Cemaes is a
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
on the north coast of
AngleseyThe Isle of Anglesey , is an island and county off the northwest coast of Wales, with a predominantly Welsh-speaking population. It is connected to the mainland by two bridges spanning the Menai Strait: the original Menai Suspension Bridge , designed by Thomas Telford in 1826; and the newer...
in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
, on Cemaes Bay, 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...
, which is partly owned by the
National TrustThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. It is home to both a
wind farmA wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used for production of electric power. Individual turbines are interconnected with a medium voltage power collection system and communications network...
and a nuclear power station (
WylfaWylfa is a nuclear power station 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...
). It is also a fishing port and is known for its beach. The village also has a football team,
Cemaes Bay F.C.Cemaes Bay F.C. is a football team playing in the Anglesey League . Between 1995 and 1998 the club played in the League of Wales.- History :...
, that play in the
Welsh Alliance LeagueThe Welsh Alliance Football League is a football league...
, but once got as high as the
League of WalesThe Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales, but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal...
, becoming the first team on Anglesey to do so.
Cemaes is the most northerly village in Wales and its development has been shaped by the natural resources available to it.
Cemaes is a
villageA village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet, but smaller than a town or city. Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New York City and the Saifi Village in...
on the north coast of
AngleseyThe Isle of Anglesey , is an island and county off the northwest coast of Wales, with a predominantly Welsh-speaking population. It is connected to the mainland by two bridges spanning the Menai Strait: the original Menai Suspension Bridge , designed by Thomas Telford in 1826; and the newer...
in
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
, on Cemaes Bay, 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...
, which is partly owned by the
National TrustThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. It is home to both a
wind farmA wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used for production of electric power. Individual turbines are interconnected with a medium voltage power collection system and communications network...
and a nuclear power station (
WylfaWylfa is a nuclear power station 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...
). It is also a fishing port and is known for its beach. The village also has a football team,
Cemaes Bay F.C.Cemaes Bay F.C. is a football team playing in the Anglesey League . Between 1995 and 1998 the club played in the League of Wales.- History :...
, that play in the
Welsh Alliance LeagueThe Welsh Alliance Football League is a football league...
, but once got as high as the
League of WalesThe Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales, but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal...
, becoming the first team on Anglesey to do so.
Cemaes is the most northerly village in Wales and its development has been shaped by the natural resources available to it. Cemaes Bay is 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...
, some of which is owned by the
National TrustThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
. The village includes a sheltered natural harbour that looks north to the Irish Sea and is a site of an ancient settlement that in more recent centuries has become a centre for maritime activities.
Since Victorian times, the picturesque character of Cemaes and the natural beauty of the island has attracted many artists. They have responded to the sea and sky as it changes with the weather, the superb sunsets, the multicoloured rocks and sands exposed on the cliffs and beaches as well as the charm of Cemaes village.
For more than a hundred years, Cemaes has attracted holiday makers and tourists including
Lloyd GeorgeDavid Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British statesman and the only Welsh Prime Minister of the United Kingdom; he is also the only one to have spoken English as a second language, Welsh having been his first.During a long tenure of office, mainly as Chancellor of the...
. Cemaes is located on the
Anglesey Coastal PathAnglesey Coastal Path cost £1.4 million and runs virtually within the length of the entire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on Anglesey, Wales. It is a network of public rights of way and some designated permissive paths....
and is quite popular with walkers. One popular path which runs behind the high-street called Valley of the Otters (Nat y Dyfrgi in Welsh) is very peaceful. It is surrounded by woodland, wildflowers and the sounds of the river. The river itself is called the River Wygyr which flows from just below Parys Mountain to the sea at Cemaes. It is joined along the way by the Afon Meddanen on Carrog Farm. The name Wygyr itself in Welsh means 'where two rivers meet'.
History
The village was a commotal centre for the
Prince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the Heir Apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland...
before the invasion of Edward I in 1282-3.
Dafydd ap LlywelynDafydd ap Llywelyn was Prince of Gwynedd from 1240 to 1246. He was for a time recognised as Prince of Wales.- Descent :...
, prince of Wales from 1240 to 1246, is recorded as having issued an act at Cemaes in 1238.
Between the end of the 18th and beginning of the 20th century the village was noted for producing salted
herringHerring are relatively small oily fish of the genus Clupea found in the shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans, including the Baltic Sea. Two species of Clupea are currently recognized, the Atlantic herring and the Pacific herring , each of which may be...
as well as bricks from a nearby works which was served by a narrow gauge railway down to the sea. The
pierA pier is a raised walkway over water, supported by widely spread piles or pillars. The lighter structure of a pier allows tides and currents to flow almost unhindered, whereas the more solid foundations of a quay or the closely-spaced piles of a wharf can act as breakwaters, and are consequently...
which was badly needed for trade and fishing, and later tourism was damaged badly by storms in 1828 and 1889. Both times they were rebuilt and improved by local businessmen.
