Anglesey

The Isle of Anglesey (Ynys Môn in Welsh) is situated off the north-west coast of Wales near the beautiful Snowdonia mountain range. It is separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait, which is spanned by two picturesque bridges, the Menai Bridge and the Britannia Bridge. Anglesey was known as Mam Cymru ('Mother of Wales') during the middle ages because its fertile fields formed the breadbasket for the north of Wales.

The name Anglesey is thought to have come from a Viking place name. In old Norse the -ey ending indicates an island named after a particular person (cf. Bardsey, Orkney, Ramsey, etc.). Anglesey is probably derived from "Ongl's ey", Ongl's island. Who Ongl was we have no idea.

Today it has several thriving towns. The historic town of Beaumaris is the site of one of the castles built by Edward I after his defeat of the Welsh princes, as well as the historic mansion Henllys Hall, now a hotel (see their pages for more on the history of Anglesey and Wales). The town of Holyhead is the main ferry port for travel across the Irish Sea to Dublin and Llangefni, in the centre of the island, is the county town.

Anglesey also has the village with the longest place name in Britain: Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (click here to hear it pronounced). The name, when translated into English, means "The church of St. Mary in a hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and near St. Tysilio's church by the red cave". The name was actually coined in the nineteenth century to attract tourists to the Island. It is abbreviated to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair P.G. by the locals.
(From http://www.anglesey-history.co.uk/)

We’ve put together an information travel guide to the people and places of Wales aimed at tourists, or indeed any visitors planning a trip or vacation, to help in deciding the most suitable bits for you, just search by area or attraction, alternatively just take a look at the general info pages and see what takes your fancy, something should help you make the most of your welsh holiday.

DRUIDS AND ANGLESEY

Historically, Anglesey has long been associated with druids. In AD 60 the Roman general Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, determined to break the power of the Celtic druids, attacked the island, destroying the shrine and the sacred groves. News of Boudica'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 Agricola, the Roman Governor of Britain, in AD 78. The foundations of Caer Gybi, a fort at Holyhead, are Roman, and the present road from Holyhead to Llanfairpwllgwyngyll may originally have been a Roman road.

BORN ON ANGLESEY

Tony Adams - actor (Anglesey, 1940)

William Bulkeley - diarist (1691 - 1760 Brynddu, Llanfechell, Anglesey)

Dic Evans - Seaman and coxswain two-times winner of the RNLI gold medal for bravery - (Moelfre, 1905)

Dawn French - actress, writer, comedian (Holyhead, 1957)

Hugh Griffith - Oscar winning actor (Marianglas, 1912)

Steve Griffiths - writer (Anglesey 1949)

Owain Gwynedd - prince (Anglesey, c. 1100)

Hywel Gwynfryn - radio and TV personality (Llangefni, 1942)

Wayne Hennessey - footballer - currently goalkeeper with Wolves and Wales (Anglesey 1987)

Captain Owen Jones - volunteer lifeboatman winner of the RNLI gold medal for bravery (Anglesey)

Rhys Jones - 2 gold medals (archery) International Island Games 2005

Mr Thomas William Jones - able seaman on RMS Titanic who took charge of Lifeboat #8 (Anglesey, c. 1880)

William Jones - mathematician (Llanfihangel Tre'r Beirdd, 1675)

John Morris-Jones - Welsh grammarian and poet (Llandrygarn, 1864)

Glenys Kinnock - politician (Holyhead, 1944)

Goronwy Owen - poet (Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf, 1723)

Wendy Orme - screenwriter (Anglesey, 1911)

Edward Roberts - gold medal (team shooting) International Island Games 2005

Edward Roberts - second coxswain winner of the RNLI gold medal for bravery (Anglesey)

Wilf Roberts - landscape artist (Anglesey, 1941)

Ifor Owain Thomas - tenor (Pentraeth, 1892)

Hugh Owen Thomas - pioneering orthopaedic surgeon (Anglesey, 1833)

Thomas Thomas - gold and bronze medal (team shooting & shooting) International Island Games 2005

Anthony White - gold medal (team shooting) International Island Games 2005

Nicola Kate Stretton - silver medal (athletics) International Island Games 2005

Sir Kyffin Williams RA - landscape painter (Anglesey, 1918 - 2006)

Claire Wilson - gold medal (swimming) International Island Games 2005

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

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