Holy Island, Anglesey

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Holy Island
Native name:
Ynys Gybi
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A map showing the Isle of Anglesey and Holy Island
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Holy Island
Geography
Location Irish Sea
Coordinates 53°17′N4°37′W / 53.283°N 4.617°W / 53.283; -4.617
ArchipelagoBritish Isles
Area39.4 km2 (15.2 sq mi)
Length12.3 km (7.64 mi)
Width5.6 km (3.48 mi)
Highest elevation220 m (720 ft)
Highest pointHolyhead Mountain
Administration
Wales
County Isle of Anglesey
Largest settlement Holyhead (pop. 11,237)
Demographics
Population13,659 (2011)
Pop. density346/km2 (896/sq mi)
Ethnic groups Welsh people

Holy Island (Welsh : Ynys Gybi, 'the island of (Saint) Cybi') is an island on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, Wales, from which it is separated by the Cymyran Strait. It is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of standing stones, burial chambers, and other religious sites on the small island. The alternative English name of the island is Holyhead Island. According to the 2011 UK Census, the population was 13,659, of whom 11,431 (84%) lived in the largest town, Holyhead.

Contents

Pre-history of Holy Island

The settlement of Holy Island, Anglesey is dated to c. 4,000 BC with the discovery of an original Neolithic long house. The long house is similar to those found in Scotland, and elsewhere in the British Isles. [1] [2] [3] Also near the Neolithic site on the middle of Holy island is the Bronze Age Ty Mawr standing stone (Menhir) which is a Monolith measuring 2.67m high (8 feet). [4] [5]

Ty Mawr standing stone, Holyhead Ty Mawr Stone - geograph.org.uk - 1046.jpg
Ty Mawr standing stone, Holyhead

Permanent settlement on Anglesey was established in different forms for thousands of years from after the Bronze Age. Many of these sites were used from Neolithic times. This was proven by pottery discoveries. There are ancient hillforts that were in use for nearly a millennium until the Roman invasion of Wales. [7]

A well-preserved hut settlement on Anglesey was adjacent to the Holyhead Mountain hillfort. The Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles (Welsh : Tŷ Mawr / Cytiau'r Gwyddelod, Big house / "Irishmen's Huts") on Holy Island were inhabited before the Iron Ages, as of c. 1,000 BC. A stone wall built in the enclosure was found with limpet shells dating to 200 BC. Also at the huts was Roman-era ancient pottery proving the hut group habitation from the 3rd to 4th centuries AD. [8] [9] [10] [11] The Ty Mawr Hut Circles archaeological excavations were carried out by William Owen Stanley (son of Baron Stanley of Alderley) of Penrhos, Holy Island in 1862. [12] [13]

Holyhead Mountain Holyhead, the Mountain and the Breakwater. - geograph.org.uk - 363805.jpg
Holyhead Mountain

Irish settlers invaded Anglesey following the end of Roman rule in Britannia. Cunedda first began warfare against the Irish but ultimately Cadwallon Lawhir defeated the Irish on Holy Island. [14]

Natural features

There are a variety of natural habitats on the island including mudflats, dunes, marshes, and beaches. [15] Practically nothing is left of the oak forest that covered almost all of the island before the arrival of Neolithic farmers. [16] The western side of the island is taken up mainly by Holyhead Mountain, an area of maritime heather moor, which is the highest peak in the county at 722 feet (220 m). North Stack and South Stack are two islands just off the coast by Holyhead Mountain. South Stack is joined to Holy Island by steep steps and a suspension bridge which provides access to the South Stack Lighthouse. [17]

Whilst most of the coastline is rocky there are sandy beaches at Trearddur Bay and Penrhos Country Park. Due to its rocky nature the island has seen many shipwrecks through the years. The coastal zone between the island and the mainland of Anglesey is a large site of special scientific interest: Beddmanarch–Cymyran. [18]

