Steve Hayward and Eric Chambers of the Friends of Anglesey Coastal Path place the final plaque

Walkers on part of the Wales Coast Path will be able to check their exact position after the installation of plaques detailing grid references.

The signs, on the Isle of Anglesey, will also feature Welsh place names to spark interest in the locality.

The Friends of the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path is funding the scheme, which was prompted by a meeting with Coastguard staff. The Welsh Place Name Society is also involved in providing the information on the plaques.

The Friends said the project aims to promote safety along the path following concerns expressed by the Holyhead Coastguard while also drawing attention to some local place-names along the coastal path.

The 225km Wales Coast Path attracts many thousands of people to some of the most stunning and remote areas of the Welsh coastline. As the numbers of walkers increase, the Friends of the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path said they are eager to ensure that people who find themselves in difficulties can accurately report their position to the Coastguard.

A Friends spokesperson said: “The idea for placing grid reference plaques was first conceived following one of our regular group visits to Holyhead Coastguard where we discussed how safety could be improved on the coastal path.

“We agreed on the locations and the design of the plaques following constructive discussions with Anglesey County Council, Natural Resources Wales and the Welsh Place Name Society and we’re aiming to complete the work by the end of the summer.”

More than 250 plaques will display a six-figure grid reference on a colour-coded background and an associated sequential number, allowing accurate reporting of a position to the Coastguard.

One of the plaques attached to a coastal path finger post

The new signs will also include the name of the location.

The Welsh Place Name Society said: “By contributing to the project, the society hopes to spark interest in local place names and enrich the experiences of coast-path walkers. For those who are interested in landscape, history and the natural world, place names are a key to understanding the world around us.

“We hope that the names will interest visitors to our island as well as local users and that some will be curious enough to find out more.”

The society said that interest sparked by the project could uncover yet more historic place-names.

“We know that in some communities people remember older names and we would love to hear from Anglesey’s residents who have evidence of these and of oral traditions associated with them,” it said.

More information on the Anglesey Coastal Path can be found on the Friends’ website.