Holyhead

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Statistics
Holyhead
Population:	25896 (includes T'Bay, Valley, Rhoscolyn and Caergeiliog)
Ordnance Survey
OS grid reference:	Maps for SH245825
Administration
Principal area:	Anglesey
Constituent country:	Wales
Sovereign state:	United Kingdom
Other
Police force:	North Wales Police
Ceremonial county:	Gwynedd
Historic county:	Anglesey
Post office and telephone
Post town:	HOLYHEAD
Postal district:	LL65
Dialling code:	01407
Politics
UK Parliament:	Ynys Môn
European Parliament:	Wales

Holyhead (IPA: [ˈhɒlihɛd]; Welsh: Caergybi, "the fort of Saint Cybi") is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the northwest of Wales.

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 island 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.

St. Cybi's Church at Holyhead

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. The current lighthouse is on South Stack on the other side of Holyhead Mountain and is open to the public. The area is also popular with birdwatchers.

Holyhead is perhaps best known for its busy ferry port and freight harbour. Stena Line, Europe's biggest ferry company, operates from the port as do Irish Ferries. Ferries sail to Dublin and Dún 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 which the royal mail was dispatched to and from Dublin. The A5 terminates at Admiralty Arch (1821), which was designed by Thomas Harrison to commemorate a visit by King George IV en route to Ireland and marks the zenith 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.

Map sources for Holyhead at grid reference SH245825

A panoramic view of Holyhead taken from atop Holyhead Mountain, showing the harbour's breakwater on the left

Holyhead's maritime importance was at its height 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 is the start and finish point of the Anglesey Coastal Path.

Holyhead is also the home of linguist David Crystal, who chairs the charity behind Holyhead's arts centre, the Ucheldre Centre, which is located in the chapel of an old convent belonging to the order of the Bon Sauveur.

Holyhead hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1927.

[edit] Famous People

Artist Francis Dodd was born in the town in 1874
Comedienne Dawn French was born in the town in 1957.
Welsh international football player Tony Roberts was born in the town in 1969.

[edit] Sport

The town's main football team is called Holyhead Hotspur and they play in the Cymru-Alliance league [1], with their reserves playing in the Gwynedd League. There is also Holyhead Gwelfor Athletic who play in the Anglesey League.