PopulationA population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
:
- Total
- DensityThe mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
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Ranked
{{other places|Anglesey}}
Isle of Anglesey
Ynys Môn
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| Geography |
AreaSurface area is the measure of how much exposed area a solid object has, expressed in square units. Mathematical description of the surface area is considerably more involved than the definition of arc length of a curve. For polyhedra the surface area is the sum of the areas of its faces...
- Total
- % Water |
Ranked 9th
714 km² (276 sq mi)
0.7% |
| Admin HQ |
Llangefni Llangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
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| Largest town |
HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
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| ISO 3166-2 ISO 3166-2:GB is the entry for the United Kingdom in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for the United Kingdom,...
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GB-AGY |
| ONS code In the United Kingdom, the Office for National Statistics maintains a series of codes to represent a wide range of geographical areas of the UK, for use in tabulating census and other statistical data...
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00NA |
| Demographics |
PopulationA population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
:
- Total ({{Welsh council population|TXT=Year}})
- DensityThe mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
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Ranked
{{other places|Anglesey}}
Isle of Anglesey
Ynys Môn
|
| Geography |
AreaSurface area is the measure of how much exposed area a solid object has, expressed in square units. Mathematical description of the surface area is considerably more involved than the definition of arc length of a curve. For polyhedra the surface area is the sum of the areas of its faces...
- Total
- % Water |
Ranked 9th
714 km² (276 sq mi)
0.7% |
| Admin HQ |
Llangefni Llangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
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| Largest town |
HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
|
| ISO 3166-2 ISO 3166-2:GB is the entry for the United Kingdom in ISO 3166-2, part of the ISO 3166 standard published by the International Organization for Standardization , which defines codes for the names of the principal subdivisions of all countries coded in ISO 3166-1.Currently for the United Kingdom,...
|
GB-AGY |
| ONS code In the United Kingdom, the Office for National Statistics maintains a series of codes to represent a wide range of geographical areas of the UK, for use in tabulating census and other statistical data...
|
00NA |
| Demographics |
PopulationA population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
:
- Total ({{Welsh council population|TXT=Year}})
- DensityThe mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...
|
Ranked {{Welsh council population
{{Welsh council population|POP=00NA}}
Ranked {{Welsh council population
{{Welsh council population|DEN=00NA}} / km² (251/sq mi) |
| Ethnicity |
98.1% White |
Welsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
- Any skills |
Ranked 2nd
70.4% |
| Politics |
Isle of Anglesey County CouncilThe Isle of Anglesey County Council is the governing body for the county of Anglesey, one of the unitary authority areas of Wales. The council consists of 40 councillors, representing 40 electoral wards.-Political makeup:...
http://www.anglesey.gov.uk |
| Control |
{{Welsh council control|ONS=00NA}} |
| Member of Parliament |
- Albert Owen
Albert Owen is a Welsh Labour Party politician and Member of Parliament for Ynys Môn. He took the seat in the 2001 election from Plaid Cymru with a margin of exactly eight hundred votes and retained the seat with an increased majority of approximately twelve hundred votes in the 2005 election. In...
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| Assembly Members The National Assembly for Wales is composed of 60 members known as AMs or Assembly Members...
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Ieuan Wyn JonesIeuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
(Constituency)
North Wales
(Regional) |
MEPsA Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
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Wales |
Anglesey ˈ, also known by its WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
name Ynys Môn ˈənɨs ˈmoːn, is an islandAn island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Two bridges, spanning the Menai StraitThe Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
, connect it to the mainland: the original Menai Suspension BridgeThe Menai Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the first modern suspension bridge in the world.-Construction:...
(carrying the A5), designed by Thomas TelfordThomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
in 1826; and the more recently constructed Britannia BridgeBritannia Bridge is a bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. It was originally designed and built by Robert Stephenson as a tubular bridge of wrought iron rectangular box-section spans for carrying rail traffic...
(originally designed by Robert StephensonRobert Stephenson FRS was an English civil engineer. He was the only son of George Stephenson, the famed locomotive builder and railway engineer; many of the achievements popularly credited to his father were actually the joint efforts of father and son.-Early life :He was born on the 16th of...
); which carries the A55The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
and the North Wales Coast Railway LineThe North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
. Historian and author John DaviesJohn Davies is a Welsh historian, and a television and radio broadcaster.Davies was born in the Rhondda, Wales, and studied at both University College, Cardiff, and Trinity College, Cambridge. He is married with four children...
argues that it was during the tumultuous 10th century that the NorseOld Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
name for Môn, Anglesey, came into existence; the name was later adopted into English after Anglo-Norman occupiers arrived to conquer the island during the Norman invasions of Gwynedd.
The name Anglesey was later used in the English language as a countyThe counties of the United Kingdom are subnational divisions of the United Kingdom, used for the purposes of administrative, geographical and political demarcation. By the Middle Ages counties had become established as a unit of local government, at least in England. By the early 17th century all...
name which included Holy IslandHoly Island Cybi') is an island on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, from which it is separated by a narrow, winding channel. It is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of standing stones, burial chambers and other religious sites on the small island. The...
and other nearby small islands. About half of the inhabitants can speak, read and write Welsh as well as English, and 70% have a knowledge of Welsh. Once the Welsh language was granted equal status in government with the Welsh Language Act of 1993The Welsh Language Act 1993 , is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which put the Welsh language on an equal footing with the English language in Wales with regard to the public sector....
, the representative constituency names for the island were changed to the Welsh name of the island, Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)Ynys Môn is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
in the UK parliament, and Ynys Môn (Assembly constituency)Ynys Môn is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
in the National Assembly for Wales. With an area of 720 square kilometres (278 sq mi), Anglesey is the largest Welsh island, the sixth largest surrounding the island of Great BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and the largest island in the Irish SeaThe Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
ahead of the Isle of ManThe Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
.
Etymology
Môn is the WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
name of Anglesey, derived from the British enisis mona, appearing first during the Roman era as 'Mona': it is the Mona of TacitusPublius Cornelius Tacitus was a senator and a historian of the Roman Empire. The surviving portions of his two major works—the Annals and the Histories—examine the reigns of the Roman Emperors Tiberius, Claudius, Nero and those who reigned in the Year of the Four Emperors...
(Ann. xiv. 29, Agr. xiv. 18), Pliny the ElderGaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
(iv. 16) and Dio CassiusLucius Cassius Dio Cocceianus , known in English as Cassius Dio, Dio Cassius, or Dio was a Roman consul and a noted historian writing in Greek...
(62). It is called Môn Mam Cymru ("Môn, Mother of Wales") by Giraldus CambrensisGerald of Wales , also known as Gerallt Gymro in Welsh or Giraldus Cambrensis in Latin, archdeacon of Brecon, was a medieval clergyman and chronicler of his times...
, for the claimed ability of the fertile land to produce enough food for the whole of Wales. In reality, the claim was probably more directed at an ability to sustain GwyneddGwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
. Old Welsh names are Ynys Dywyll ("Dark Isle") and Ynys y Cedairn (cedyrn or kedyrn; "Isle of brave folk"). Clas Merddin, and Y fêl Ynys (honey isle) are other names. The English name Anglesey is in fact derived from the Old NorseOld Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
, meaning 'Ongull's Island'. The alternative "isle (ey) of the AnglesThe Angles is a modern English term for a Germanic people who took their name from the ancestral cultural region of Angeln, a district located in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany...
" is discredited.
History
Numerous megalithA megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. Megalithic describes structures made of such large stones, utilizing an interlocking system without the use of mortar or cement.The word 'megalith' comes from the Ancient...
ic monuments and menhirA menhir is a large upright standing stone. Menhirs may be found singly as monoliths, or as part of a group of similar stones. Their size can vary considerably; but their shape is generally uneven and squared, often tapering towards the top...
s are present on Anglesey, testifying to the presence of humans in prehistoryPrehistory is the span of time before recorded history. Prehistory can refer to the period of human existence before the availability of those written records with which recorded history begins. More broadly, it refers to all the time preceding human existence and the invention of writing...
