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Wales Online
06-08-2025
- Wales Online
Dreamy beach has a historic lighthouse and wildlife-filled dunes
Dreamy beach has a historic lighthouse and wildlife-filled dunes This golden sand beach is worth visiting for its wildlife-rich dunes, historic lighthouse, and coastal trail with a pub stop The long beach is lined by huge dunes but is best known for its listed lighthouse (Image: Andrew Forgrave/North Wales Live) We are blessed with an abundance of beaches in Wales. From golden sands to rocky bays and secluded coves, there are plenty of places to dip your toes in the water and plod along winding coastal paths. While popular places like Rhossili and Tenby get a lot of love, and rightly so, some of the quieter spots deserve a look too. Talacre Beach in North Wales is worth visiting for its wildlife-rich dunes, historic lighthouse, and coastal trail with a pub stop. Sitting across the River Dee from the Wirral, this beautiful beach has miles of golden sand backed by dunes and is strewn with coloured pebbles and shells. Parking, loos, and a beachside cafe, Lola & Suggs, are nearby. This popular cafe serves breakfasts, homemade cakes, barista coffee, and sweet treats. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here Talacre beach in North Wales (Image: Chester Chronicle) According to the Beach Guide, the area around the beach and dunes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) with rare species, including a collection of natterjack toads. For keen birders, it's a brilliant spot for birdwatching, especially during spring and autumn migrations. Bring your binoculars, and you might see a variety of birds, including oystercatchers, knots, dunlin, redshank, curlew, and ringed plovers. If you're lucky, you might also catch a glimpse of swooping peregrine falcons, sandpipers, sanderlings and cormorants. Offshore are Grey Seals and Harbour Porpoises, so keep an eye out for them in the choppy waters. A grey seal family resting on rocks (Image: Rawlinson_Photography via Getty Images) It's also where you'll find the historic and photogenic Point of Ayr Lighthouse, known locally as Talacre Lighthouse. This reputedly haunted lighthouse appears marooned on its own island off the Flintshire coast when viewed on Google Maps. The map is deceptive, though, as the 60-foot structure is surprisingly accessible at low tide, when the waters recede, clearing a footpath to the tower. Built in 1776, this Grade II listed lighthouse guided ships entering the Dee estuary for over a century before its closure in 1883. When Chester was a thriving port long before Liverpool stole the spotlight, navigation relied on lights at Whitford Garn in Flintshire and Hillbre Island on the Wirral, funded by the Earl of Chester. However, the tragic loss of two Dublin-bound vessels in 1776 sparked calls for better coastal lighting, paving the way for the construction of Point of Ayr. Talacre lighthouse (Image: Visit Wales) Designed by Henry Turner, the lighthouse was ingeniously built on sand, supported by screw piles drilled deep below the surface. The sturdy tower featured three floors and even a coal store tucked away in its basement. Originally, the lighthouse had two lights. The main light, perched 63 feet high, cast its beam towards Llandudno, while a lower light guided vessels navigating the River Dee. Together, they made the lighthouse a vital guardian of the craggy North Wales coast. Lighthouse was sold to private ownership in 1922 and is currently owned by the nearby holiday park. While long deserted by keepers, it remains a commanding figure overlooking the Irish Sea and has a haunting secret. According to Go North Wales, the historic lighthouse holds a chilling reputation as one of the most haunted places in North Wales. Visitors and locals have reported eerie sightings of a figure resembling a keeper standing atop the lighthouse. Some mediums and paranormal professionals also claim to have made contact with a lingering spirit of a man tormented by heartbreak, while others describe the presence of someone who succumbed to a fever, a fate said to have befallen the lighthouse's former keeper, Raymond. The ghostly legend surrounding Point of Ayr Lighthouse is so strong that its owners sought permission to install a sculpture inspired by tales of a spectral figure in an old-fashioned keeper's coat, often seen near the lighthouse. (Image: Christopher Furlong, Getty Images) Created by Talacre-based artist Angela Smith, the 7-foot sculpture The Keeper was installed on the lighthouse balcony in 2010 as a tribute to the tales of the ghostly figure seen there. Crafted from about 120 separate stainless steel pieces, the sculpture is more than just a silhouette of a man; it's a celebration of the sea. Each piece is inspired by coastal elements, including starfish, dolphins, and ripples in the sand, reflecting the lighthouse's connection to its maritime surroundings. While you can't go inside the eerie lighthouse, at low tide, you can walk right up to the structure to get a closer look and maybe even spot a lonely lighthouse keeper. Talacre beach (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live) From the lighthouse, you can hop onto the nearby Wales Coast Path circular route, which offers estuary views, bird-spotting opportunities at the RSPB bird hide, and a pub stop at the dog-friendly Lighthouse Inn. It's an easy stomp along the shore, with paths suitable for families and buggies. At the end of Station Road, go up onto the embankment. Take the path to the right, which is clearly signed with orange way markers 'Point of Ayr Circular'. The path is straight and wide, with a gravel surface to start. It also has information panels, picnic benches, and sculptures. Article continues below Continue following the markers, pass the bird hide, and enjoy the views of the estuary and the haunted lighthouse. You can complete the loop or extend your walk along the Wales Coast Path.
North Wales Live
13-07-2025
- Automotive
- North Wales Live
Live updates - A5 closed in Eryri due to 'serious' crash with drivers told to divert
A second section of the A5 has been closed today, this time in northwest Wales. Traffic Wales said the road has been shut in both directions due to a serious crash between Capel Curig and Llyn Ogwen. Emergency services are at the scene and drivers are being asked to avoid the area. Earlier, the A5 in Denbighshire was closed while fire teams battled a roadside blaze. This is a breaking news story. We will bring you all the latest as we get it via the live blog below. Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you. If you have some information you can contact us by following our Twitter feed @northwaleslive - the official North Wales Live account - real news in real time. Or like - your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the North Wales Live. Don't forget you can also keep up to date with the latest via the free North Wales Live app. Download it for Apple devices here and Android devices here. North Wales Live has launched a WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone 16:09 Andrew Forgrave North Wales Police are now also asking motorists to avoid the area. It said the closure extends beyond Ogwen Cottage Centre to Bethesda. In a social media post, the force said... A5 Capel Curig is currently closed due to an ongoing incident. The road is closed from Capel Curig to Bethesda. Pease avoid the area to allow the emergency services to carry out their work safely. 16:04 Andrew Forgrave Today's incident mirrors a similar crash in the area two weeks ago. On that occasion, an accident was reported near Ogwen Cottage Centre. It closed the same stretch of road, from Pont Pen-Y-Benglog to the A4086 turn-off at Capel Curig. This collision, at 4.30pm on Saturday, June 28, saw the road being shut overnight for accident investigation work to take place. 15:56 Andrew Forgrave Initial reports suggested the crash as being near the A4086 turn-off at Capel Curig. However this is not confirmed and AA Roadwatch merely reports the A5 as being closed from the A4086 (Llanberis turn-off) to Llyn Ogwen. 15:42 Andrew Forgrave Drivers are being asked to diver via either the A55 or A470 - or both. For local people, or those stating in campsites, it could mean a significant round trip. 15:37 Andrew Forgrave Here's the alert issued by Traffic Wales..... Update 15:14A5 closed in both directions due to a serious incidentDiversion via A55 & A470↩ — Traffic Wales North & Mid (@TrafficWalesN) July 13, 2025 15:36 Andrew Forgrave Good afternoon. As soon we have updates on this incidents, we'll bring them to you here.
