The Cei Bach circular walk

A relaxing 1.5 mile walk, this section of the coastal path starts near the Cei Bach Country Club and offers some fine views of New Quay and Llanina Point. These photos were taken on an afternoon in mid November. This walk is best taken when the tide is low enough to return along the beach.

The sign for the coastal path can be seen on the right hand side of the road down to Cei Bach Beach, near New Quay. You will pass a cluster of old farm buildings used for storing materials from the Quay West Caravan Park. Turning left here, you will see the gate leading on to an old track.

The old walls edging the track are full of ferns. On the left is the Hart's Tongue Fern (Asplenium scolopendrium) abundant throughout the woods on these coastal slopes. Also seen on this section is the Scaly Male Fern (Dryopteris Affinis).

The track leaves the woodland and then crosses three sheep fields. There is a nice view of New Quay in the background. Wellington boots are useful for this walk!

The path is adequately marked with large wooden signs and smaller metal signs nailed to gates and fence posts.
 

The path enters the section of woodland above Cei Bach Beach. The woods are dominated by Birch, Ash and Sallow.

 

On the left we found an enormous 'fairy ring' of toadstools some forty feet in diameter.

When you reach the top of the path, there is a four way junction. The Coastal Path continues ahead to Aberaeron, a farm track turns inland to the right, and the path down to Cei Bach Beach will be seen on the left. On this section of the path are spectacular views across to New Quay and up the coast towards Aberystwyth. The photo at the top of the page shows Llanina Point in the foreground, with New Quay behind.

The path comes out towards the end of Cei Bach Beach.

Lime Kilns - The remains of an old lime kiln can be seen jutting from the slopes above the beach. Lime was very much in demand in the past for agriculture and as as lime mortar for building - lime mortar was used in Ceredigion before Portland cement was available. It was also needed for Lime wash - the original whitewash used to paint stone cottages white.

One of the few flowers to be seen in November at Cei Bach is the Sea Mayweed (Tripleurospermum maritimum) which grows on the newly exposed clay at the foot of the slopes.  

Coastal erosion -  Although much of the shore line of Ceredigion is faced largely by rock cliffs, at Cei Bach and in a few other places, the rock face occurs a short distance inland, hidden by glacial deposits; a mixture of stones, gravel, sand and clay. These are easily washed away by high tides and storms - as can be seen from this photo where a soft clay deposit is being washed out by freshwater from above.
 

The end of the walk - up the wide path from the beach to the road. There are public toilets (seasonal) here.
 

Siani Pob Man - Jane Leonard, 1834-1917 lived in a run down mud walled cottage on the beach in Cei Bach. She gained the name Siani Pob Man from her habit of roaming the neighbourhood, stopping at farms and houses for food especially during harvest time or when bread was baked.  She lived with a collection of hens, ducks, cats and a goat.