. Plas NewyddPlas Newydd, located in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales, is the country seat of the Marquess of Anglesey. The family's former principal seat at Beaudesert, Staffordshire, was sold and demolished in the 1930s....
is near one of 28 cromlechCromlech is a Brythonic word used to describe prehistoric megalithic structures, where crom means "bent" and llech means "flagstone". The term is now virtually obsolete in archaeology, but remains in use as a colloquial term for two different types of megalithic monument.In English it usually...
s that remain on uplands overlooking the sea. The Welsh TriadsThe Welsh Triads are a group of related texts in medieval manuscripts which preserve fragments of Welsh folklore, mythology and traditional history in groups of three. The triad is a rhetorical form whereby objects are grouped together in threes, with a heading indicating the point of likeness...
claim that Anglesey was once part of the mainland.
Historically, Anglesey has long been associated with druids. In AD 60 the RomanThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
general Gaius Suetonius PaulinusGaius Suetonius Paulinus, also spelled Paullinus, was a Roman general best known as the commander who defeated the rebellion of Boudica.-Career:...
, determined to break the power of the Celtic druids, attacked the island, destroying the shrine and the sacred grovesA nemeton was a sacred space of ancient Celtic religion. Nemeta appear to have been primarily situated in natural areas, and, as they often utilized trees, they are often interpreted as sacred groves. However, other evidence suggests that the word implied a wider variety of ritual spaces, such as...
. News of BoudicaBoudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
's revolt reached him just after his victory, causing him to withdraw his army before consolidating his conquest. The island was finally brought into the Roman Empire by Gnaeus Julius AgricolaGnaeus Julius Agricola was a Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain. His biography, the De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae, was the first published work of his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, and is the source for most of what is known about him.Born to a noted...
, the Roman GovernorA Roman governor was an official either elected or appointed to be the chief administrator of Roman law throughout one or more of the many provinces constituting the Roman Empire...
of Britain, in AD 78. During the Roman occupation, the area was notale for the mining of copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. The foundations of Caer GybiCaer Gybi was a small fortlet in Roman Wales in the Roman province of Britannia Superior. Its name in Latin is unknown. Today it stands at the centre of Holyhead in the Welsh county of Anglesey. Holyhead is named Caergybi in Welsh, after the fort....
, a fort at HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
, are Roman, and the present road from Holyhead to LlanfairpwllgwyngyllLlanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a large village and community on the island of Anglesey in Wales, situated on the Menai Strait next to the Britannia Bridge and across the strait from Bangor. This village has the longest place name in Europe and one of the longest...
may originally have been a Roman roadThe Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
.{{Citation needed|date=July 2009}}
British Iron AgeThe British Iron Age is a conventional name used in the archaeology of Great Britain, referring to the prehistoric and protohistoric phases of the Iron-Age culture of the main island and the smaller islands, typically excluding prehistoric Ireland, and which had an independent Iron Age culture of...
and Roman sites have been excavated, and coins and ornaments discovered, especially by the 19th century antiquarianAn antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
, Lord Stanley of Penrhos. Following the Roman departure from Britain in the early 5th century, pirates from IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
colonised Anglesey and the nearby Llŷn PeninsulaThe Llŷn Peninsula extends into the Irish Sea from north west Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. It is part of the modern county and historic region of Gwynedd. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root Laigin in Irish as the word Leinster...
. In response to this, Cunedda ap EdernCunedda ap Edern , was an important early Welsh leader, and the progenitor of the royal dynasty of Gwynedd.-Background and life:The name Cunedda derives from the Brythonic word , meaning good hound. His genealogy is traced back to Padarn Beisrudd, which literally translates as Paternus of the...
, a GododdinThe Gododdin were a Brittonic people of north-eastern Britain in the sub-Roman period, the area known as the Hen Ogledd or Old North...
warlord from ScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, came to the area and began the process of driving the Irish out. This process was continued by his son Einion Yrth ap CuneddaEinion ap Cunedda , also known as Einion Yrth was a king of Gwynedd.One of the sons of Cunedda, it is believed he travelled with his father to north Wales in the early 450s to expel Irish raiders from the region. After his father's death, Einion inherited control over the newly founded kingdom of...
and grandson Cadwallon Lawhir ap EinionCadwallon ap Einion , usually known as Cadwallon Lawhir and also called Cadwallon I by some historians, was a king of Gwynedd....
, the last Irish invaders finally being defeated in battle in 470. As an island, Anglesey was in a good defensive position and, because of this, AberffrawAberffraw is a small village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey , in Wales, by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at . The UK postcode begins LL63. Access by road is by way of the A4080 and the nearest rail station is Bodorgan. In the early Middle Ages Aberffraw was the...
became the site of the court, or Llys, of the Kingdom of GwyneddGwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
. Apart from a devastating DanishDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
raid in 853 it was to remain the capital until the 13th century, when improvements to the EnglishEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
navy made the location indefensible.
After the Irish, the island was invaded by Vikings, some of these raids being noted in famous sagaSagas, are stories in Old Norse about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, etc.Saga may also refer to:Business*Saga DAB radio, a British radio station*Saga Airlines, a Turkish airline*Saga Falabella, a department store chain in Peru...
s (see Menai Strait#History), as well as SaxonsThe Saxons were a confederation of Germanic tribes originating on the North German plain. The Saxons earliest known area of settlement is Northern Albingia, an area approximately that of modern Holstein...
, and NormansThe Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
, before falling to Edward I of EnglandEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
in the 13th century.
Geography
Anglesey is a relatively low-lying island with low hills such as Parys MountainParys Mountain – in the Welsh language Mynydd Parys – is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. It is the site of a large copper mine that was extensively exploited in the late 18th century.-History:...
, Cadair Mynachdy ("chair of the monastery", or Monachdy; there is a Nanner, "convent", not far away), Mynydd BodafonMynydd Bodafon is a mountain as the word "Mynydd" implies. However, it is actually only a hill in geographic terms, but is still the highest point on the island of Anglesey . Its summit is also known as Yr Arwydd...
and Holyhead MountainHolyhead Mountain is the highest hill on Holy Island, Anglesey, and the highest in the county of Anglesey, north Wales. It lies about three kilometres west of the town of Holyhead, and slopes steeply down to the Irish Sea on two sides...
. The island is separated from the Welsh mainland by the Menai StraitThe Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
, which at its narrowest point is about 250 metres (273.4 yd) wide.
Anglesey has several small towns scattered around the island, making it quite evenly populated.
The largest towns are HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
, LlangefniLlangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
, Llannerchymedd (sometimes spelled, incorrectly, as Llanerch-y-medd), Menai BridgeMenai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
, and AmlwchAmlwch is the most northerly town in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. The town has no beach, but it has impressive coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it...
. Beaumaris (Welsh: Biwmares), in the east of the island, features Beaumaris CastleBeaumaris Castle, located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales. It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never completed...
, built by Edward IEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
as part of his Bastide Town campaign in North WalesNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. Beaumaris acts as a yachtingYachting refers to recreational sailing or boating, the specific act of sailing or using other water vessels for sporting purposes.-Competitive sailing:...
centre for the region, with many boats moored in the bay or off Gallows Point. The village of NewboroughNewborough is a village in the south-western corner of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales; it is in the community of Rhosyr, which has a population of 2,169.-History:Newborough was a commotal centre of medieval Anglesey...
(Welsh: Niwbwrch), in the south, created when the townsfolk of Llanfaes were relocated to make way for the building of Beaumaris Castle, includes the site of Llys RhosyrLlys Rhosyr is an archaeological site near Newborough in Anglesey; the ruins of a pre-Edwardian commotal court.Llys Rhosyr was a commotal centre before the Edward I of Englands conquest of Wales and debate now surrounds the former use of the Rhosyr site...