Transport

Ordnance Survey map of Holy Island, 2010 Holy Island, Anglesey 1-250,000 OS map 2010.png
Ordnance Survey map of Holy Island, 2010

Holy Island is connected to Anglesey by two road links. The first, the Stanley Embankment, is made up of causeways carrying the A5 and A55. [19] The second is the much older original link, Four Mile Bridge. The Stanley Embankment also carries the North Wales Coast Line which terminates at the island's only railway station, in Holyhead. The Port of Holyhead has passenger and freight ferries which travel to Dublin Port, Ireland. Buses from the island run to Amlwch, Llangefni and Bangor amongst other places. [20]

Around 30 miles (50 kilometres) of the 125-mile (200 km) Anglesey Coastal Path is on Holy Island. National Cycle Route 5 and National Cycle Route 8 traverse the island. [21] The nearest airport is Anglesey Airport a few miles away on the Anglesey mainland and provides daily flights to Cardiff. The nearest major airport is Liverpool John Lennon Airport, 100 mi (160 km) away.

Sport and tourism

There are three association football teams in the Welsh football league system on the island: Holyhead Hotspur, Caergybi, and Trearddur Bay. The New Oval ground is home to the Ynys Môn football team and hosted the finals of the 2019 Inter Games Football Tournament. [22] There is also a rugby union side and a golf course. Holyhead Park contains lawn bowling greens, three public tennis courts and a skate park. [23] Like the rest of Anglesey, owing to its exposed location in the Irish Sea, surfing is popular.

Many people staying on Holy Island do so short term whilst waiting for the ferries to Dublin Port. As such the largest hotels (Travelodge and Premier Inn) are located close to the A5/A55 roads. Centred in Holyhead but dotted around the island (especially Trearddur Bay and Rhoscolyn) are quite a number of smaller bed and breakfast hotels and caravan parks for people who may wish to stay longer. Attractions in the area include South Stack Lighthouse and the RSPB reserve close by, the Breakwater Country Park, [24] the RNLI museum and walks up Holyhead Mountain.

Schools and governance

There are six primary schools and one secondary school, Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi, [25] which lays claim to being the first Comprehensive school in England and Wales. Tertiary education can be found at Bangor University, some 20 miles (30 kilometres) away on the Welsh mainland.

Along with the rest of Anglesey Holy Island is part of the Ynys Môn UK Parliament constituency and the Ynys Môn Senedd constituency. At a local level it is run by Isle of Anglesey County Council. Holy Island returns 6 of the 30 councillors to the county council, 3 for Caergybi (Holyhead town centre and surrounds) and 3 for Ynys Gybi (the southern extremes of Holyhead town and the more rural south). [26] Holyhead Town Council is made up of seven electoral wards who return 16 councillors and appoint a mayor and deputy mayor annually. [27]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holyhead</span> Port town in Isle of Anglesey, Wales

Holyhead is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census.. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is separated from Anglesey island by the narrow Cymyran Strait and was originally connected to Anglesey via the Four Mile Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Stack</span> Island off northwest Anglesey, Wales

South Stack is an island situated just off Holy Island on the northwest coast of Anglesey, Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holyhead Mountain</span> Mountain on Holy island, Wales

Holyhead Mountain is the highest point on Holy Island, Anglesey, and in the county of Anglesey, north Wales. It lies about two miles west of the town of Holyhead, and slopes steeply down to the Irish Sea on two sides. Ireland can be seen from here on a clear day and the cliffs below are an important site for seabirds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seiriol</span>

Seiriol was an early 6th-century saint, who created a cell at Penmon Priory on Anglesey, off the coast of north Wales. He later moved to Ynys Seiriol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglesey Coastal Path</span>

The Anglesey Coastal Path is a 200-kilometre (124 mi) long-distance footpath around the island of Anglesey in North Wales. The route is part of the Wales Coast Path.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isle of Anglesey County Council</span> Local government authority in north-west Wales

