Discover Mynydd Bodafon

Mynydd Bodafon combines a distinctive upland landscape with walking trails and a layered history. Yr Arwydd, also known as Mynydd Bodafon or Bodafon Mountain, is a rugged rocky outcrop. At 178 metres, it is the second-highest point on the island of Anglesey. From the summit, 360-degree views stretch across Anglesey to the mountains of Snowdonia beyond the Menai Strait.

Landscape, heathland and geology

Mynydd Bodafon is part of the Isle of Anglesey National Landscape and lies within a protected inland landscape that forms an important backdrop to the coast of Anglesey. Thin soils here are associated with heathland and bog vegetation. The landscape can therefore be understood not only through its elevation, but also through its soils and the vegetation that has developed from them.

The rock also shapes the landscape: the Geotrail begins at the summit of Mynydd Bodafon, an isolated mass of Precambrian quartzite. The route includes a quartzite scree slope formed by freeze-thaw weathering during the last Ice Age. Visible rock formations and geological processes stretching far back in time meet on this mountain. Those interested in geology will find tangible points of interest in the landscape, without having to separate its natural history from its walking trails.

Planning walks

The Bodafon to Moelfre Geotrail is listed as eight miles long, with an estimated walking time of four hours; it is graded moderate. The actual duration also depends on the weather and your walking pace. Another circular walk near Brynrefail is about 8.3 miles long and graded challenging. Check the distance and difficulty rating before setting out. These details provide a practical guide when comparing a longer walk and its level of difficulty with the time you have available.

The circular walk near Brynrefail links farmland, low coastal cliffs, moorland and Bodafon Mountain. On the section from Brynrefail to Bodafon, footpaths pass through gorse, over a footbridge and across boggy heathland. The condition of this terrain can change seasonally. Footpaths also lead to the summit of Bodafon; check current path and access conditions before setting out. GPX and KML map files are available to download for the circular walk near Brynrefail. Digital route data may be updated.

Brynrefail is on bus route 62 between Bangor and Amlwch. If you are planning to use this connection for your journey, check the current timetable. This lets you factor the bus information into your plans without confusing it with a statement about walking times or a specific route.

Traces of history nearby

Nearby, Din Lligwy offers a glimpse of a Romano-British settlement: well-preserved stone huts stand within an enclosure. Finds there include Roman coins from the 3rd and 4th centuries, pottery, glass and a small silver ingot. Smelting furnaces and iron slag also suggest that the site was used for metalworking. The structural remains and the finds offer different ways to explore the history of the site.

Also nearby is Capel Llugwy, a ruined 12th-century chapel overlooking Lligwy Bay. It is probably the only remaining evidence of a larger community that was eventually abandoned by its inhabitants. This probable interpretation of its history is part of the story, alongside the surviving chapel itself.

Other historic buildings represent different periods and forms. Capel Bethesda on Mynydd Bodafon is a small chapel with an adjoining house arranged in a single row, dating from 1897. It is regarded as an important example of the small, informal rural settlement that developed on the mountain. Nearby, Plas Bodafon is a significant late-medieval manor house with notable early architectural features. On the ground floor of the oldest part of the building, a lintel bears the initials and date “IW 1584 IR”.

The Church of St Michael also brings together traces of different periods: the chancel and east window are among the earliest datable parts of the building and date from around 1400; an inscribed stone from around 550 is set into the south wall of the chancel. Nearby, the Morris Brothers Memorial, a tall Celtic memorial cross, commemorates four brothers who were known in the early 18th century as respected scholars, historians and land surveyors. The memorial was erected in September 1910.

Bodafon Isaf adds a farmhouse dating from the late 18th or early 19th century. Its designated significance is characterised by the house's Georgian character and a well-preserved, attached agricultural wing with a vernacular character. The Plas Bodafon standing stone, meanwhile, stands in a wood on the lower, east-facing slopes of Mynydd Bodafon. It probably dates from the Bronze Age, around 2300 to 800 BC, and is an important example of a prehistoric funerary and ritual landscape.

Bodafon Mountain Early Medieval Homestead is also located on the mountain. The site includes rectangular huts and enclosures with terraces and boundary walls. It probably formed an early medieval residence and is of national importance for its potential to enhance knowledge of early medieval settlement.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Llanbadrig, Llanfaethlu, Ty Croes, Trearddur, Dwyran, Llanfechell, Llangefni, Rhosneigr.

See the main travel guide: Isle Of Anglesey.