, another of the courts of the mediaeval Welsh princes, which features one of the oldest courtrooms in the United Kingdom. LlangefniLlangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
is located in the centre of the island and is also the island's administrative centre. The town of Menai BridgeMenai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
(Welsh: Porthaethwy) (in the south-east) expanded when the first bridge to the mainland was being built, in order to accommodate workers and construction. Up until that time Porthaethwy had been one of the principal ferry crossing points from the mainland. A short distance from this town lies Bryn Celli DduBryn Celli Ddu is a prehistoric site on the Welsh island of Anglesey located near Llanddaniel Fab. Its name means 'the mound in the dark grove'. It was plundered in 1699 and archaeologically excavated between 1928 and 1929....
, a Stone AgeThe Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
burial mound. Also nearby is the village with the longest official place name in the United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Near it is Plas NewyddPlas Newydd, located in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales, is the country seat of the Marquess of Anglesey. The family's former principal seat at Beaudesert, Staffordshire, was sold and demolished in the 1930s....
, ancestral home of the Marquesses of AngleseyMarquess of Anglesey is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge, a hero of the Battle of Waterloo...
. The town of AmlwchAmlwch is the most northerly town in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. The town has no beach, but it has impressive coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it...
is situated in the northeast of the island and was once largely industrialised, having grown during the 18th century supporting the copperCopper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mining industry at Parys Mountain.
Other villages and settlements include CemaesCemaes is a village on the north coast of Anglesey in Wales , on Cemaes Bay, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which is partly owned by the National Trust. Population 1,392 . It is home to both a wind farm and a nuclear power station . It is also a fishing port and is known for its beach...
, Benllech__FORCETOC__Benllech is a small town on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. It is in the community of Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf, which has a population of 3,408...
, PentraethPentraeth is a village on the island of Anglesey , north Wales, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL75.Its Welsh name means at the end of a beach, and it is located near Traeth Coch . There is a small river, Afon Nodwydd which runs through it. The village's ancient name was Llanfair Betws Geraint...
, GaerwenGaerwen is a village on the island of Anglesey, Wales. It is located in the south of the island 4 miles west of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and 4 miles Northeast of Llangefni...
, Dwyran Dwyran is a village in Anglesey, in north-west Wales....
, BodedernBodedern is a village in the west of Anglesey, North Wales, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL65. The population was 1,017 in 1991.The village has a fully bilingual secondary school, Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern and a football team, Bodedern Athletic F.C. who play in the Welsh Alliance League...
and RhosneigrRhosneigr is a village in the south-west of Anglesey, North Wales. It is situated on the A4080 road some 10km south-east of Holyhead, and is on the Anglesey Coastal Path. From the clock at the centre of the village can be seen RAF Valley and Holyhead Mountain...
. The Anglesey Sea ZooThe Anglesey Sea Zoo is an aquarium, and independent research and marine education centre on the south coast of Anglesey island in North Wales. Anglesey Sea Zoo claims to be the largest aquarium in Wales, and displays over 150 native species.-History:...
is a local tourist attraction, providing a look at and descriptions of local marine wildlifeWildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
from lobstersHomarus gammarus, known as the European lobster or common lobster, is a species of clawed lobster from the eastern Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea and parts of the Black Sea. It is closely related to the American lobster, H. americanus. It may grow to a length of and a mass of , and bears a...
to conger eels. All the fishFish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and crustaceanCrustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s on display are caught around the island and are placed in reconstructions of their natural habitatA habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
. They also make saltIn chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
(evaporated from the local sea water) and breed commercially lobsters, for food, and oysterThe word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified....
s, for pearls, both from local stocks.
The island's entire rural coastline had been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyAn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
and features many sandy beaches, especially along its eastern coast between the towns of Beaumaris and Amlwch and along the western coast from Ynys LlanddwynYnys Llanddwyn or Llanddwyn Island is a small tidal island off the west coast of Anglesey, North Wales. The nearest town is Newborough.-Geology and geography:...
through RhosneigrRhosneigr is a village in the south-west of Anglesey, North Wales. It is situated on the A4080 road some 10km south-east of Holyhead, and is on the Anglesey Coastal Path. From the clock at the centre of the village can be seen RAF Valley and Holyhead Mountain...
to the little bays around Carmel Head. The northern coastline is characterised by dramatic cliffs interspersed with small bays. The Anglesey Coastal PathThe Anglesey Coastal Path is a long-distance footpath around the island of Anglesey in North Wales....
is a 200 kilometres (124 mi) path which follows nearly the entire coastline. Tourism is now the most significant economic activity on the island. Agriculture provides the secondary source of income for the island's economy, with the local dairies being amongst the most productive in the region. There is also a nuclear power station, at WylfaThe Wylfa Nuclear Power Station is situated just west of Cemaes Bay on the island of Anglesey, North Wales. Its location on the coast provides an excellent cooling source for its operation...
Head on the north coast.
Major industries are restricted to Holyhead (Caergybi) which, until 30 September 2009, supported an aluminiumAluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
smelter, and the AmlwchAmlwch is the most northerly town in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. The town has no beach, but it has impressive coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it...
area, where the WylfaThe Wylfa Nuclear Power Station is situated just west of Cemaes Bay on the island of Anglesey, North Wales. Its location on the coast provides an excellent cooling source for its operation...
nuclear power station is located close to a former bromineBromine ") is a chemical element with the symbol Br, an atomic number of 35, and an atomic mass of 79.904. It is in the halogen element group. The element was isolated independently by two chemists, Carl Jacob Löwig and Antoine Jerome Balard, in 1825–1826...
extraction plant. The nuclear power station is scheduled to operate until at least 2012, whilst the aluminium smelting operation all but closed down in September 2009, reducing its workforce from 450 to 80; this has been a major blow to the Island's economy, especially to the town of HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
. However, the local county council supports extending the closure deadline and building a new nuclear power station at Wylfa.
The Royal Air Force station RAF Valley (Y Fali) is home to the RAF Fast Jet Training School and also 22 Sqn Search and Rescue Helicopters, both units providing employment for approximately 500 civilians. RAF ValleyRAF Valley is a Royal Air Force station on the island of Anglesey, Wales, and which is also used as Anglesey Airport. It provides fast-jet training using the BAE Hawk and provides training for aircrew working with Search and Rescue. Unofficially the motto for RAF Valley is 'One Valley, Training...
is now home to the Headquarters of 22 Sqn Search and Rescue.
There is a wide range of smaller industries, mostly located in industrial and business parks especially at LlangefniLlangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
and GaerwenGaerwen is a village on the island of Anglesey, Wales. It is located in the south of the island 4 miles west of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and 4 miles Northeast of Llangefni...
. These industries include an abattoirA slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
and fine chemicalsFine chemicals are pure, single chemical substances that are commercially produced with chemical reactions for highly specialized applications. Fine chemicals produced can be categorized into active pharmaceutical ingredients and their intermediates, biocides, and specialty chemicals for technical...
manufacture as well as factories for timber production, aluminium smelting, fish farming and food processing.
Wind power is developing on Anglesey, with more than 20 commercial wind turbineA wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery, such as for grinding grain or...
s established near the north coast. The strong sea currents around the island are also attracting the interest of electricity generation companies interested in exploiting tidal power.
The island is also on one of the major routes from Britain to IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, via ferriesA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
from HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
, off the west of Anglesey on Holy IslandHoly Island Cybi') is an island on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, from which it is separated by a narrow, winding channel. It is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of standing stones, burial chambers and other religious sites on the small island. The...
, to Dún LaoghaireDún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
and Dublin Port.
There are a few natural lakes, mostly in the west, such as Llyn LlywenanLlyn Llywenan is a lake in western Anglesey, Wales found just over north of the village of Bodedern and east of the town of Holyhead. At a maximum length of and breath of it has a surface area of only...
, the largest natural lake on the island, Llyn Coron, and Cors Cerrig y Daran, but rivers are few and small. There are two large water supply reservoirs operated by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. These are Llyn CefniLlyn Cefni is a small reservoir in the centre of Anglesey, Wales which is managed by Welsh Water and Hamdden Ltd. It is located just one kilometre north of the island's county town of Llangefni and is the source of the Afon Cefni and other smaller watercourses...
in the centre of the island, which is fed by the headwaters of the Afon Cefni, and Llyn AlawLlyn Alaw is a man-made reservoir on Anglesey, North Wales. It is used to supply drinking water to the northern half of the island and does so at a rate of 35 million litres a day. It was created in 1966 on existing marshland....
to the north of the island.
