Isle of Anglesey ~ Wales

The Island and county of Anglesey lies off the North-West Coast of Wales on the edge of the Irish Sea. Known in the Welsh language as Ynys Môn, it is separated from the Welsh mainland by the stretch of water called the Menai Strait over which are two bridges, the Menai Bridge built in the early 19th century by the famous engineer Thomas Telford and the Britannia Bridge. The island covers a mere 280 square miles and has Llangefni as its county town.

Anglesey has long been settled by man. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of human occupation going back as far as 7000 BC and the island is home to the famous lake Llyn Cerrig Bach where a magnificent hoard of Celtic artefacts and treasures were discovered during the mid 20th century. It is thought that the lake held special religious significance to the Celts as it seems to have been the site of sacrifice. It is known that the warriors of that period - 2nd century BC to 1st century AD - had a tradition of ritually throwing weapons and other prized objects into deep water after a victory in battle and it seems from the quality and quantity of the finds on Anglesey that Llyn Cerrig Bach was of special significance.

It is known from ancient writings that Anglesey has long been considered a sacred place in the Welsh culture. Evidence shows that man has erected religious monuments on the island since prehistoric times. Most of these have survived the millennia in good condition and can still be seen. Anglesey was the centre of Druidism. The Druids considered the island to be their most holy site and it was the headquarters of the religion until it was attacked by the Roman commanders Suetonius and then Agricola during the Roman invasions of the 1st century AD. The Roman forces effectively wiped out the Druids and their followers, many of whom fled across the sea to Ireland. Nevertheless, the island retained its traditional importance to the Welsh and remained the seat of the Welsh Princes until the early 13th century when they were subdued by the English under King Edward I. Edward fortified Anglesey against rebellion by the defeated Welsh and built the breathtaking Beaumaris Castle, a miracle of military architecture and one of the largest fortifications in Europe.

Since those times, the island has led a remarkably peaceful existence. It was essentially a major agricultural area and was known as the 'bread basket' of Wales and was also famed for the quality of the locally raised sheep.

Geography

Anglesey is a low-lying island with only occasional slight hills. It has a generally rocky coastline of some 130 miles in length which is a haven for sea birds and the western coast near the Ferry Port of Holyhead is famed for the nesting sites of rare breeds such as Puffins, Choughs and even Peregrine falcons. Inland, the island is given over to agriculture, although there are some significant stretches of water and marshlands. There are few towns although Holyhead is the main UK to Dublin ferry port.

Industry

Some industry is to be found in Holyhead where there is an aluminium smelting plant. The island is also the site of theWylfa nuclear power station at Amlwch.

While agriculture is still important, tourism has been vital to the island for many years. In fact the village with the longest place name in Britain: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch lies on Anglesey. The name was actually invented in the 19th century as a tourist attraction.

Cities, towns and villages within Isle of Anglesey