Enjoy a stunning variety of coastal and wetland flora and fauna, including migrating birds and marine animals, at this biodiversity hotspot
Delve into Neolithic and Iron Age remains, including the ‘sacred lake’ at Llyn Cerrig Bach and the chambered tomb of Bryn Celli Ddu
Discover ‘the best castle never built’ at Beaumaris, the final stronghold of Edward I
"Peter was very well informed and enthusiastic and took care to ensure that everyone got the maximum out of the trip”
– ACE customer on a 2025 tour led by Peter Exley
Anglesey, an island off Wales's northwest coast, boasts diverse habitats including sea cliffs, dunes, marshes, plains and coasts, which support a rich variety of birds, plants and wildlife. Its complex geology, with various rock types and structures on a separate tectonic plate, is also key to understanding the movements of the earth’s crust. On our tour, we will uncover North Wales's biodiversity and history, set against the stunning Snowdonia National Park.
Our journey includes a highlight visit to the 6th century Penmon Priory, founded by St Seiriol. Located on the peaceful eastern tip of Anglesey, this church features a holy well emerging from a nearby cliff and an impressive cross dating from the 10th century adorned with intricate frets and plaits. Moving to the coast, we will observe diverse coastal wildlife, including razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars, and marine animals such as seals and porpoises, while also looking for land animals including roe deer, water voles, otters and badgers in the fields, hedgerows and riverbanks. We also hope to spot puffins from nearby Puffin Island, which breed here in considerable numbers.
The Menai Strait's powerful, complex tides create a confusing, multi-directional water flow, leading to a unique and diverse ecosystem rich in fish and sponges. As we follow this route, observing the tidal shifts, we will explore the beautiful scenery of Ynys yr Eglwys – ‘Island of the Church’ – where we can admire distinct coastal flora like saltmarsh plants and a wide array of marine life and seabirds.
RSPB South Stack, where heathland and farmland meet rugged sea cliffs, is a crucial breeding ground for guillemots, razorbills, choughs and puffins; and also features Ellin's Tower, a Victorian structure overlooking the cliffs and sea. Meanwhile, at Cemlyn Bay, we hope to see a variety of bird and plant species including sea kale, sea campion and the only nesting colony of Sandwich terns in Wales.
Intertwined with the wildlife, our tour journeys deep into Anglesey’s human past, examining the wealth of the Iron Age societies who regarded the island as a sacred landscape. Highlights will range from the Iron Age huts at Ty Mawr to the ‘sacred lake’ at Llyn Cerrig Bach, where a large hoard of Iron Age metalwork was discovered during the Second World War. We will also explore the ancient village of Din Lligwy with its myriad of Roman foundational remains and the Neolithic chambered tomb of Bryn Celli Ddu, one of Anglesey’s most famous prehistoric landmarks.
Moving to the medieval period, we hope to visit Beaumaris, known as 'the best castle that was never built'. This final castle of Edward I's Welsh campaigns was left largely unfinished due to the Scottish war's funding demands. Its large size and near-perfect symmetrical plan represent a magnificent incomplete military undertaking.
Peter Exley
Peter is an ecologist and conservationist who worked for the RSPB for over 27 years, including projects reintroducing cranes to Somerset, saving seabirds on Lundy and the Isles of Scilly, with BirdLife International in South Korea, and the Albatross Task Force in South Africa.
This tour will be led by Peter Exley, BSc, an ecologist and conservationist who worked for the RSPB for over 27 years, including projects reintroducing cranes to Somerset, saving seabirds on Lundy and the Isles of Scilly, with BirdLife International in South Korea, and the Albatross Task Force in South Africa. He is a Trustee of Devon Birds and secretary of Moor Meadows. His special interest is interpreting nature and landscapes, and he is one of the authors of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site Interpretation Strategy.
6
£1895
ANGS-26
Limited places - please contact us on 01223 841055 to enquire.
Included: accommodation based on sharing a standard twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, three dinners with water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, standard double room for single use supplement £350. Limited rooms with sea view are available at a supplement.