The climate is humid (much less so than neighbouring mountainous Gwynedd) but generally equable under the effects of the Gulf StreamThe Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
bathing the island. The land is of variable quality and it was probably much more fertile in the past.
See the list of places in Anglesey for all villages, towns and cities.
See the List of Anglesey towns by population for populations.
Ecology and conservation
Much of Anglesey is covered with relatively intensive cattle and sheep farming aided by modern agro-chemicals. In these areas the native vegetation and wildlife have essentially been destroyed. However there are a number of important wetlandA wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
sites which have protected status. In addition the several lakes all have significant ecological interest including their support for a wide range of aquatic and semi-aquatic bird species. In the west, the Malltraeth MarshMalltraeth Marsh is a large marsh area in Anglesey, North Wales, located northeast of Malltraeth village, north of Llangaffo and south of Rhostrehwfa...
es are believed to be supporting an occasional visiting bitternBitterns are a classification of birds in the heron family, Ardeidae, a family of wading birds. Species named bitterns tend to be the shorter-necked, often more secretive members of this family...
and the nearby estuary of the Afon Cefni supports a bird population made internationally famous by the paintings of Charles TunnicliffeCharles Frederick Tunnicliffe was an internationally renowned naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife. He spent most of his working life on the Isle of Anglesey.-Life:...
, who lived for many years - and died at - MalltraethMalltraeth Malltraeth Malltraeth (origin: Mall (corrupt, blasted, desolate, + Traeth (beach)) is a small village in the southwest of Anglesey, in the area of Bodorgan...
on the Cefni estuary. The RAF airstrip at Mona is a nesting site for skylarkThe Skylark is a small passerine bird species. This lark breeds across most of Europe and Asia and in the mountains of north Africa. It is mainly resident in the west of its range, but eastern populations are more migratory, moving further south in winter. Even in the milder west of its range,...
s. The sheer cliff faces at South StackSouth Stack is an island situated just off Holy Island on the North West coast of Anglesey. It is famous as the location of one of Wales' most spectacular lighthouses.-South Stack Lighthouse:...
near HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
provide nesting sites for huge numbers of aukAn auk is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. Auks are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits...
s including puffinThe Atlantic Puffin is a seabird species in the auk family. It is a pelagic bird that feeds primarily by diving for fish, but also eats other sea creatures, such as squid and crustaceans. Its most obvious characteristic during the breeding season is its brightly coloured bill...
s, razorbillThe Razorbill is colonial seabird that will only come to land in order to breed. It is the largest living member of the Auk family. This agile bird will choose only one partner for life and females will lay one egg per year. Razorbills will nest along coastal cliffs in enclosed or slightly exposed...
s and guillemotThe Common Murre or Common Guillemot is a large auk. It is also known as the Thin-billed Murre in North America. It has a circumpolar distribution, occurring in low-Arctic and boreal waters in the North-Atlantic and North Pacific...
s together with choughThe Red-billed Chough or Chough , Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is a bird in the crow family; it is one of only two species in the genus Pyrrhocorax...
s and peregrine falconThe Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
s. Three sites on Anglesey are important for breeding terns - see Anglesey tern coloniesYnys Feurig, Cemlyn Bay and The Skerries Special Protection Area, also known as the Anglesey tern colonies, is a Special Protection Area covering three sites in Anglesey, North Wales which support breeding terns:* Ynys Feurig...
. There are significant occurrences of the Juncus subnodulosus-Cirsium palustre fen-meadowThe Juncus subnodulosus-Cirsium palustre fen-meadow is a plant association characteristically found on damp ground in portions of western Europe...
plant association, a habitat* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
characterised by certain hydrophilic grasses, sedges and forbs. Anglesey is home to several species of tern, including the Roseate TernThe Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
.
Anglesey is home to two of the UK's small number of remaining colonies of red squirrelThe red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Eurasia...
s, at PentraethPentraeth is a village on the island of Anglesey , north Wales, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL75.Its Welsh name means at the end of a beach, and it is located near Traeth Coch . There is a small river, Afon Nodwydd which runs through it. The village's ancient name was Llanfair Betws Geraint...
and NewboroughNewborough is the name of several places, including:* Newborough, Anglesey , a town in Wales* Newborough, Cambridgeshire, a village in England* Newborough, Staffordshire* Newborough, Victoria, a town in the Latrobe Valley of Australia-See also:...
.
Almost the entire coastline of Anglesey is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural BeautyAn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
The coastal zone of Anglesey was designated as an AONB in 1966 and was confirmed as such in 1967. It was so designated in order to protect the aesthetic appeal and variety of the island’s coastal landscape and habitats from inappropriate development.
The AONB is predominantly a coastal designation, covering most of Anglesey’s 125 miles (201 km) coastline but also encompasses Holyhead Mountain and Mynydd Bodafon. Substantial areas of other land protected by the AONB form the backdrop to the coast. The approximate coverage of the Anglesey AONB is 221 km², and it is the largest AONB in Wales, covering as it does one third of the island.
A number of the habitats found on Anglesey are afforded even greater protection both through UK and European designations because of their nature conservation value, these include:
6 candidate Special Areas of Conservation (cSACs)
4 Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
1 National Nature Reserve
26 Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)
52 Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs)
These protected habitats support a variety of wildlife such as Harbour PorpoiseThe harbour porpoise is one of six species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest marine mammals. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar porpoise to whale watchers. This porpoise often ventures up rivers, and has been seen...
s and Marsh FritillaryThe Marsh Fritillary, Euphydryas aurinia, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.It is widespread in the Palaearctic region from Ireland in the West to Yakutia in the East, and to North-west China and Mongolia in the South.E. aurinia is represented by many subspecies.The most widely accepted...
.
The AONB also takes in three sections of open, undeveloped coastline which have been designated as Heritage Coast. These non-statutory designations complement the AONB and cover about 31 miles (50 km) of the coastline. The sections of Heritage Coast are:
- North Anglesey 28.6 km (17.8 mi)
- Holyhead Mountain 12.9 km (8 mi)
- Aberffraw Bay 7.7 km (4.8 mi)
A living and working landscape
Employment on Anglesey is mainly based on agriculture and tourism and in some cases a combination of both. The range of local produce found on the island is quite varied, from cheese and chocolate to wine. In a number of instances the local produce is also organic.
About two million people visit the island each year. In terms of recreation the island offers a number of opportunities to both residents and visitors alike, the majority enjoying the fine sandy beaches and the coastal landscape.
The most popular forms of recreation include sailing, angling, cycling, walking, wind surfing and jet skiing. These all place pressures and demands on the AONBAn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. At the same time, the AONBs popularity for such activities clearly provides a contribution to the local economy.
Natural history
References:
Jones, W.E. Eifion JonesWilliam Eifion Jones was a Welsh marine botanist, noted for his study of marine algae.He was born and brought up in Aberystwyth and studied botany at the University of Wales under Professor Lilly Newton....
(Ed.)1990. A New Natural History of Anglesey. Anglesey Antiquarian Society, Llangefni.
Culture
- Anglesey hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1957, 1983, and 1999.
- Anglesey/Ynys Môn is a member island of the International Island Games Association
The International Island Games Association is an organisation the sole purpose of which is to organise the Island Games, a friendly biennial athletic competition between teams from several European islands and other small territories. The IGA liaises with the member island associations and with...
. In the 2009 Games held on the Åland IslandsThe Åland Islands form an archipelago in the Baltic Sea. They are situated at the entrance to the Gulf of Bothnia and form an autonomous, demilitarised, monolingually Swedish-speaking region of Finland...