The Isle of Anglesey County Council is the local authority for the Isle of Anglesey, a principal area with county status in Wales. Since 2022 the council has 35 councillors who represent 11 multi-member electoral wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Four Mile Bridge</span> Village in Anglesey, Wales

Four Mile Bridge is a village spanning both sides of the Cymyran Strait in Wales, connecting Holy Island with Anglesey, and is approximately three miles (5 km) southeast of Holyhead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles</span> Iron age settlement on Holy island, Wales

The Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles named in Welsh: Tŷ Mawr / Cytiau'r Gwyddelod, literally meaning Big house or "Irishmen's Huts". are the remains of a group of Celtic Iron Age huts near Trearddur on Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales. The site is under the care of Cadw and can be visited all year round. The construction of these huts is very similar to those at Din Lligwy, having thick stone walls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglesey</span> Island county in Wales

The Isle of Anglesey is a county off the north-west coast of Wales. It is named after the island of Anglesey, which makes up 94% of its area, but also includes Holy Island and some islets and skerries. The county borders Gwynedd across the Menai Strait to the southeast, and is otherwise surrounded by the Irish Sea. Holyhead is the largest town, and the administrative centre is Llangefni. The county is part of the preserved county of Gwynedd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanfachraeth</span> Village and community in Anglesey, Wales

Llanfachraeth is a village and community in Anglesey, Wales. It is located near the west coast of the island, at the head of the Alaw estuary, 6.2 miles (10.0 km) east of Holyhead, 11.7 miles (18.8 km) south west of Amlwch and 11.3 miles (18.2 km) north west of Llangefni. The A5025 road runs through the village. A bus service operates along this road daily, except for Sundays, running between Cemaes, Llanfaethlu, Llanfachraeth and Holyhead. The Wales Coast Path is forced inland here to cross the Afon Alaw. The village has a pub and accommodation is provided by the Holland Hotel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eglwys y Bedd</span> Church in Wales

Eglwys y Bedd is all that remains of a 14th-century church in Anglesey, north Wales. It is set within the churchyard of St Cybi's, Holyhead, and may have been built on the site where Cybi lived and ministered. It is reputed to house the grave of Seregri, an Irish warrior who lived in the area in the 5th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cymyran Strait</span> Strait in Wales

Cymyran Strait is a strait that runs from Beddmanarch Bay in the north to Cymyran Bay in the south between the islands of Anglesey and Holy Island. At either end it opens up into the Irish Sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trefignath</span> Burial chamber in Anglesey, Wales

Trefignath is a Neolithic burial chamber near Trearddur, south of Holyhead on Holy Island, off Anglesey in Wales. In its most complete form it included a large cairn covering three stone tombs, set on a small knoll. It was excavated between 1977 and 1979, revealing several phases of occupation with three separate burial chambers built in succession. It is a scheduled ancient monument, maintained by Cadw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Gwenfaen's Well</span> Holy well in Anglesey, Wales

St Gwenfaen's Well is an early medieval holy well in the south west of Holy Island, Anglesey, named after St Gwenfaen, whose cloister was nearby. The site includes substantial remains of a building and is both a scheduled monument and a Grade II listed building. Traditionally, a gift of two white quartz pebbles thrown into the pool can cure mental health problems.

The Isle of Anglesey electoral boundary changes in 2012 reduced the numbers of electoral wards to the Isle of Anglesey County Council from 40 to 11. This led to the postponement of local government elections in the county by 12 months. The changes were confirmed by the Isle of Anglesey Order 2012 in October 2012.

Ynys Gybi is the name of an electoral ward in the west of Anglesey, Wales, created in 2012. It covers the most part of Holy Island, whose name is Ynys Gybi in Welsh.

