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Holyhead

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Holyhead From South Stack. Photograph © St Cyb�s

Although it is the largest town in the county, with a population of 11,237 (2001 census), it is neither the county town nor actually on the isle of Anglesey but is instead located on Holy Island which is connected to Anglesey by Four Mile Bridge, so called because it is four miles (6 km) from Holyhead on the old post road from London, and a causeway (known locally as "the cob") built by local philanthropist Lord Stanley in the nineteenth century, which now carries the A5/A55 road and the railway line to Chester, Crewe and London.

The town's centre is built around St. Cybi's church, which is built inside one of Europe's only three-walled Roman forts (the fourth wall being the sea, which used to come up to the fort). The Romans also built a lighthouse on the top of Holyhead Mountain inside Mynydd y Twr, a prehistoric fortress. Settlements in the area date from prehistoric times, with circular huts, burial chambers and standing stones featuring in the highest concentration in Britain.

Holyhead is perhaps best known for its busy ferry port and freight harbour. Stena Line, Europe's biggest ferry company, operates from the port. Irish Ferries also operate from Holyhead. Ferries sail to Dublin and D�n Laoghaire in Ireland and this forms the principal link for surface transport from central and northern England and Wales to Ireland. There is archaeological evidence that people have been sailing between Holyhead and Ireland for 4000 years. The post road built by Thomas Telford from London strengthened Holyhead's position as the port, from where the royal mail was dispatched to and from Dublin. The A5 terminates at Admiralty Arch (1821, designed by Thomas Harrison to commemorate a visit by King George IV en route to Ireland) and marking the zeneth of Irish Mail coach operations. However, with the opening of the railway from London to Liverpool, Holyhead lost the London to Dublin Mail contract in 1839 to the Port of Liverpool. Only after the completion of the Chester and Holyhead Railway in 1850 and the building of Holyhead railway station did the Irish Mail return to Holyhead.

Holyhead (Welsh: Caergybi, "the fort of St. Cybi") is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the northwest of Wales.

Holyhead's maritime importance was at its paramount in the 19th century when the two and a half mile (4 km) breakwater, widely acknowledged to be one of Britain's finest, was built, creating a safe harbour for vessels caught in stormy waters on their way to Liverpool and the industrial ports of Lancashire. Holyhead's sea heritage is remembered in a maritime museum.

Today, Holyhead's main industry is aluminium-based, with Rio Tinto Group's Anglesey Aluminium subsidiary operating a massive aluminium smelter on the outskirts of the town. There is also a plant that refines bauxite near the site. A large jetty in the harbour receives ships from Jamaica and Australia, and their cargo of bauxite and aluminium ores are transported on a conveyor belt that runs underneath the town to the plants.

Holyhead's arts centre, the Ucheldre Centre, is located in the chapel of an old convent belonging to the order of the Bon Sauveur.

Holyhead hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1927.

 Cinemas:
 Empire
       Stanley Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1HL
       http://www.southwalescinemas.co.uk/

 Trains: Holyhead is on the North Wales Coast Line

 Libraries:
 Holyhead Library
       Newry Fields
       Holyhead
       LL65 1LA
       01407 762917
       Mon 10:00-17:00
       Tue 10:00-19:00
       Wed 10:00-13:00
       Thur 10:00-19:00
       Fri 10:00-19:00
       Sat 09:30-12:30

 Vets:
 Bodrwnsiwn Veterinary Group
       The Veterinary Surgery
       Kingsland Rd
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2SP
       01407 769183

 Anglesey Pet Clinic
       Cyttir Road
       Kingsland
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2SY
       01407 764999

 Youth Hostel: Anglesey Outdoors

 Tourist Information Centre

 Telephone:

01407 762622

 Fax:

01407 761462

 Email:

[email protected]

 Address:

Stenna Line
Terminal 1
Holyhead
Anglesey
LL65 1DQ

 Hours:

Summer Monday - Saturday 8:30 - 18:00
Winter
Monday - Saturday  8:30 - 18:00

 Pubs/Bars:
 The Albert Vaults
       32 Stanley Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1HL
       01407 763697

 The Anchorage Hotel
       Four Mile Bridge
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2EZ
       01407 740 168

 The Angel Inn
       Old Station Road
       Kingsland
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2RH
       01407 762 671

 Bar 2000
       Victoria Terrace
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1UT
       01407 769 469

 Beach Hotel
       Lon St Ffraid
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2YT

 The Boat House Hotel
       Newry Beach
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1YA

 Boston Arms
       1 London Road
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2NE

 Britannia Inn
       32 Thomas Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1RS
       01407 762 495

 Caernarfon Castle
       5 Market Hill
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1NG
       01407 765 088

 Cambria Inn
       Cambrian Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1NH
       01407 762 996

 Chester Inn
       9 Mill Bank
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1TE
       01407 762 637

 Dublin Packet
       Rhos-Y-Gaer Terrace
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2HW

 Eagle and Child
       Victoria Terrace
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1UT

 Taxis:
 Alphacab
       1b Victoria Rd
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1UD
       01407 765000

 Anglesey Taxis
       Cefn Ysgwydd Fawr
       Bryngwran
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 3SW
       01407 810324

 Benji's Taxis
       Buarth Mawr
       London Rd
       Bodedern
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 3SU
       01407 741419

 B&B's/Guesthouses
 The Beach Hut Guest House
       4 Hibernia Terrace
       Holyhead
       Anglesey
       LL65 1DL 
 01407 764001
 01407 764001
 [email protected]
 http://www.thebeachhut.me.uk

 Tasma Guest House
       31 Walthew Avenue
       Holyhead
       Anglesey
       LL65 1AG 
 01407 762291
 01407 762291
 [email protected]

 The Edinburgh Castle
       Black Bridge
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2BU
       01407 762 015

 Foresters Arms
       Mountain View
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2RT
       01407 760 782

 The George Hotel
       Market Square
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1UF
       01407 740 232

 Gleesons Public House
       Stanley Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1HG
       01407 762 086

 Gwalchmai Hotel
       Stena House
       Holyhead Harbour
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1DQ
       014077 202 03

 The Holland Inn
       Hylands Rhos Y Gaer Terrace
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2HW

 Iorwerth Arms
       High Street
       Bryngwran
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 3PP
       01407 721 045

 Kings Arms
       Marine Square
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1DG
       01407 762 528

 The Seventy Nine
       79 Market Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1UW
       014077 639 39

 The Skerries
       2 Stanley Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1HG
       01407 765 920

 South Stack Hotel
       Cross Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1EF

 Stanley Arms
       Stanley Street
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1HG
       01407 762 702

 Y Ddraig Goch
       South Stack Road
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 1LU
       01407 764 377

 Bill's Valley Taxi
       Ty Gwyn
       Llanynghenedl Valley
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 3DB
       01407 740046

 Lyn's Taxis
       39 London Rd
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 2NS
       01407 769090

 Valley Taxi
       7 Zealand Park
       Caergeiliog
       Holyhead
       Gwynedd
       LL65 3PQ
       01407 741741

 Ty Gwrthyn Country House B&B
       Llanfair Yn Neubwll
       Holyhead
       Anglesey
       LL65 3LD 
 01407 741025
 [email protected]

 Witchingham
       20 Walthew Avenue
       Holyhead
       Anglesey
       LL65 1AF 
 01407 762426
 [email protected]
 http://www.witchingham.com


 

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