(FinlandFinland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
) Anglesey/Ynys Môn came joint 17th (with Western Isles) with 1 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. In the 2007 Island GamesThe 2007 Island Games were the 12th edition of the Island Games, and were held in Rhodes, Greece, from June 30 to July 6, 2007.-Medal count:- Sports :The 14 different sports chosen for this games were:* Archery* Athletics* Basketball* Cycling...
on RhodesRhodes is an island in Greece, located in the eastern Aegean Sea. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands in terms of both land area and population, with a population of 117,007, and also the island group's historical capital. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within...
(GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
) Anglesey/Ynys Môn came 15th on the medal table with 3 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals. In the 2005 Games on the Shetland IslandsShetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
, Anglesey/Ynys Môn came 11th on the medal table with 4 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. and the 2011 Games will be held on the Isle of WightThe Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. The Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Môn Island Games Association plan to make a bid to host the 2015 Island Games.
- Anglesey has featured in the Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
television archaeology series, Time TeamTime Team is a British television series which has been aired on Channel 4 since 1994. Created by television producer Tim Taylor and presented by actor Tony Robinson, each episode features a team of specialists carrying out an archaeological dig over a period of three days, with Robinson explaining...
(series 14) - programme transmission date 4 February 2007.
- Anglesey has the second highest percentage of native Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speakers in WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(70% of the population).
- The Anglesey County Show is held each year in summer on the site of Mona Airfield, close to RAF Valley, in which farmers from around the country compete in livestock rearing contests including sheep and cattle.
- The track Inis Mona off the Eluveitie
Eluveitie is a folk metal band from Winterthur, Switzerland. The band formed in 2002 and their first EP, Vên came out in 2003. The band then released a full-length album, Spirit in June 2006. In November 2007, Eluveitie was signed by Nuclear Blast....
album "SlaniaSlania is the second full-length album by the Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie. It was released on February 15, 2008 through Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:# "Samon" – 1:48 # "Primordial Breath" – 4:19 # "Inis Mona" – 4:09...
" takes its name from the Welsh name of this island and is about a druid who reflects on the time he spent on the island.
Geology
The geology of Anglesey is notably complex and is frequently used for geology field tripA field trip or excursion, known as school trip in the UK and school tour in Ireland, is a journey by a group of people to a place away from their normal environment...
s by schools and colleges. Younger strata in Anglesey rest upon a foundation of very old PrecambrianThe Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
rocks that appear at the surface in four areas:
- a western region including Holyhead and Llanfaethlu
Llanfaethlu is a village in Anglesey, in north-west Wales....
,
- a central area about Aberffraw
Aberffraw is a small village and community on the south west coast of the Isle of Anglesey , in Wales, by the west bank of the River Ffraw, at . The UK postcode begins LL63. Access by road is by way of the A4080 and the nearest rail station is Bodorgan. In the early Middle Ages Aberffraw was the...
and Trefdraeth,
- an eastern region which includes Newborough
Newborough is a village in the south-western corner of the Isle of Anglesey in Wales; it is in the community of Rhosyr, which has a population of 2,169.-History:Newborough was a commotal centre of medieval Anglesey...
, Caerwen and PentraethPentraeth is a village on the island of Anglesey , north Wales, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL75.Its Welsh name means at the end of a beach, and it is located near Traeth Coch . There is a small river, Afon Nodwydd which runs through it. The village's ancient name was Llanfair Betws Geraint...
and
- a coastal region at Glyn Garth between Menai Bridge
Menai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
and Beaumaris.
These Precambrian rocks are schistThe schists constitute a group of medium-grade metamorphic rocks, chiefly notable for the preponderance of lamellar minerals such as micas, chlorite, talc, hornblende, graphite, and others. Quartz often occurs in drawn-out grains to such an extent that a particular form called quartz schist is...
s and phyllitePhyllite is a type of foliated metamorphic rock primarily composed of quartz, sericite mica, and chlorite; the rock represents a gradation in the degree of metamorphism between slate and mica schist. Minute crystals of graphite, sericite, or chlorite impart a silky, sometimes golden sheen to the...
s, often much contorted and disturbed. The general line of strike of the formations in the island is from north-east to south-west. A belt of granitic rocks lies immediately north-west of the central Precambrian mass, reaching from Llanfaelog Llanfaelog is a village in western Anglesey, Wales. It is situated some 13 kilometres south-east of Holyhead and 22 kilometres west of the city of Bangor.-Transport:...
near the coast to the vicinity of LlanerchymeddLlannerch-y-medd, sometimes also spelt Llanerch-y-Medd, Llannerch-y-Medd or Llanerchymedd, is a small village and community on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. The Royal Mail postcode is LL71, and it has a population of 1,185....
. Between this granite and the Precambrian of Holyhead is a narrow tract of OrdovicianThe Ordovician is a geologic period and system, the second of six of the Paleozoic Era, and covers the time between 488.3±1.7 to 443.7±1.5 million years ago . It follows the Cambrian Period and is followed by the Silurian Period...
slates and grits with Llandovery beds in places; this tract spreads out in the north of the island between Dulas BayDulas Bay is a small bay on the north east coast of Anglesey , north Wales. The bay is bordered by three beaches.- Overview :...
and Carmel Point. A small patch of Ordovician strata lies on the northern side of Beaumaris. In parts, these Ordovician rocks are much folded, crushed and metamorphosed, and they are associated with schists and altered volcanic rocks which are probably Precambrian. Between the eastern and central Precambrian masses CarboniferousThe Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
rocks are found. The Carboniferous LimestoneCarboniferous Limestone is a term used to describe a variety of different types of limestone occurring widely across Great Britain and Ireland which were deposited during the Dinantian epoch of the Carboniferous period. They were formed between 363 and 325 million years ago...
occupies a broad area south of Lligwy BayLligwy Bay is a bay of the Welsh island of Anglesey.It is on the eastward side of the island to the north of the village of Moelfre. It was the site, in October 1859, of the loss of the steam clipper Royal Charter with a loss of life in excess of 450....
and PentraethPentraeth is a village on the island of Anglesey , north Wales, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL75.Its Welsh name means at the end of a beach, and it is located near Traeth Coch . There is a small river, Afon Nodwydd which runs through it. The village's ancient name was Llanfair Betws Geraint...
, and sends a narrow spur in a south-westerly direction by LlangefniLlangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
to Malltraeth SandsMalltraeth Malltraeth Malltraeth (origin: Mall (corrupt, blasted, desolate, + Traeth (beach)) is a small village in the southwest of Anglesey, in the area of Bodorgan...
. The limestone is underlain on the north-west by a red basement conglomerate and yellow sandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
(sometimes considered to be of Old Red SandstoneThe Old Red Sandstone is a British rock formation of considerable importance to early paleontology. For convenience the short version of the term, 'ORS' is often used in literature on the subject.-Sedimentology:...
age). Limestone occurs again on the north coast about LlanfihangelLlanfihangel can refer to the following places in Wales:*Llanfihangel Aberbythych, Carmarthenshire*Llanfihangel y Creuddyn, Ceredigion*Llanfihangel-ar-Arth, Carmarthenshire*Llanfihangel Crucorney, Monmouthshire...
and LlangoedLlangoed is a small village and community just north of Beaumaris, on the Isle of Anglesey or Ynys Môn, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL58...
; and in the south-west round Llanidan on the border of the Menai StraitThe Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
. Puffin IslandPuffin Island is an uninhabited island off the eastern tip of Anglesey, Wales. It was formerly known as Priestholm in English and Ynys Lannog in Welsh.-Geography:...
is made of Carboniferous Limestone. Malltraeth marshMalltraeth Malltraeth Malltraeth (origin: Mall (corrupt, blasted, desolate, + Traeth (beach)) is a small village in the southwest of Anglesey, in the area of Bodorgan...
is occupied by Coal Measures, and a small patch of the same formation appears near Tal-y-foel Ferry on the Menai StraitThe Menai Strait is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind,...
. A patch of rhyolitic/felsiticFelsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals. Felsite is a field term for a light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition...
rocks form Parys MountainParys Mountain – in the Welsh language Mynydd Parys – is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. It is the site of a large copper mine that was extensively exploited in the late 18th century.-History:...
