One of the best beaches in Wales has lost large areas of sand, with recent storms believed to be the culprit. All that’s left on Newborough beach, which is located in the southwest corner of Anglesey and is known for its golden sand and Corsican pine trees, is a layer of stones and rocks.
Storms Isha and Jocelyn have been blamed for the change in the beach’s landscape, sweeping the sand from the shore to the car park, with visitors advised this week: “If you’re looking for the sand, it’s in the car park.” Though some dog walkers have been surprised by the beach’s new appearance, there is confidence the sand will return in the ever-changing area, reports North Wales Live.
Newborough Warren’s sand dunes and its adjacent forest are managed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW), which aims to work with nature rather than against it. Earlier this month, a new public walkway was opened – running from the beach car park to the shoreline – after the old one was smothered by sand.
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Although moveable sand ladders have been placed on dune fronts to protect the path from erosion, it’s believed that its days are numbered already. An NRW spokesperson said: “We regularly monitor the accumulation of sand within the car park and remove it as it builds up. We cleared sand just before Christmas but unfortunately following the recent storms the sand has now accumulated again and we plan to remove this early next week.” Get the best user experience with WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android
There is evidence of how the coastline has evolved in the area throughout history. Just up the coast at Trwyn Du, a Bronze Age cairn is perched precariously on cliffs above Traeth Aberffraw beach. Once this was a wooded area almost four miles from the sea. Evidence for this comes from a nearby Mesolithic tool factory where flint knappers roasted hazelnuts gathered from surrounding forests.
In the 14th century, this site was covered by wind-blown sand and the same fate befell Llys Rhosyr on the outskirts of Newborough. This was perhaps the most powerful of the royal courts of Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn The Great), prince of Gwynedd – yet it was no match for nature.
In 1332, Llys Rhosyr was covered by a sand storm and it remained submerged for more than 600 years. It was partially excavated in the 1990s by Gwynedd Archaeological Trust but three-quarters of the vast site remains buried underground. It’s not the first time sand has disappeared from Anglesey beaches. “I remember decades ago when, at Porth Swtan, loads of sand disappeared to reveal stones,” said one woman on social media. “It all came back again.”
The retreating coastline is a longer-term threat in the area. In the six years to 2000, Bangor University researchers found Newborough’s shoreline had retreated inland by 50 metres. In one six-week period alone, the sea advanced six metres following winter storms. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter
There has been an attempt to stabilise the shifting sands of Newborough beach and protect the village nearby. In 1947, Corsican and Scots pine were planted to create Newborough Forest, and artificial dunes were created too. But with climate change and the prospect of sea level rises, NRW’s approach is now one of “natural and managed changes”.
In its strategy for the area, the environmental regulator said: “We will manage the shoreline to allow the coast to adapt naturally wherever possible. This will include realigning the forest boundary in places to restore natural dunes which are better able to respond to a moving coastline.”