North Stack

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North Stack
Native name:
Ynys Arw
Ynys Arw - North Stack near Caergybi (Holyhead), Ynys Mon, Wales 10.jpg
North Stack (centre), with a building from the defunct fog warning station (right)
Isle of Anglesey UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
North Stack
Geography
Location Anglesey, Wales
Coordinates 53°20′00″N4°41′00″W / 53.333332°N 4.683333°W / 53.333332; -4.683333 Coordinates: 53°20′00″N4°41′00″W / 53.333332°N 4.683333°W / 53.333332; -4.683333
Administration
Wales
County Anglesey
Demographics
Population0 (uninhabited)

North Stack (Welsh: Ynys Arw, meaning "rugged island") is a small island situated just off Holy Island on the north-west coast of Anglesey. [1] The area has been an important location in the development of traditional climbing in Britain and has several notable classic, and also extreme, climbing routes.

Contents

Description

North Stack is the site of a redundant fog warning station, comprising a number of buildings, including the Trinity House Magazine, built-in 1861, where shells for the warning cannon were stored. These buildings now house a bird-watching observatory, [2] giving a view of South Stack lighthouse across Gogarth Bay, [2] and the studio of artist Philippa Jacobs. [3]

North Stack, or Gogarth North Stack, can also refer to the headland opposite the island.

Rock climbing

The Precambrian quartzite cliffs of this headland, including the North Stack Walls and Wen Zawn, are a well-regarded area for rock climbs in Britain, and contain important traditional climbing routes such as A Dream of White Horses (HVS 4c, Ed Drummond and Dave Pearce, 1968), The Cad (E6 6a, Ron Fawcett, 1978), Skinhead Moonstomp (E6 6b, Andy Pollitt, 1986), The Bells, The Bells! (E7 6b, John Redhead, 1980), Conan the Librarian (E7 6b, Johnny Dawes, 1986), and The Hollow Man (E8 6b, Andy Pollitt, 1988). [4] [5] [6]

Crash site

The stack was the site of a crash of a B-24 bomber of the US Eighth Air Force on 22 December 1944 that killed the eight crew on board. [7]

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References

  1. "Holyhead Mountain, North Stack to Penrhyn Mawr", ccw.gov.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  2. 1 2 North Stack, holyhead.com. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  3. "Artist profile: Philippa Jacobs", bbc.co.uk, Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  4. Gogarth North Stack (North Stack Wall), ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  5. Gogarth North Stack (Wen Zawn), ukclimbing.com. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  6. Panton, Simon (2015). Gogarth North. Llanberris, Wales: GroundUp. ISBN   978-0-9554417-1-4.
  7. "Anglesey World War II plane tragedy memorial service to be held on 70th anniversary, daily.co.uk, Retrieved 17 December 2014.