, where copper and iron ochre have been worked. Serpentine (Mona Marble) is found near Llanfair-yn-neubwllLlanfair-yn-Neubwll is a community and village on the Isle of Anglesey in the north west of Wales. The community includes the villages of Llanfihangel yn Nhowyn and Caergeiliog, and has a population of 1,688. The community is heavily connected to the nearby Royal Air Force airfield, RAF Valley,...
and upon the opposite shore in HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
. There is abundant evidence of glaciation, and much boulder clay and drift sand covers the older rocks. Patches of brown sand occur on the south-west coast.
Under the name GeoMôn, and in recognition of its extraordinary geological heritage, the island gained membership of the European Geoparks Network in spring 2009. and the Global Geoparks Network in September 2010.
There are Google Earth files: Anglesey.kmz and Anglesey.kml, which show important geological locations on Anglesey, and include a number of geological map overlays, they can be downloaded from: Google Earth Geology, whereas a historiography of geological research on Anglesey is available at: Historiography of Geological Research.
Other places of interest
- Rhosneigr
Rhosneigr is a village in the south-west of Anglesey, North Wales. It is situated on the A4080 road some 10km south-east of Holyhead, and is on the Anglesey Coastal Path. From the clock at the centre of the village can be seen RAF Valley and Holyhead Mountain...
, For its Beach, Boat Launch and Surfing facilities.
- The Skerries
The Skerries are a group of sparsely-vegetated rocky islets, with a total area of about , lying 3 km offshore from Carmel Head at the northwest corner of Anglesey, Wales...
LighthouseA lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
which can be found at the end of a low piece of submerged land, North-East of HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
- The working windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
at LlanddeusantLlanddeusant is a small linear village, on Anglesey, North Wales about north east of Holyhead. The village takes it names from its parish church which is dedicated to St. Marcellus and Saint Marcellina....
- Ynys Llanddwyn
Ynys Llanddwyn or Llanddwyn Island is a small tidal island off the west coast of Anglesey, North Wales. The nearest town is Newborough.-Geology and geography:...
- Lovers island
- The sea zoo near Dwyran
- The church in the sea on Cribinau
Cribinau is a small tidal island off the south west coast of the isle of Anglesey in Wales between Porth China and Porth Cwyfan. The nearest village is Aberffraw. The island, which can be reached on foot at low tide, is notable for the 13th-century church of St Cwyfan, known locally as eglwys bach...
- The Anglesey Motor Racing Circuit
The Anglesey Circuit, or Trac Môn in Welsh is a motor racing circuit located in Aberffraw, Anglesey, Wales. It plays host to a variety of motorsport events, including rallycross...
- Stone Science, near Pentraeth - a journey through 650 million years.
- King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
's seat near Beaumaris
- Penmon Priory and dovecote
- The town and castle of Beaumaris
- Red Wharf Bay, Llanddona
Llanddona is a village famous for its beach in Ynys Môn , North Wales.Located between Benllech and Beaumaris, it is popular as a holiday destination on Anglesey, particularly for families...
and many other beaches
- Cemlyn Bay
Cemlyn Bay is a bay on the northwest coast of Anglesey, North Wales, approximately 2.5 km west of Wylfa nuclear power station, within the parish of Llanfairynghornwy....
for its ternary
- Elin's Tower (Twr Elin) RSPB reserve and the lighthouse at South Stack (Ynys Lawd) near Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
- Moelfre
Moelfre is a village and community on the east coast of Isle of Anglesey in Wales, and on the Anglesey Coastal Path. It has a population of 1,129.The Royal Mail postcode begins LL72....
, the fishing village
- Malltraeth
Malltraeth Malltraeth Malltraeth (origin: Mall (corrupt, blasted, desolate, + Traeth (beach)) is a small village in the southwest of Anglesey, in the area of Bodorgan...
, noted centre for bird life and home of wildlife artist Charles TunnicliffeCharles Frederick Tunnicliffe was an internationally renowned naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife. He spent most of his working life on the Isle of Anglesey.-Life:...
Born on Anglesey
- Tony Adams
Tony Adams is a Welsh actor, best known for his performances in two British television soap operas.Adams was born in Anglesey, Wales, and he trained as an actor at the Italia Conti Stage School...
- actor (Anglesey, 1940)
- Stu Allan
Stu Allan is a British dance music DJ who worked for Piccadilly Radio and Key 103 in Manchester in the 1980s and 1990s. His hip-hop, house music and hardcore techno shows were a significant influence on the local music scene at that time. Stu Allan today is a major contributor to the UK hardcore...
- Radio and club DJ
- Dawn French - actress, writer, comedienne (Holyhead, 1957)
- Huw Garmon
Huw Garmon is a Welsh actor, probably best known for playing the eponymous lead in the Oscar-nominated Welsh language film, Hedd Wyn ....
- actor (Anglesey, 1966)
- Hugh Griffith
Hugh Emrys Griffith was a Welsh film, stage and television actor.-Early life:Griffith was born in Marianglas, Anglesey, Wales, the son of Mary and William Griffith. He was educated at Llangefni County School and attempted to gain entrance to university, but failed the English examination...
- Oscar winning actor (Marianglas, 1912)
- Meinir Gwilym
Meinir Gwilym is a Welsh-language pop and folk singer. Raised in Llangristiolus, Anglesey, she released her first EP, "Smôcs, Coffi a Fodca Rhad" in 2002...
- singer and songwriter (Llangristiolus, 1983)
- Owain Gwynedd
Owain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
- prince (Anglesey, c. 1100)
- Hywel Gwynfryn
Hywel Gwynfryn is a Welsh TV and radio personality, and lyricist.Gwynfryn was born in Llangefni, Anglesey. He was educated at Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni and the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama....
- radio and TV personality (Llangefni, 1942)
- William Jones - mathematician (Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd, 1675)
- Glenys Kinnock
Glenys Elizabeth Kinnock, Baroness Kinnock and Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead is a British politician....
- politician (Holyhead, 1944)
- John Morris-Jones
Sir John Morris-Jones was a Welsh grammarian, academic and poet.He was born at Llandrygarn, Anglesey and educated at Friars School, Bangor. Whilst at Jesus College, Oxford, Morris-Jones co-founded the Cymdeithas Dafydd ap Gwilym...
- Welsh grammarian and poet (Llandrygarn, 1864)
- Edward Owen
Edward Owen was a Welsh artist; the son of minor nobility from Penrhos on Anglesey, who held an apprenticeship in London with leading 18th Century artist Thomas Gibson....
- 18th century artist, notable today for his letters documenting life in London's art scene
- Goronwy Owen
Goronwy Owen was one of the 18th century's greatest Welsh poets. He mastered the traditional bardic metres and, although forced by circumstances to be an exile, played an important role in the literary and antiquarian movement in Wales often described as the Welsh Eighteenth Century Renaissance...
- poet (Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf, 1723)
- Hugh Owen Thomas
Hugh Owen Thomas was a Welsh surgeon. He is considered the father of orthopaedic surgery in Britain.-Early life:...
- pioneering orthopaedic surgeon (Anglesey, 1833)
- Owain Tudor - Grandfather of Henry VII (Henry Tudor), who had married the widow of Henry V to give the Tudor dynasty a tenuous claim on the English throne Plas Penmynydd
- Sir Kyffin Williams
Sir John "Kyffin" Williams, KBE, RA was a Welsh landscape painter who lived at Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll on the Island of Anglesey...
RA - landscape painter (Anglesey, 1918–2006)
- Andy Whitfield
Andy Whitfield was a Welsh actor and model. He was best known for his leading role in the Starz television series Spartacus: Blood and Sand during 2010, a year before his death at the age of 39.-Career:...
- actor (Amlwch, 1972-2011)
Lived on Anglesey
- The Marquesses of Anglesey
Marquess of Anglesey is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1815 for Henry Paget, 2nd Earl of Uxbridge, a hero of the Battle of Waterloo...
- noble family from Plas NewyddPlas Newydd, located in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey, Wales, is the country seat of the Marquess of Anglesey. The family's former principal seat at Beaudesert, Staffordshire, was sold and demolished in the 1930s....
