\u2019 cottages. Inside, it is stark but cosy, a wood-carved effigy of Dwynwen, depicting the saint with flowing robes and cascading blond ringlets, standing guard by the door.<\/p>\n
The afternoon sun was fading and the elements gathering force for another Biblical storm. It was definitely time to head back to Beaumaris.<\/p>\n
I was looking forward to a pint of local ale in the snug at Ye Old Bulls Head Inn, a browse through the seaside-inspired prints at the Janet Bell Gallery and dinner that evening at Cennin (which means \u2018leeks\u2019), a smart new restaurant offering signature Welsh black beef and lamb dishes.<\/p>\n
But first I cast a wish into the wave-washed cove below, evoking the spirit of Dwynwen to watch over me and my loved one from her holy resting place.<\/p>\n
So, you can keep your flowers and chocolates this Valentine\u2019s Day. I\u2019ll be whisking my cariad (sweetheart) away to North Wales. When it comes to romantic gestures, I\u2019ve got a bone-fide Welsh saint on my side.<\/p>\n
The Townhouse, Beaumaris (01248 810329;\u00a0www.bullsheadinn.co.uk<\/a>) has doubles from \u00a3120 BB. By David Atkinson Stuck for something romantic to impress your loved one this Valentine\u2019s Day? I was \u2013 until I discovered the patron saint of Welsh lovers, her folklore-rich domain in Anglesey and the wonderful appeal of an away-from-it-all, romantic break in North Wales. The country celebrated St Dwynwen\u2019s Day on January 25th and there\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":107,"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19\/revisions\/107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dominatetofly.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nCennin, Beaumaris (01248 811230;\u00a0www.restaurantcennin.com<\/a>) has mains from \u00a317.95. For more about romantic breaks in Wales see www.visitwales.co.uk\/romantic-breaks<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"