Gŵyl newydd i ddathlu llwybr pererindod Ynys Môn
Bydd gŵyl newydd sy’n dathlu llwybr pererindod Cybi a Seiriol ar Ynys Môn yn cael ei chynnal yr haf hwn, gyda theithiau cerdded, sgyrsiau, cerddoriaeth a digwyddiadau treftadaeth mewn eglwysi ledled yr ynys.
Wedi’i threfnu gan Esgobaeth Bangor, cynhelir Gŵyl Cybi a Seiriol rhwng 3 a 5 Gorffennaf. Hon yw’r ŵyl gyntaf i ganolbwyntio ar Lwybr Cybi a Seiriol, llwybr pererindod 57 milltir sydd wedi’i ysbrydoli gan hanes y seintiau o’r chweched ganrif, Cybi a Seiriol.
Mae rhaglen yr ŵyl yn cynnwys teithiau pererindod dan arweiniad, datganiad sielo ym Mhenmon, sgyrsiau ar hanes lleol a thirweddau cysegredig, perfformiad sy’n archwilio llongddrylliad y Royal Charter, a gwasanaeth pererindod a bendith ym Mhenmon.
Wedi’i ysbrydoli gan hanes y seintiau o’r chweched ganrif, Cybi a Seiriol, mae’r llwybr pererindod yn ymestyn o Gaergybi i Benmon ac yn mynd heibio rhai o dirnodau crefyddol, hanesyddol a naturiol pwysicaf Ynys Môn. Yn ôl traddodiad, sefydlodd Cybi a Seiriol gymunedau crefyddol ar ddau ben yr ynys. Ymsefydlodd Cybi yng Nghaergybi, tra sefydlodd Seiriol fynachlog ym Mhenmon. Dywed y chwedl fod y ddau sant yn cyfarfod yn rheolaidd ger canol yr ynys i weddïo ac i rannu cymdeithas.
Ymhlith uchafbwyntiau’r llwybr mae Eglwys Sant Cybi o fewn y gaer Rufeinig yng Nghaergybi, yr arfordir o amgylch Rhoscolyn a Ffynnon Gwenfaen, Melin Llynon, sef melin wynt weithredol olaf Cymru, Siambr Gladdu Lligwy sy’n 5,000 o flynyddoedd oed, Cofeb llongddrylliad y Royal Charter ger Moelfre, Caer Oes Haearn Bwrdd Arthur, Ffynnon Seiriol Sant a Phriordy Penmon.
Dywedodd Archddiacon Môn, John Harvey: “Rydyn ni'n gweld diddordeb cynyddol mewn pererindod ledled Cymru oherwydd rhaglenni fel BBC Pilgrimage. Mae pobl yn mwynhau’r cyfle i gerdded, darganfod llefydd newydd a dysgu am rai o eglwysi hanesyddol Ynys Môn.”
"Mae llawer yn adnabod arfordir Ynys Môn, ond mae llai yn gyfarwydd â straeon yr eglwysi a’r seintiau sydd i’w cael ar hyd y ffordd. Mae’r ŵyl yn gyfle i gyflwyno’r straeon hynny i gynulleidfa ehangach."
Ychwanegodd, "Mae’r ŵyl hon yn gyfle i brofi’r llwybr drwy gerdded, cerddoriaeth, hanes neu addoliad. Gobeithiwn y bydd yn annog mwy o bobl i ymweld â’r eglwysi a’r cymunedau sy’n gwneud y llwybr hwn yn brofiad pererindod gwirioneddol arbennig."
Gall pererinion sy’n dilyn y llwybr brynu pasbort a chasglu 11 o stampiau mewn eglwysi ar hyd y daith. Cafodd dyluniadau’r stampiau eu creu gan ddisgyblion o ysgolion ger y llwybr pererindod, ac maent yn adlewyrchu hanes a chymeriad yr eglwysi a’r safleoedd y maent yn eu cynrychioli.
Mae pob digwyddiad am ddim, er bod angen archebu lle ymlaen llaw ar gyfer y rhan fwyaf o’r gweithgareddau. Mae’r manylion ar gael ar dudalen Eventbrite yr ŵyl.
Ynglŷn â’r llwybr
Mae Llwybr Cybi a Seiriol yn dechrau yn Eglwys Sant Cybi yng Nghaergybi, a adeiladwyd o fewn muriau caer Rufeinig lle sefydlodd y sant ei fynachlog yn y chweched ganrif. Mae’r llwybr yn ymuno â Llwybr Arfordir Ynys Môn, gan basio clogwyni dramatig, cilfachau cudd a rhai o olygfeydd môr gorau’r ynys. Yn Rhoscolyn, gall cerddwyr ymweld â Ffynnon Gwenfaen, ffynnon sanctaidd anghysbell sydd wedi bod yn gysylltiedig ag iacháu ers mwy na 1,000 o flynyddoedd.