, Llanfairpwll.
- Rachel Davies (Rahel o Fôn)
Rachel Davies was a Welsh-born lecturer and evangelist preacher who emigrated to the USA. She was the first woman minister ordained in the state of Wisconsin. Rahel o Fôn is the Welsh Bardic name for “Rachel of Anglesey”....
poet
- Henry Austin Dobson
Henry Austin Dobson , commonly Austin Dobson, was an English poet and essayist.-Life:He was born at Plymouth, the eldest son of George Clarisse Dobson, a civil engineer, of French descent. When he was about eight, the family moved to Holyhead, and his first school was at Beaumaris in Anglesey...
- poet and essayist (Plymouth, Devon 1840)
- Wayne Hennessey
Wayne Robert Hennessey is a Welsh international footballer who plays for Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers as a goalkeeper.-Early career:...
- footballer - currently goalkeeper with WolvesWolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
and WalesThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
(Bangor, 1987)
- Aled Jones
Aled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
- singer and television presenter (Bangor, 1970)
- Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister - heavy metal bass player and singer (Stoke-on-Trent, 1945)
- Matthew Maynard
Matthew Maynard is an English former cricketer. He played in four Tests and fourteen ODIs for England....
- cricketer (Oldham, Lancashire 1966)
- George North
George Philip North is a Wales international rugby union player currently playing for the Scarlets in the RaboDirect Pro12, in the position of winger.-Early life:...
- Wales rugby union internationalThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
(born King's Lynn, 1992; family moved to Anglesey in his early childhood)
- Gary Pritchard
Gary Pritchard is a professional broadcaster and journalist. He currently reports on sport, especially football, in the Welsh language for the BBC ....
- sports journalist & broadcaster (Bangor, 1970)
- Gruff Rhys
Gruffydd Maredudd Bowen Rhys is a Welsh musician, performing solo and with several bands, including Super Furry Animals who obtained mainstream success in the 1990s. He also most recently formed the electro-pop outfit Neon Neon with Boom Bip. Their album Stainless Style was nominated for the 2008...
- Musician best known for being the leadman of Super Furry AnimalsSuper Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band that lean towards psychedelic rock and electronic experimentation. Since their formation in Cardiff, Wales in 1993, the band has consisted of Gruff Rhys , Huw Bunford , Guto Pryce , Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band...
grew up in Rachub, near BethesdaBethesda is a town lying on the River Ogwen and the A5 road on the edge of Snowdonia, in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, colloquially called Pesda by the locals.- History :...
(Haverfordwest, 18 July 1970)
- Charles Tunnicliffe
Charles Frederick Tunnicliffe was an internationally renowned naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife. He spent most of his working life on the Isle of Anglesey.-Life:...
- wildlife artist (Chester, 1901)
- Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts is a British actress. Watts began her career in Australian television, where she appeared in series such as Hey Dad..! , Brides of Christ , and Home and Away . Her film debut was the 1986 drama For Love Alone...
- actress (Kent, 1968)
- Rex Whistler
Reginald John 'Rex' Whistler was a British artist, designer and illustrator.-Biography:Rex Whistler was born in Eltham, Kent, the son of Henry and Helen Frances Mary Whistler...
- artist (Eltham, Kent 1905)
- Maurice Wilks
Maurice Cary Ferdinand Wilks was an automotive and aeronautical engineer, and by the time of his death in 1963, was the chairman of the Rover Company, a British car manufacturer...
- father of the Land Rover; which was test driven on Newborough and Llanddona beach
- Iain Duncan Smith
George Iain Duncan Smith is a British Conservative politician. He is currently the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and was previously leader of the Conservative Party from September 2001 to October 2003...
, leader of the Conservative PartyThe Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
2001–2003, attended HMS Conway School ShipHMS Conway was a naval training school or "school ship", founded in 1859 and housed for most of its life aboard a 19th-century wooden battleship. The ship was originally stationed on the Mersey near Liverpool, then moved to the Menai Strait during World War II. While being towed back to Birkenhead...
Plas Newydd, Llanfairpwll, 1968–1972
- Sir Clive Woodward
Sir Clive Ronald Woodward OBE is an English former rugby union player and coach. He was coach of the team from 1997 to 2004, managing them to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. He is currently the British Olympic Association's Director of Elite Performance.-Early life:Woodward was born in Ely...
, rugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player and England / British Lions coach, attended HMS Conway School ShipHMS Conway was a naval training school or "school ship", founded in 1859 and housed for most of its life aboard a 19th-century wooden battleship. The ship was originally stationed on the Mersey near Liverpool, then moved to the Menai Strait during World War II. While being towed back to Birkenhead...
Plas Newydd, Llanfairpwll, 1969–1974
- Prince William, Duke of Cambridge - grandson of Queen Elizabeth II, and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Government
{{See also|Isle of Anglesey County Council}}
Anglesey (together with Holy Island) is one of the thirteen historic counties of Wales. In medieval times, before the conquest of Wales in 1283, Môn often had periods of temporary independence as it was frequently bequeathed to the heirs of kings as a sub kingdom of GwyneddGwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
. The last times this occurred were for a few years after 1171 following the death of Owain GwyneddOwain Gwynedd ap Gruffydd , in English also known as Owen the Great, was King of Gwynedd from 1137 until his death in 1170. He is occasionally referred to as "Owain I of Gwynedd"; and as "Owain I of Wales" on account of his claim to be King of Wales. He is considered to be the most successful of...
when the island was inherited by Rhodri ab Owain GwyneddRhodri ab Owain Gwynedd was prince of part of Gwynedd, one of the kingdoms of medieval Wales. He ruled from 1175 to 1195.On the death of Owain Gwynedd in 1170, fighting broke out among his nineteen sons over the division of his kingdom...
and again between 1246 - c.1255 when it was given to Owain Goch as his share of the kingdom. Following the conquest of Wales by Edward IEdward I , also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England from 1272 to 1307. The first son of Henry III, Edward was involved early in the political intrigues of his father's reign, which included an outright rebellion by the English barons...
it was created a county under the terms of the Statute of RhuddlanThe Statute of Rhuddlan , also known as the Statutes of Wales or as the Statute of Wales provided the constitutional basis for the government of the Principality of North Wales from 1284 until 1536...
of 1284. Prior to this it had been divided into the cantrefi of:
In 1974 it formed a district of the new large county of GwyneddGwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, until in the 1996 reform of local government it was restored as a local government county. The county council is a unitary authorityA unitary authority is a type of local authority that has a single tier and is responsible for all local government functions within its area or performs additional functions which elsewhere in the relevant country are usually performed by national government or a higher level of sub-national...
and is named "Isle of Anglesey County Council" ({{lang-cy|Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn}}). While there is currently a majority of independent councillors, members do not generally divide along party lines. There are five non-partisan groups on the council, containing a mix of party and independent candidates. The largest of these groups is Annibynnol Gwreiddiol/Original Independents, with 22 members out of the 40 in total.
Schools
Secondary schools:
- Ysgol David Hughes
Ysgol David Hughes is the largest Secondary School in Anglesey, Wales. It was founded in 1603, originally as a free Grammar School in Beaumaris. In 1963, with the local authority leading the way in introducing the comprehensive system, the school moved to Menai Bridge as a mixed comprehensive...
, Menai BridgeMenai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
- Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni
Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni is a comprehensive school in the west of Llangefni, Anglesey. Opened in around 1953, it has 840 students. There is a sixth form class for ages 17-20, the amount of sixth formers are increasing every year with 2010 being the record year as over 50 pupils re-attended the school...
, LlangefniLlangefni is the county town of Anglesey in Wales and contains the principal offices of the Isle of Anglesey County Council. According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llangefni was 4,662 people and it is the second largest settlement on the island...
- Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones
Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones is the comprehensive school in the Pentrefelin area of Amlwch, Anglesey. The School was opened in 1950 and named after Sir Thomas Jones who was an Amlwch doctor and Chairman of the County Council. The school was initially designed to accommodate 700 pupils...
