Let's Have A Day Out - To Holyhead

Leaving the mainland and driving over the newer Britannia Bridge, designed and built by the noted railway engineer Robert Stephenson, as there was no rail connection to Anglesey prior to its construction, you can take the direct A55 road straight to Holyhead.

The origins of Holyhead date from 450AD, when Celtic King Caswallon defeated Irish invaders on Holy Island. The Roman Fort at Holyhead, known in the Welsh language as Caer Gybi, was one of a chain of installations designed to counter acts of piracy and raiding from Ireland. Stone ramparts enclosed three sides of the fort with the North and South Walls extending down to the waterfront where the warships of Classis Britannica would have been beached. The walls of the fort still stand to an impressive height at over 4 metres tall and St Cybi's Church founded in about 550AD is surrounded by the original fort wall after the fort was abandoned around AD 390. St Cybi was the cousin of St David and is said to have been the son of Salomon, King of Cornwall. He had declined the crown himself and travelled preaching the gospel until settling on Anglesey. He established a monastery within the former fort's walls and was buried there when he died on 8 November 555. The monastery is now gone but the medieval church of St Cybi still occupies the site. The surrounding area has many prehistoric sites, including the Neolithic Trefignath Burial Chamber 1.5 miles South East of the town. The late Neolithic or early Bronze age Tŷ mawr Hut group on the south slope of Holyhead mountain is close to South Stack.
The port of Holyhead is the busiest UK Irish ferry port and is home to the largest seagoing ferry in the World. There are good views over the port from the grounds of St Cybi's church, from where there is also a good view of Skinners monument on Alltran rock. This obelisk was erected by the people of Holyhead in memory of Captain John Mcgregor Skiner, a benefactor to the town's poor who was washed overboard from his ship in 1832 There are also excellent coastal walks here at the Breakwater Country Park including audio trails, a new open gallery within the old brick shed, and themed walks. The park, along with the RSPB visitor centre in Ellins Tower, South Stack are popular bird watching centres.

Leaving Holyhead for the mainland you can return via a coastal route down the western shore which takes you near the many beaches such as Trearddur Bay just four miles away with its beautiful large, sandy beach sloping to the sea. From here you can walk along the Anglesey Coastal Footpath towards neighbouring Rhoscolyn or in the other direction towards Porth Dafarch and on to South Stack and the RSPB Reserve and lighthouse.

Rhosneigr is the next large beach travelling south and a winner of of the Green Coast seaside award. With its two broad , sandy beaches, Traeth Crigyll and Traeth Llydan, it is a popular centre for all watersports such swimming, surfing, wind surfing, kite surfing, water boarding, skiing, underwater diving and boat fishing.

Next on the drive south is Newborough Beach with it's fantastic coves and clear blue seas, where you can observe the red squirrels that inhabit the forest at Newborough Reserve. A walk along the beach here will bring you to Llanddwyn Island, the jewel in the crown of the west coast of Anglesey, having several beautiful coves, pleasant shingle and sandy beaches and superb views of Snowdonia and the Lleyn (Llyn) Peninsula. Llanddwyn Island has a long maritime history and it is said that Prince Llywelyn, who held his royal court in Newborough, anchored his fleet off Abermenai Point. It is famous also for it's connection with Dwynwen, Santes or Saint Dwynwen, the Welsh Patron Saint of lovers.

Plas Newydd is a country house set in gardens, parkland and surrounding woodland on the north bank of the Menai Strait, in Llanddaniel Fab, near Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. The current building has its origins in 1470, and evolved over the centuries to become one of Anglesey's principal residences. Owned successively by the familes Griffiths, Baylys and Pagets, it became the country seat of the Marquesses of Anglesey, and the core of a large agricultural estate. With superb views of the mountains of Snowdonia across the Menai Strait, the house itself has changed over the years, from the original Tudor house, to the changes made by the fashionable architect James Wyatt in 1793-9 and the modernisation during the 1930s when the family of the 6th Marquess made Plas Newydd their main residence. The Military Museum here is an exhibition of items and pictures of the 1st Marquess and his part in the Battle of Waterloo, this exhibition was curated by the late 7th Marquess and occupies several of the former 'domestic offices'.

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