Nature, trails and village history offer different reasons to discover Pentraeth. Pentraeth Forest has a viewpoint overlooking Red Wharf Bay. At the same time, St Mary’s Church and the Panton Arms Hotel offer insights into the village’s architectural history.
Forest and views over Red Wharf Bay
Red Wharf Bay lies on the east coast of Anglesey between the villages of Pentraeth and Benllech. In Welsh, the bay is called Traeth Coch. The viewpoint in Pentraeth Forest looks out over this coastal area. The forest itself is a 3 km² coniferous woodland, established in the 1950s. The landscape views and the history of the forest are therefore part of a nature theme that extends beyond the coast.
Two details are useful for planning a walk, each answering a different question. The circular walk from Pentraeth starts at the car park on Brick Street, in the centre of the village and near the church. A different route is described for the journey from Pentraeth to Beaumaris along the Wales Coast Path: after parking in Pentraeth, it follows Brick Street, crosses a bridge and reaches the Wales Coast Path via a cattle grid at the quieter end of Red Wharf Bay. This route is described as 12 miles (19 kilometres) to Llangoed or 15 miles (24 kilometres) for the full distance.
The starting point for the circular walk and the route towards Beaumaris are therefore not the same planning detail. If you are considering a walk, you can first distinguish between the circular walk described here and the longer Coast Path route. For the second route, the two distances help distinguish the section to Llangoed from the full distance.
Church and village character
The Church of St Mary is a Grade II listed building. Its west wall preserves medieval masonry, and the church also has important monuments from the 18th and 19th centuries. These traces from different periods add several layers to the building’s history: the medieval masonry belongs to the older fabric, while the monuments reflect later centuries. Those interested in architectural history will find specific details here rather than just a date.
The Panton Arms Hotel also contributes to Pentraeth’s historic character. The hotel and inn date from the early to mid-18th century and are an integral part of the village landscape. Together with St Mary’s, it draws attention to different aspects of the village’s history: a historic hotel and inn on the one hand, and a church with medieval masonry and monuments from two later centuries on the other.
Another nearby attraction
Stone Science, a family-run museum about the history of the development of the Earth, is located nearby. Dioramas illustrate this development, including the dinosaurs. The collection also includes thousands of fossils, minerals, crystals and arrowheads. Stone Science offers a different focus from the forest and bay: it centres on the history of the Earth, rather than the landscape of Anglesey’s east coast. If you are planning a visit, check the current opening hours in advance.
When looking for hotels in Pentraeth, you can use the points of interest mentioned above to guide your travel decisions: nature and views, a circular walk or a longer stretch of the Wales Coast Path, village architecture or the nearby museum. This lets you match your choice of accommodation to what interests you most in Pentraeth and the surrounding area, without combining the different routes and attractions into a single itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Llanerchymedd, Amlwch, Moelfre, Beaumaris, Bull Bay, Llangefni, Llanfachraeth, Rhoscolyn
For the broader travel overview: Isle Of Anglesey.
