Holyhead

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About

Holyhead is the largest town on the island of Anglesey and is perhaps known best for being a busy ferry port. Attractions in Holyhead include the Holyhead Maritime Museum, the Ucheldre Centre, Penrhos Coastal Park, Breakwater Country Park and South Stack RSPB Centre and lighthouse. Holyhead's leisure centre has a swimming pool and sports centre.

Holyhead's arts centre, the Ucheldre Centre, is located in the chapel of an old convent belonging to the order of the Bon Sauveur. It holds regular arts exhibitions, performances, workshops and film screenings. The Holyhead Maritime Museum is housed in what is claimed to be Wales's oldest lifeboat house.

The town centre is built around St. Cybi's Church, which is built inside one of Europe's few three-walled Roman forts (the fourth wall being the sea, which used to come up to the fort). The Romans also built a watchtower on the top of Holyhead Mountain inside Mynydd y Twr, a prehistoric hillfort. 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.

There is archaeological evidence that people have been sailing between Holyhead and Ireland for 4,000 years. Holyhead's maritime importance was at its height in the 19th century with a 1.7 mile (3 km) long sea breakwater. Holyhead Breakwater is the longest in the UK and was built to create 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.

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 on the Mail coach. The A5 terminates at Admiralty Arch (1822-24), which was designed by Thomas Harrison to commemorate a visit by King George IV in 1821 en route to Ireland and marks the zenith of Irish Mail coach operations.

In 2001, work was completed on the extension of the A55 North Wales Expressway from the Britannia Bridge to Holyhead, giving the town a dual carriageway connection to North Wales and the main British motorway network.

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, operated from London Euston by the London and North Western Railway.

Facilities

Parking

  • Free Parking
  • Parking with charge

Map & Directions

Road Directions

Holyhead is served by the A55 and A5 road networks.

Holyhead

Type:Town

Isle of Anglesey

What's Nearby

  1. Holyhead Maritime Museum

    Situated at picturesque Newry Beach, the museum is a fascinating family experience. Take…

    0.5 miles away
  2. Breakwater Country Park

    The Holyhead Breakwater Country Park is situated on the site of an old quarry which…

    1.3 miles away
  3. A lovely little south-west facing beach on Holy Island, Anglesey located to the west of…

    1.65 miles away
  4. Holyhead Mountain

    Holyhead Mountain (Mynydd Twr in Welsh: from (pen)twr, meaning "stack") is the highest…

    1.81 miles away
  1. You'll find South Stack Cliffs on Holy Island in Anglesey, a wonderful reserve made up of…

    2.08 miles away
  2. Ynys Lawd South Stack

    One of the most spectacular and exciting locations on Anglesey. Watch the sea birds at…

    2.1 miles away
  3. Trearddur Bay Beach

    One of Anglesey's premier beaches, Trearddur Bay is a picturesque sandy cove, sheltered…

    2.32 miles away
  4. Porth Tywyn Mawr Beach

    Porth Tywyn Mawr is known locally as Sandy Beach; a long beach with sand dunes.

    3.06 miles away
  5. Porth Trwyn Beach

    Porth Trwyn beach near Llanfaethlu is a quiet sandy bay backed by dunes.

    4.56 miles away
  6. Borth Wen Beach

    Borth Wen is a sweeping cove of sand backed by dunes with rock pools on the beach.

    4.78 miles away
  7. A small delightful pebble beach on the north-west coast of Anglesey.

    5.38 miles away
  8. The Valley Wetlands, formerly known as Valley Lakes, is a wonderful nature reserve in…

    5.57 miles away
  9. Llynnon Mill

    Llynnon Mill is the only working windmill in Wales producing stoneground wholemeal flour…

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  10. Traeth Crigyll

    A large sandy beach with few rocks on the west coast of Anglesey, close to the centre of…

    7.18 miles away
  11. Rhosneigr lies on Anglesey’s Western shore. With its two broad sandy beaches, Traeth…

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  12. Porth Tyn Tywyn Beach, Llanfaelog

    A sandy, rural and undeveloped beach backed by dunes located south of Llanfaelog and…

    8.4 miles away
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