Not far along the coast from the Oakeley Arms Hotel is a beautiful stretch of coastline that is rich in history and legend. Shell Island lies just south of Harlech on Cardigan Bay and this special part of the coast is not only a privately owned campsite (one of the largest in Europe) but it boasts some of the most stunning views across Snowdonia.

Shell Island is technically only an island at high tide, and although the land is privately owned, the footpaths across it are open to the public. The waters off Shell Island are also steeped in history and legend because just beyond the shore lies the dangerous Sarn Padrig (St Patrick’s) causeway – a shingle and stony reef that reaches out for 15 miles from the edge of Shell Island.

And it was off the coast of Shell Island in 1825 that one of the most famous shipwreck’s of the region sadly took place. The Diamond was a powerful American ship, built and owned by shipping magnate Henry Macy.

She was on the very last leg of her journey having left New York twenty days previously, and was making her way north through the waters of Cardigan Bay on the 2^nd January 1825. Little did the passengers know that the fate of the Diamond rested with a notorious reef that lay hidden and dangerous under the choppy waters.

The ship was just a mile from shore when it struck the Sarn Padrig causeway and the mighty ship instantly relented to the blow, and began to sink immediately. Help soon came from Barmouth lifeboat station. Reports from the period are vague, but it is believed that many of the crew and passengers were saved.

The tale of the Diamond doesn’t end there. Ten years ago two local wreck divers thought they had found the wreck remains, and the site was later designated a wreck site by historical preservation body CADW.

However, it later transpired that the ruins were not that of the Diamond, and so the mysterious whereabouts of the stricken ship are yet to be discovered.

The legacy of the Diamond lives on today, with a strange twist to the tale. The ship was carrying a large cargo of apples, and following the wreck hundreds of barrels of apples washed up along the shores of Cardigan Bay, which were soon eagerly collected by locals.

A resourceful farmer planted the pips in the hills above the shore, and grew whole orchards from the seeds of Diamond apples. The large trees bearing bright red shiny fruits were gradually lost, but in 2006 one lone tree was discovered by horticulturist Ian Sturrock in the garden of a house about to be demolished. This special fruit tree breed was saved from the brink of extinction, and the Diamond Apple is now a distinctive Welsh apple variety.

So why not try our Shell Island Shipwreck Walk this weekend, and follow the footsteps of shipwreck history back in time?

Distance: Approx 6.5 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Start: River Artro Car Park, Llanbedr. (At Llanbedr Village, follow signs for Shell Island. Car park approx ¼ mile on right. Note – 2m height barrier at entrance).

Grid Ref: SH 585265

Map: OS Explorer 18 – Harlech, Porthmadog and Y Bala

 

**Please note that the causeway to Shell Island is tidal. To check tide times see www.shellisland.co.uk/tide-times

Directions:

1: At right of car park find footpath along river. Follow it, keeping river on right.

2: Cross railway line, through gate then follow path ahead.

3: Follow path alongside riverbank. Cross over stile; continue ahead along stony track.

4: At tarmac road, turn right. Follow causeway towards Shell Island Campsite.

5: Just before entrance to campsite at blue “Welcome” sign, turn left; follow path towards dunes. Keep to windy path on edge of dunes, soon turns into more defined sandy track.

6: Cross over tarmac road, then down stony track. At next tarmac road with tall dunes ahead, turn right.

7: Soon, as road bends sharply to right, take steep sandy path up dunes on left. Follow to car parking area then onto beach.

8: Walk along beach for desired time. Sarn Padrig causeway is half a mile from shore and can sometimes be visible during a very low spring tide.

9: Leave beach via same track entered, (through car park, down steep sandy path back onto tarmac road). Turn right, then next left.

10: At cross-roads with tarmac road, turn right. Follow road; at next junction turn left.

11: Look for left fork after few minutes (ahead is dead-end) and follow track to footpath. Follow path with airfield on right.

12: Through gate and at road turn right. Follow road to car park.

**Please note that these directions are for guidance only. The Oakeley Arms can accept no responsibility for any loss, damage or injury resulting from the use of this information. Always take a map with you and be prepared for the weather for turn. Do not venture out in bad weather and always take care with coastal tides.