, AmlwchAmlwch is the most northerly town in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. The town has no beach, but it has impressive coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it...
- Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern
Bodedern High School is a co-educational secondary school in Bodedern, Anglesey, Wales first opened in 1977. It is a bilingual school with pupils taught mostly in Welsh, but some through the medium of English. The current Headteacher is Annwen Morgan, appointed April 2007.-History:The school was...
, BodedernBodedern is a village in the west of Anglesey, North Wales, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL65. The population was 1,017 in 1991.The village has a fully bilingual secondary school, Ysgol Uwchradd Bodedern and a football team, Bodedern Athletic F.C. who play in the Welsh Alliance League...
- Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi
Holyhead High School was the first comprehensive school in England and Wales, opening in 1949 as Holyhead County School.-History:The school was formed in 1949 with the amalgamation of Holyhead Grammar and St Cybi Secondary school. Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones, Amlwch is said to claim the title of the...
, HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
There are also 50 primary schools in Anglesey, all of which are co-educational day schools.
Transport
By road, Anglesey is linked from HolyheadHolyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
to the mainland by the A55The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway, is a major road in Britain. Its entire length is a dual carriageway primary route, with the exception of the point where it crosses the Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait. All junctions are grade separated except for two roundabouts — one...
which leads to ChesterChester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...
. Also the A5 runs from the east of the island (LlanfairpwllgwyngyllLlanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a large village and community on the island of Anglesey in Wales, situated on the Menai Strait next to the Britannia Bridge and across the strait from Bangor. This village has the longest place name in Europe and one of the longest...
) to BangorBangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
and as far as St AlbansSt Albans is a city in southern Hertfordshire, England, around north of central London, which forms the main urban area of the City and District of St Albans. It is a historic market town, and is now a sought-after dormitory town within the London commuter belt...
via the Menai BridgeMenai Bridge is a small town and community on the Isle of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford...
. The A5025The A5025 is a British 'A' road that runs from Llanfairpwllgwyngyll to Valley in Anglesey, Wales. It runs up the east, north and finally north-west side of the island via several places including Benllech and Amlwch. In all the road is around long...
, which runs around the northern edge of Anglesey, and the A4080The A4080 is a British A road which is located on the Island of Anglesey, Wales. The road begins at Menai Bridge and runs via Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Newborough and Rhosneigr to join the A55 about 9 miles from Holyhead. In all the road is about 17 miles long...
, running around the southern edge form a ring around the island.
There are six railway stations in Anglesey: HolyheadHolyhead railway station serves the town of Holyhead on Holy Island, Anglesey. It is the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line and is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it....
, ValleyValley railway station is a railway station that serves the village of Valley in Anglesey, Wales. It is the last station before the western terminus of the North Wales Coast Line at Holyhead...
, RhosneigrRhosneigr railway station serves the village of Rhosneigr on the isle of Anglesey, off the coast of north Wales. The unstaffed station is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, who also operate all trains that serve it....
, Ty CroesTŷ Croes railway station serves Tŷ Croes on the isle of Anglesey which is served by Arriva Trains Wales and is a request stop.The station, originally to be named Llanfaelog, was opened in November 1848 with a signal box being added in 1872. The box is located next to a level crossing which...
, BodorganBodorgan railway station serves the hamlet of Bodorgan and the village of Bethel on the Isle of Anglesey. The stop is an unmanned halt, and serves as a request stop for Chester and Holyhead-bound local trains along the North Wales coast....
and LlanfairpwllLlanfairpwll railway station is a station on the North Wales Coast Line from London Euston station to Holyhead on Anglesey. It serves the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll....
. All are on the North Wales Coast LineThe North Wales Coast Line is the railway line from Crewe to Holyhead. Virgin Trains consider their services along it to be a spur of the West Coast Main Line. The first section from Crewe to Chester was built by the Chester and Crewe Railway and absorbed by the Grand Junction Railway shortly...
and services are operated by Virgin TrainsVirgin Trains is a train operating company in the United Kingdom. It operates long-distance passenger services on the West Coast Main Line between London, the West Midlands, North West England, North Wales and Scotland...
to London Euston, and by Arriva Trains WalesArriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
to ChesterChester railway station is a railway station in Newtown in the city of Chester, England. It is currently operated by Arriva Trains Wales, although Merseyrail, Northern Rail and Virgin Trains also run services from the station. It is situated to the north-east of the city centre...
, Manchester PiccadillyManchester Piccadilly is the principal railway station in Manchester, England. It serves intercity routes to London Euston, Birmingham New Street, South Wales, the south coast of England, Edinburgh and Glasgow Central, and routes throughout northern England...
, Birmingham New Street and Cardiff CentralCardiff Central railway station is a major railway station on the South Wales Main Line in Cardiff, Wales.It is the largest and busiest station in Wales and one of the major stations of the British rail network, the tenth busiest station in the United Kingdom outside of London , based on 2007/08...
. Historically the island was also served by the Anglesey Central RailwayThe Anglesey Central Railway was a long standard-gauge railway in Anglesey, Wales, connecting the port of Amlwch and the county town of Llangefni with the North Wales Coast Line at Gaerwen. Built as an independent railway, the railway opened in portions from 1864 to 1867...
which ran from GaerwenGaerwen is a village on the island of Anglesey, Wales. It is located in the south of the island 4 miles west of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and 4 miles Northeast of Llangefni...
to AmlwchAmlwch is the most northerly town in Wales. It is situated on the north coast of the Isle of Anglesey, on the A5025 which connects it to Holyhead and to Menai Bridge. The town has no beach, but it has impressive coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it...
and the Red Wharf Bay branch lineThe Red Wharf Bay branch line was a standard gauge railway line in Anglesey, Wales, a branch off the Anglesey Central Railway. It opened fully in 1909, but closed to passengers in September 1930...
between the Holland Arms railway stationHolland Arms railway station was situated on the Anglesey Central Railway line from Gaerwen to Amlwch. Located in the village of Pentre Berw it was known as Holland Arms because of the well known hotel of the same name in the village...
and Red Wharf Bay.
By air, Anglesey Airport-Passenger statistics:-External links:***...
has a twice daily scheduled service to Cardiff International AirportCardiff Airport is an international airport serving Cardiff, and the rest of South, Mid and West Wales. Around 1.4 million passengers passed through the airport in 2010....
where connections worldwide can be made.
Holyhead PortThe Port of Holyhead is a ferry port in Anglesey, Wales, handling more than 2 million passengers each year. Stena Line and Irish Ferries sail from Holyhead to Dublin and Dún Laoghaire in Ireland, forming the principal link for surface transport from north Wales and central and northern England to...
is a busy ferryA ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
port handling more than 2 million passengers each year. Stena LineStena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
and Irish Ferries sail to Dublin and Dún LaoghaireDún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
in IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, forming the principal link for surface transportTransport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
from central and northern EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to IrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
See also
- List of Lord Lieutenants of Anglesey
This is a list of people who served as Lord Lieutenant of Anglesey. Since 1761, all Lord Lieutenants have also been Custos Rotulorum of Anglesey...
- List of High Sheriffs of Anglesey
This is a list of High Sheriffs of Anglesey. Following the conquest of Wales by Edward I Anglesey was created a county of Wales under the terms of the Statute of Rhuddlan of 1284...
- Cestyll Garden
Cestyll Garden is a secluded garden with picturesque sea views near Cemaes on the north west coast of the island of Anglesey in North Wales, United Kingdom.- History :...
- List of islands of Wales - including those around Anglesey
- Ynys Môn (Assembly constituency)
Ynys Môn is a constituency of the National Assembly for Wales. It elects one Assembly Member by the first past the post method of election...
- Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)
Ynys Môn is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
External links
{{Commons category|Anglesey}}
{{Anglesey}}
{{Communities of Anglesey}}
{{Wales Districts}}
{{Wales subdivisions}}
{{Historic Counties of Wales}}
{{AONBs in Wales}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Isle Of Anglesey}}
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