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| About Anglesey |
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The Isle of Anglesey, or Ynys Môn in Welsh, is situated in the Irish Sea off the north-west coast of Wales. As well as being rich in nature and beautiful countryside Anglesey and the rest of North Wales are steeped in history and tradition.
Anglesey is separated from the mainland of Wales by the Menai Strait, a narrow strip of sea spanned by two picturesque bridges - Thomas Telford's suspension bridge, which was the first major suspension bridge in the world, and Britannia Bridge, one of Robert Stephenson's masterpieces of engineering.
During the middle ages Anglesey was known as "Mam Cymru" (Mother of Wales) because it's rich fertile lands were the breadbasket of the country. As you leave the island these lands quickly give way to the mountains of Snowdonia, rugged and beautiful and the scene of so much of Wale's history and culture. |
Anglesey - A Brief History
The first evidence of humans on the island comes from the Mesolithic period, about 8000 BC. Throughout the next several thousand years the various tribes that occupied Anglesey erected numerous stone burial chambers, standing stones, and hill forts, many of which have survived the millenia in good condition and can be visited today.
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Din Lligwy Cromlech
Dating from 5000 BC this ancient burial site has 25 ton capstone and is typical of such monuments.
When it was excavated in 1908, the Cromlech gave up its dead. Bones of men, women, and children were found. |
During the Roman occupation of Britain in the first century AD, Anglesey held out as the Celts and their Druidic priests maintained a stronghold on the Island. The Romans were determined to overcome this resistance and eventually defeated the Celts in a final battle on the shores of the Menai Straits- the following is an account of the battle by the contemporary Roman historian Tacitus:
"By the shore stood an opposing battle-line, thick with men and weapons, woman running between them, like the Furies in their funereal clothes, their hair flowing, carrying torches; and Druids among them, pouring out frightful curses with their hands raised high to the heavens, our soldiers being so scared by the unfamiliar sight that their limbs were paralysed, and they stood motionless and exposed to be wounded."
The Romans eventually won the battle, thus ending the last major resistance to them in England and Wales.
Following the Roman occupation Britain fell into the Dark Ages, a period of several hundred years of turmoil and upheaval from which Anglesey was not spared. In the 4th Century the island came to the attention of the Kings of Dublin. Many raids were made by the Irish and it is likely that they settled in parts of the island. There are several stone remains of typically Irish round house foundations dating from this time.
Whilst the conflict at this time was attributed to incursions by the Irish it is probable that Viking raiders based in Ireland were wholly or partly responsible. In any event full scale war eventually broke out around 400 AD and the invaders were vanquished by the Welsh, supported by Celts from the north of England.
The early medieval period saw the flourishing of the Celtic Christian faith throughout Britain and Ireland. Two main monasteries were founded on Anglesey - St. Cybi's at Holyhead and St. Seiriol's at Penmon. Viking raiders during the 12th Century caused much destruction on the island, notably at the monasteries and the seat of the Royal Court at Aberffraw. As these incursions ended the churches in the area became more numerous and many that date from this period are well preserved and still in use today.
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Penmon Priory |
St. Cybi's Church, Holyhead |
With the 13th Century came further conflict, this time between Wales and her larger neighbour, England. King Edward I of England decided to quell the rebellious Welsh, led by the last Prince of Wales, Llewelyn ap Grufydd. The King launched two campaigns against the Prince and was succesful in both, the second providing a final decisive victory. A major factor in the defeat of the Welsh was the cutting off by the English of grain supplies from Anglesey to the Prince's army. Following his success Edward built a series of castles throughout North Wales in order to keep the population subdued. These include Beaumaris Castle on Anglesey and the much larger Caernarfon Castle, which dominates the western approaches to the Menai Strait.
One of Britains major royal dynasties had important roots in Anglesey. A prominent medieval family on the island was that descended from Ednyfed Fychan, the right-hand man of Llywelyn the Great, grandfather of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd. One of his descendants was Owain Tudor, who was born on Anglesey . Owain joined the court of Henry V and after the King's death secretly married his widow. This act gave their grandson, Henry, a claim to the throne. In 1485 Henry and his supporters met King Richard III in battle on Bosworth Field in Leicestershire. The King was killed and Henry was crowned Henry VII, thus starting the era of the House of Tudor, to which belonged both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.
The start of the modern age saw Anglesey becoming important for two main reasons - copper mining and the establishment of a deep water port for travel to Ireland.
Parys Mountain in the north west of the island had been the scene of copper production since at least Roman times and probably much earlier. During the 18th century large scale mining was commenced to satisfy the insatiable demand for raw materials generated by the onset of the Industrial Revolution in Britain. At it's peak Parys Mountain was the largest copper mine in the world, it's metal being used in everything from guns to coinage. The mine declined in use during the 19th century and today is no longer in use.
Many of Anglesey's coastal bays had been used for centuries as small ports but in the 18th century Holyhead emerged as the major port, mainly because it's deep water could handle the large ocean going vessels which were becoming more numerous. Travel to Anglesey from mainland Britain was still hazardous at this time as ferries had to negotioate the treacherous currents of the Menai Strait. As the importance of travel to Ireland via Holyhead increased so too did the requirement of better lines of communication from Anglesey to England, and a new road through North Wales to the port was built by Thomas Telford in the early 19th century. This included the Telford Suspension Bridge accross the Menai Strait.
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Telford Suspension Bridge
Linking Anglesey with mainland Wales, this revolutionary design was the first major suspension bridge in the world. |
The coming of the railways in the 19th century led to the establishment of a main railway line across North Wales and the construction by the engineer Robert Stephonson in 1850 of a second bridge across the Strait, the Britannia Bridge. Originally a railway bridge only, this was later adapted to take road traffic too and is now part of the North Wales Coast Expressway, a major road connecting Anglesey, North Wales and England.
Anglesey Today
As throughout it's long history Anglesey is a largely agricultural island. It's towns and villages are seperated by thousands of acres of farmland, used mainly for sheep and cattle grazing. Industry does exist on the island, being primarily small manufacturing or service concerns. The exception to these is the huge aluminium smelting works near Holyhead - the largest such installation in the world.
Tourism is a major part of Anglesey's life. Visitors come from all over the world to enjoy the beaches and countryside of Anglesey and the mountains and tourist attractions of North Wales.
The largest towns on Anglesey are Holyhead, the main ferry port for travel to Ireland, and Llangefni, the central market town and home to the administrative offices for the island.
Smaller towns and villages include...
Beaumaris - located on the Menai Strait and the site of one of Edward I's castles built after his defeat of the Welsh Princes. The medieval Beaumaris Gaol and Court House are also popular places of interest in this historic town.
Aberffraw - this small village was incredibly once the capital of Wales and the seat of the ruling Welsh Princes prior to their defeat by the English in the 13th Century. There are still traces of this history around the village, notably the "Church in the Sea", which is exactly that.
Rhosneigr - hugely popular as a seaside holiday destination for the well-to-do in Edwardian times, Rhosneigr has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years as a mecca for watersports enthusiasts, notably windsurfing, kitesurfing and good old plain surfing. Several national and international competitions and events are held here annually.
Llanfair P.G. - this village has the longest place name in Britain: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Translated this means "The church of St. Mary in a hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and near St. Tysilio's church by the red cave". Understandably this is abbreviated to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair P.G.
The nearest major towns on the mainland are the university city of Bangor, just across the Menai Straits and Llandudno, located on the North Wales coast and famous for it's shopping and seafront promenade.
Much more information about Anglesey and North Wales is available from the Links page.
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