Wild, Windy and Welsh (Isle of Anglesey in general)

Member Name: merv

Product:	Isle of Anglesey in general
Date:	20/03/03 (933 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Wild and wonderful, Variety of nature, Lovely scenery

Disadvantages: Lack of investment in some areas

I have to admit that even though I am half Welsh and love Wales and the Welsh people I am not a whole-hearted supporter of the Welsh language. I do appreciate the language, which I consider to be incredibly beautiful and lyrical and believe me singing the national anthem in a full Millennium stadium is a fantastic experience. Its just that sometimes people can try too hard to preserve something. The present Assembly policy is way over the top – Welsh is compulsory at school up to 16, signs have to be in English and Welsh to the extent that towns which have always had English names have had Welsh translations, official letters and publications are all in both languages, and anyone phoning the police, a local authority, a hospital, college or government department is met with a long drawn out greeting in English and in Welsh. I believe the language is strong enough to survive without the positive discrimination, which can actually have the opposite effect. The cost of implementing this policy must be horrendous and can only deter rather than encourage investment.

Having said that, one of my favourite places to visit in Wales is the beautiful Isle of Anglesey which happens to be one of the main strongholds of the Welsh language.

Known to the Welsh as Ynys Môn it is Britain’s largest offshore island Situated off the north-west coast of Wales near the beautiful Snowdonia mountain range, it is separated from the mainland by the treacherous Menai Straits, which is spanned by two marvels of engineering, Thomas Telford’s elegant suspension bridge and George Stephenson’s Britannia Bridge. During the middle ages Anglesey was known as Mam Cymru ('Mother of Wales') because its fertile fields were the granary for the much of North Wales. Even today the remains of many windmills are evident as you travel across the island and there is still one working example.

Its attraction to me is in the fact that it is totally diff
erent from the rest of North Wales. Heathland, marshlands and pasture range gently westward, interrupted by copses shaped by the wind and villages made up of small pebble dashed cottages battered by the winter winds which sweep up through the island. By way of contrast, Snowdonia acts as a wonderful backdrop to this lovely island, a beautiful panorama spread out along the length of its east coast.

Anglesey has a rich tapestry of history and has its fair share of historical sites ranging from Neolithic times through to the industrial revolution. The first evidence of humans dates back to about 7000 BC and there are numerous stone burial chambers, standing stones, and hill forts, many of which survived the ages in good condition and can be still be seen today. It also has a fascinating association with smuggling evidence of which can be seen in the idyllic fishing villages dotted around the coast.

The island has a multitude of areas where interesting birds, plants and other wildlife can be seen and enjoyed. With over 100 miles of coastline there are loads of different habitats, such as sand dunes, cliffs and beaches, salt marshes and mud flats. These provide homes for a wide variety of animals and also a varied flora. Inland much of the island is low lying agricultural land, dotted with the remains of windmills which drove the rural economy in the 1800’s and parts of Anglesey are flooded and marshy, providing for another alternative set of plants and animals.

Much of Anglesey’s shoreline has Heritage Coast or ANOB status, an exciting succession of dunes and estuaries, coves and cliffs haunted by sea birds and a geologist’s paradise of complex rock formations. Around every corner there are glorious sandy bays reminiscent of Enid Blyton’s ‘Famous Five’ novels.

Particular favourites of mine are:

Plas Newydd - a magnificent early 19th century gothic mansion set in sloping parkland with f
antastic views over the Menai Straits and the Snowdonia Mountains.

Beaumaris – surely one of Wales’ most attractive towns with Victorian terraces, half timbered houses and a technically perfect mediaeval moated castle.

Cemaes Bay – picturesque stone quay, beautiful sandy beaches and lovely cliff walks, even the nearby power station has a certain charm about it. It looks like a 20th century castle!

South Stack - Towering over the lighthouse, the cliffs at South Stack annually provide thousands of seabirds nooks and crannies on which to raise their young. The greatest number of the birds are guillemots, with razorbills and kittiwakes also being numerous. A small colony of puffins also nest in their burrows above the cliffs. The vegetation on the wind-swept cliff top is mainly heather, but a beautiful display of maritime wildflowers colour the area in the summer.

Newborough Warren – this is a lovely nature reserve covering 1500 acres of open dunes packed with herring gulls, oystercatchers, lapwings, curlew, skylarks and meadow pipits and home to an abundance of toads and lizards.

Rhosneigr - On the West coast of the island, this location is a great place for surfers and watersports interrupted during the week by the roar of fighters from the nearby RAF Valley, an experience in itself. Lovely spot to visit at weekends in the early summer before it gets busy, beautiful bays, beaches and sand dunes to ramble over.

On the downside....

Apologies to anyone reading from Holyhead, but this really is the one place to avoid. The island's biggest and busiest town, it is a thriving port and just an hour and a half by ferry from Ireland. Three or four years ago an economic survey rated Holyhead as "the most depressed town in Britain". I understand significant efforts are being made to change its image, but this will take time and a great deal of investment.

Llanfairpwl
lgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch – The village with the UK’s longest place name. When translated into English, it 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 – an advertising campaign todays promos would have been proud of! It is abbreviated to Llanfairpwll or Llanfair P.G. by the locals. To be honest the sign is about all there is to it, but its still one of the naff things you have to do when you visit Anglesey – have your photo taken (wide angle lens of course) alongside the railway station sign.

Two opinions for the price of one, a thumbs up for Anglesey but a thumbs down for the Welsh Assembly’s costly attempts to preserve the Welsh language.

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