The geology of Anglesey, the largest (714 km2) island in Wales is some of the most complex in the country. Anglesey has relatively low relief, the 'grain' of which runs northeast–southwest, i.e. ridge and valley features extend in that direction reflecting not only the trend of the late Precambrian and Palaeozoic age bedrock geology but also the direction in which glacial ice traversed and scoured the island during the last ice age. It was realised in the 1980s that the island is composed of multiple terranes, recognition of which is key to understanding its Precambrian and lower Palaeozoic evolution. The interpretation of the island's geological complexity has been debated amongst geologists for decades and recent research continues in that vein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Registered historic parks and gardens in Anglesey</span> List of buildings in county of Wales

The Isle of Anglesey, a principal area off the north-west coast of Wales, includes the islands of Anglesey, Holy Island and some islets and skerries. It covers an area of 711 km2 (275 sq mi) and in 2021 the population was approximately 68,900.

References

  1. ↑ "Ty Mawr Excavations, Holyhead (417386)". Coflein. RCAHMW.
  2. ↑ Brophy, K. (2007). "From Big Houses to Cult Houses: Early Neolithic Timber Halls in Scotland". Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. 73: 73, 75–96. doi:10.1017/S0079497X00000062. S2CID   192048027.
  3. ↑ "Parc Cybi, Holyhead Border Control Post". gov.wales. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  4. ↑ "Tŷ Mawr Standing Stone". cadw.gov.wales. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  5. 1 2 "Ty-Mawr Standing Stone;Bonc Deg Maenhir (302268)". Coflein. RCAHMW.
  6. ↑ "Proposed Hotel at Parc Cybi Enterprise Zone, Holyhead, Anglesey" (PDF). coflein.gov.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  7. ↑ "Caer-y-Twr Stone Walled Hillfort on Holyhead Mountain (93839)". Coflein. RCAHMW.
  8. ↑ "Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles". cadw.gov.wales. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  9. ↑ "Ty Mawr Circle Huts". anglesey-history.co.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  10. ↑ "Ty Mawr Hut Group;Cytiau'r Gwyddelod: Holyhead Mountain Settlement Complex, North-East Area (308078)". Coflein. RCAHMW.
  11. ↑ "Cytiau'r Gwyddelod, Holyhead Mountain Settlement Complex, South-West Area (93837)". Coflein. RCAHMW.
  12. ↑ "William Owen Stanley". britishmuseum.org. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  13. ↑ W. O. Stanley (1869). "Ancient Circular Habitations at Ty Mawr, Holyhead Island, with Notices of other remains there". The Archaeological Journal. Longmans, Green & Co. 26: 301–322. doi:10.5284/1067327 . Retrieved 8 December 2008. Royal Archaeological Institute
  14. ↑ "Cadwallon Lawhir, King of Gwynedd". earlybritishkingdoms.com. Retrieved 29 August 2023.
  15. ↑ "Natural History of Anglesey". www.anglesey-history.co.uk.
  16. ↑ Cambrian Archaeological Monographs No. 3. Trefignath and Din Dryfol. The excavations of two megalithic tombs in Anglesey. C.A. Smith and F. M. Lynch. Cambrian Archaeological Association 1986. ISBN   0 947846 01 8 ISSN   0266-593X
  17. ↑ "South Stack Lighthouse visitor centre". Trinity House. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  18. ↑ "BEDDMANARCH – CYMYRAN SITE OF SPECIAL SCIENTIFIC INTEREST" (PDF). Natural Resources Wales. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  19. ↑ "The Stanley Embankment, Holyhead". History Points.org. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  20. ↑ "Bus timetables". Isle of Anglesey County Council. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  21. ↑ "UK Cycle Network Map". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  22. ↑ "Fixtures announced for Inter-Island Games". Môn FM. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  23. ↑ "Holyhead Park". Open Play. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  24. ↑ "Holyhead Breakwater Country Park". Visit Anglesey. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  25. ↑ "Primary, Secondary and Special Schools". Isle of Anglesey County Council. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  26. ↑ "Your councillors". Isle of Anglesey County Council. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  27. ↑ "Councillors". Holyhead Town Council. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
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