Thoroughout its history the village has had three names. The first was Castell Iorwerth ("Iorwerth's Castle") after an important Welsh prince of the time. The second name, Cemais, is similar to the modern name and refers to the meanders in the River Wygyr that are near the village. The modern anglicised name probably arose when English tourists reached the village. The name of the nearby
WylfaWylfa is a nuclear power station 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 liked to the village. The late 19th century Cemaes resident David Hughes who travelled to
LiverpoolLiverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and found riches in the building industry lived for much of his life on the island. He built the village town hall in 1898 and his cottage, on the site of the power station was called Wylfa.
Llanbadrig Church
Those who make the pilgrimage from Cemaes to the headland to the east, where the church stands will be rewarded by both the history of the church and views on a clear day to the
Isle of ManThe Isle of Man , or Mann , is a self-governing British Crown dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Britain and Ireland. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Crown is represented by a Lieutenant Governor...
, the hills of the
Lake DistrictThe Lake District, also known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a rural area in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes and its mountains , and its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth and the Lake Poets.The central and...
and the
Mountains of MourneThe Mourne Mountains or Mournes , a granite mountain range located in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland, are among the most famous of the mountains in the country. The surrounding area is an area of outstanding natural beauty and is proposed as the first national park in Northern...
in Ireland. The Welsh name
LlanbadrigLlanbadrig is a parish in the cwmwd of Talybolion, on the island of Anglesey, north Wales. The parish includes the township of Clygyrog and the little port of Cemaes . The region has extensive quarries of limestone and marble....
means ‘church of St Patrick’. There are three churches in Wales with dedication to St. Patrick, although Llanbadrig church, founded in 440 AD, is probably the only one with a direct link to the patron saint of Ireland. We know that Patrick, then Bishop, was sent by
Pope Celestine Idead=dead|death_date=|deathplace= Rome, Western Roman Empire|}}other=Celestine|}}Pope Saint Celestine I was pope from 422 until April 6, 432....
to Ireland to convert the Irish to Christianity during the 5th century. Local legend insists that Patrick was shipwrecked on Ynys Badrig (Patrick's Island which is also called Middle Mouse because of its shape). This is the island that can be seen deom the stile in the churchyard wall. He succeeded in crossing to Anglesey, landing at Rhos Badrig (Patrick's Moor) and finding refuge in Ogof Badrig (Patrick's Cave). This cave, below the churchyard, has a freshwater well – Ffynon Badrig (Patrick's Well). Legend states that this fresh water allowed Bishop Patrick to recover from his ordeal and he founded the church as thanks to God.
Also home of Wyn Russell Byers Davies, an actress who spent 6 years in the Welsh soap opera
Pobol y CwmPobol y Cwm is a Welsh language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol Y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television between 1974 and 1982 and later transferred to the Welsh...
and now works at Halfords Llandudno on the tills.
Geology
The rocks exposed by coastal erosion in North Anglesey belong mainly to what geologists call the Mona Complex, which is among the oldest rock units seen in
WalesWales is a peninsula in the south-west of the island of Great Britain. The entire area of Wales is about 20,779 km² . It is about 274 km north-south and 97 km east-west. Wales is bordered by England to the east and by sea in the other three directions: the Bristol Channel to the south, St...
. It underlies, and is therefore older than the slates of the North Wales quarrying industry, but is probably not very much older in geological terms. Since the remains of fossilized remains have been found in the rocks, it is does not predate the origins of life and is therefore probably about 600 million years old.
The locality is well-known to geologists following the enthusiastic description by Edward Greenly, in his pioneering book on the geology of Anglesey dated 1919: ‘a many coloured mélange that is really indescribable, and must therefore be seen in the field to be envisaged’.
Wildlife
Cemaes has a range of wildlife from foxes and peregrine falcons to marine life. Usually, on
WylfaWylfa is a nuclear power station 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, you can see porpoises coming up for air. The currents around there are perfect feeding spots for them. Cemaes habour is a perfect spot for fishing, as you can catch
Atlantic mackerelThe Atlantic mackerel , is a pelagic schooling species of mackerel found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean. The species is also called Boston mackerel, or just mackerel....
,
flatfishThe flatfish are an order of ray-finned fish, also called the Heterosomata, sometimes classified as a suborder of Perciformes. The name means "side-swimmers" in Greek. In many species both eyes lie on one side of the head, one or the other migrating through and around the head during development...
, red crabs and other
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
and crustaceans. Near Cemaes is Cemlyn, which hosts the only breeding
Sandwich Tern{Taxobox| name = Sandwich Tern| status = LC| status_ref = | status_system = iucn3.1| image = Sandwich Tern in Flight.jpg| image_width = 250px| image_caption = Nominate subspecies T. S. sandvicensis| regnum = Animalia| phylum = Chordata| classis = Aves...
s in Wales.
Improvements
In 2006 Cemaes was vandalised. The list includes the local bakery windows smashed, the village hall windows smashed and a bridge having its planks torn off. The police investigated immediately and one vandal was caught. The vandalism has since stopped. Cemaes has been improving since the 2006
vandalismVandalism is the behaviour attributed to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
. The improvements include a new astro-turf pitch in the park, a new ATM/Telephone and new housing developments.
External links