Museums, archives and heritage in Anglesey

Anglesey – an insular county of N. Wales, separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait, over which a suspension bridge was thrown in 1826, and a tubular railway bridge in 1850. The island is about 20 miles long, 16 broad, and 76 in circumference, and is the only county in Wales that is not mountainous. Area, 193,511 acres: population 51,416. The soil is moderately fertile. The rearing of cattle is one of the chief occupations. A considerable trade is also carried on in butter, cheese, hides, honey, wax, and tallow. It contains valuable minerals, and furnishes copper, lead, silver, marble, limestone, coal, and marl. The chief copper mines are at Parys. There are no important manufactures. The Chester and Holyhead Railway, a part of the main route between London and Dublin, traverses the S. of the county for 23 miles. The distance from Holyhead to Dublin is about 60 miles. Anglesey is generally believed to have been the chief seat of the Druids of the ancient Britons. It was called Mona by the Romans, and Anglesey, or Angle’s Eye (that is, island) by the Saxons. Anglesey comprises 6 hundreds, 77 parsishes, the municipal borough of Beaumaris, and the towns of Amlwch, Holyhead, and Llangefni. It is in the diocese of Bangor.

– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)

Anglesey Archives Service

Industrial Estate Road, Bryn Cefni Industrial Estate

Llangefni LL77 7JA

01248 751930

www.anglesey.gov.uk/leisure/records-and-archives

Anglesey Archives collects and preserve historical documents relating to the island of Anglesey and makes them available to anyone who wishes to use them. The Anglesey Archives Service operates a booking system.

Beaumaris Castle

Castle Street

Beaumaris LL58 8AP

01248 810361

www.beaumaris.com

Beaumaris Castle on the Island of Anglesey is the great unfinished masterpiece. It was built as one of the ‘iron ring’ of North Wales castles by the English monarch Edward I, to stamp his authority on the Welsh.

Beaumaris Gaol & Courthouse Museum

Steeple Lane

Beaumaris LL58 8EP

01248 724444

goo.gl/Yd7qHz

This Victorian Gaol was built by Hansom (famous for the Hansom Cab) in 1829. The gaol features the only original tread wheel in situ in Britain, and a gibbet is still fixed to the outer wall. Beaumaris Gaol will live in your memory for a long time.

Haulfre Stables

Haulfre Garden Unit

Llangoed LL58 8RY

01248 490709

goo.gl/7SWQ52

This modest, but fascinating small equestrian museum and restored stables has an interesting collection of Victorian harness and saddlery, carts and carriages and other equestrian and transport material, housed in an historic stable block. The equipment on display dates from an earlier age when horses were vital for transport, agriculture and haulage of heavy goods. Haulfre was the country house of the Chadwick family.

Holyhead Maritime Museum

Newry Beach, Beach Road

Holyhead LL65 1YD

01407 769745

www.holyheadmaritimemuseum.co.uk

The museum is a fascinating experience for the whole family. Step back in time at the oldest lifeboat station in Wales.

Llynnon Mill

Llanddeusant

Holyhead LL65 4AB

01407 730797

goo.gl/cLH4sk

The only working windmill in Wales. Operates as an agricultural museum, and produces stoneground wholemeal flour using organic wheat. There are also two roundhouses, 10m in diameter, built from timber with wattle and daub walls and a thatched roof – providing a unique insight of the life of Iron Age farmers over 3000 years ago.

Moelfre RNLI Seawatch

R.N.L.I. Gwylfan Moelfre Seawatch Centre

Moelfre LL728HY

01248 850976

goo.gl/I1cVYY

We have an Oakley Lifeboat inside the building and loads of history about the Moelfre Lifeboat and ship wrecks that are local to the village.

Oriel Ynys Môn

Rhosmeirch

Llangefni LL77 7TQ

01248 724 444

As a purpose built museum, arts and events gallery, Oriel Ynys Môn has so much to offer. Visitors who wish to learn about the cultural history of Anglesey can enjoy the centre’s atmospheric Heritage Gallery which presents a vivid account of the island’s past through sound, imagery, reconstructions and real artefacts.

Swtan Heritage Museum

Dilwyn, Church bay, Holyhead

Anglesey LL65 4EY

01407 730186

www.swtan.co.uk

Swtan is a fully restored 17th century thatched cottage, situated in the scenic coastal AONB of Porth Swtan (Church bay). It is presented to tell the story of rural Welsh life circa 1900.