Ymhellach i’r dwyrain, mae’r llwybr yn mynd heibio Melin Llynon, y felin wynt olaf yng Nghymru sy’n dal i weithio, cyn cyrraedd tirweddau hynafol Lligwy, lle gall ymwelwyr archwilio siambr gladdu Neolithig sy’n fwy na 5,000 oed. Ger Moelfre, mae cofeb sy’n edrych dros yr arfordir yn nodi safle trychineb y Royal Charter, un o’r llongddrylliadau gwaethaf yn hanes Prydain, a ddenodd Charles Dickens yn ddiweddarach i Ynys Môn i adrodd ar y drychineb. Gellir darllen ei adroddiadau yn The Uncommercial Traveller a The Wreck of the Royal Charter.
Tua diwedd y bererindod, gall cerddwyr ddringo Bwrdd Arthur, bryngaer o Oes yr Haearn gyda golygfeydd panoramig dros Ynys Môn ac Eryri, cyn disgyn i Benmon, lle mae Ffynnon Sant Seiriol a Phriordy canoloesol Penmon yn nodi pen draw’r llwybr.
New festival to celebrate Anglesey pilgrimage route
A new festival celebrating Anglesey's Cybi a Seiriol pilgrimage route will take place this summer, with walks, talks, music and heritage events held in churches across the island.
Organised by the Diocese of Bangor, Gŵyl Cybi a Seiriol will be held from 3–5 July and is the first festival centred on Llwybr Cybi a Seiriol, a 57-mile pilgrimage route inspired by the story of the sixth-century saints Cybi and Seiriol.
The festival programme includes guided pilgrim walks, a cello recital at Penmon, talks on local history and sacred landscapes, a performance exploring the Royal Charter shipwreck, and a pilgrimage service and blessing at Penmon.
Inspired by the story of the sixth-century saints Cybi and Seiriol, the pilgrimage route stretches from Holyhead to Penmon and passes through some of Anglesey's most important religious, historic and natural landmarks. According to tradition, Cybi and Seiriol established religious communities at opposite ends of Anglesey. Cybi settled at Holyhead, while Seiriol founded a monastery at Penmon. Legend says the two saints regularly met near the centre of the island for prayer and fellowship.
Highlights along the route include St Cybi's Church within the Roman fort at Holyhead, the coastline around Rhoscolyn and St Gwenfaen's Well, Wales's last working windmill at Melin Llynon, the 5,000-year-old Lligwy Burial Chamber, the Royal Charter shipwreck memorial near Moelfre, the Iron Age hillfort of Bwrdd Arthur, St Seiriol's Holy Well and Penmon Priory.
Archdeacon of Anglesey John Harvey, says, "We're seeing growing interest in pilgrimage across Wales because of programmes like BBC Pilgrimage. People enjoy the chance to walk, discover new places and learn about some of Anglesey's historic churches.
"Many people know Anglesey's coastline, but fewer know the stories of the churches and saints found along the way. The festival is an opportunity to bring those stories to a wider audience."
He added: "This festival is a chance to experience the route through walking, music, history or worship. We hope it will encourage more people to visit the churches and communities that make this route a truly special pilgrimage experience."
Pilgrims following the route can purchase a passport and collect 11 stamps at churches along the way. The stamp designs were created by pupils from schools near the pilgrimage route and reflect the history and character of the churches and sites they represent.
All events are free, although advance booking is required for most activities. Details can be found on the festival's Eventbrite page.
About the route
- Llwybr Cybi a Seiriol begins at St Cybi's Church in Holyhead, built within the walls of a Roman fort where the saint established his monastery in the sixth century. The route joins the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path, passing dramatic cliffs, hidden coves and some of the island's finest sea views. At Rhoscolyn, walkers can visit St Gwenfaen's Well, a remote holy well associated with healing for more than 1,000 years.
- Further east, the route passes Melin Llynon, the last working windmill in Wales, before reaching the ancient landscapes around Lligwy, where visitors can explore a Neolithic burial chamber more than 5,000 years old. Near Moelfre, a memorial overlooking the coast marks the site of the Royal Charter disaster, one of the worst shipwrecks in British history, which later drew Charles Dickens to Anglesey to report on the tragedy. His accounts can be read in ’The Uncommercial Traveller' and 'The Wreck of the Royal Charter'.
- Towards the end of the pilgrimage, walkers can climb Bwrdd Arthur, an Iron Age hillfort with panoramic views across Anglesey and Eryri, before descending to Penmon where St Seiriol's Holy Well and the medieval Penmon Priory mark the final destination of the route.