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Historic Buildings of Anglesey, Wales
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Image right - Beaumaris Castle
© Copyright Jeff Buck and licensed for reuse under Creative Commons Licence. Geograph
See Table of Welsh Place names (Table listing where places are in Current [Post 1974/1996] Welsh Counties/Historic Counties
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The object of this project is to provide information about historic buildings in the county of Anlesey, with links to sub-projects for specific buildings as appropriate. GENi profiles of people associated with those establishments can be linked to this project and/or to individual projects where they have been set up.
Castles, Baronial and Historic houses
... in alphabetical order
❊ Indicates an available image in Gallery attached to the project
Including Castles, Abbeys, Manor Houses, Mansions, Stately Homes, Country houses, Estate houses, Courts, Halls, Parks and other listed buildings of historic interest
Bold links are to GENi projects and profiles; others are to external websites
A
- Aberffraw Castle ❊ - The Castle was the seat of Rhodri Mawr, one of the great kings of Wales, in the early Middle Ages. Nothing of it remains. There is information that some of it lasted until 1316 when the last remaining timbers were stripped to repair Beaumaris (or Caerfarnon) Castle, both part of Edward’s ring of iron castles that he built after the conquest of Wales. See http://www.sarahwoodbury.com/aberffraw-castle/ It was the birthplace in 1155 of Angharad verch Owain Gwynedd
- Castell Aberlleiniog ❊
B
- Beaumaris Castle ❊ - built as part of Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales after 1282. Plans to construct the castle in 1284,were delayed due to lack of funds and work only began in 1295 following the Madog ap Llywelyn uprising under the direction of James of St George who had been appointed the "master of the king's works in Wales". When Edward's invasion of Scotland diverted funding from the project work stopped, only starting again after an invasion scare in 1306. When work finally ceased around 1330. although a total of £15,000 had been spent, the castle remained incomplete. Beaumaris Castle was taken by Welsh forces in 1403 during the Owain Glyndŵr rebellion, but recaptured by royal forces in 1405. Following the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, the castle was held by forces loyal to Charles I, holding out until 1646 when it surrendered to the Parliamentary armies. Despite forming part of a local royalist rebellion in 1648 the castle escaped slighting and was garrisoned by Parliament. It fell into ruin around 1660, eventually forming part of a local stately home and park in the 19th century. In the 21st century the ruined castle is managed by Cadw as a tourist attraction.
C
- Caer Gybi was a small fortlet in Roman Wales in the Roman province of Britannia Superior. Its name in Latin is unknown. Today it stands at the centre of Holyhead in Anglesey. Holyhead is named Caergybi in Welsh, after the fort. The fort is one of Europe's only three-walled Roman forts. The fourth side fronted the sea and was probably the site of a quay. Its date is unknown, but it is generally thought to be part of a late-4th-century scheme, associated with Segontium, which was set up to defend the west coast against Irish sea-raiders. The Romans also built a watch tower, within Mynydd y Twr (below) on the top of Holyhead Mountain, which was almost certainly used as the fort's look-out point. Both were probably abandoned around 393, when the troops were probably sent to respond to the revolt of Eugenius of Gaul. In the 6th century, the old fort was given to Saint Cybi, who founded a monastery there. The Church of St Cybi still stands on the site today, with a small detached chapel (Eglwys y Bedd) that reputedly stands over Cybi's grave.
- Castell Crwn ❊ Castell Crwn (=round castle) is possibly a medieval earthworks. It is unlikely to be, as was suggested by 18th and 19thC antiquarians, the remains of a Viking or Danish fort.
D
E
- Eglwys y Bedd ("Church of the grave") (sometimes referred to as Llan y Gwyddel, or "Church of the Irishman") is all that remains of a 14th-century church in Anglesey, north Wales. It is set within the churchyard of St Cybi's, Holyhead, and may have been built on the site where Cybi (a 6th-century Celtic saint who settled in Holyhead) lived and ministered. It is reputed to house the grave of Seregri, an Irish warrior who lived in the area in the 5th century. It is a Grade II listed building, a national designation given to "buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them". It housed the first school in Holyhead in the 18th century and is now used by St Cybi's church.
F
G
H
- Hofty, Cwm Cadnant - mediæval house, home to the constable of Beaumaris Castle around the 1530s, Hofty is believed to have been originally constructed in the second quarter of the 14th century.
I
J
K
L
M
- Melin Llynon, Anglesey's only working windmill, a building once common on the island. Built during the Napoleonic Wars it remained in working order until damaged by a storm in 1918. It fell into disrepair until bought by Anglesey Borough Council in 1976, and was restored to working order in 1986.
- Mynydd y Twr The Romans built a watch tower on the top of Holyhead Mountain, which was almost certainly used as the look-out point for fort Caer Gybi above. Both were probably abandoned around 393, when the troops were probably sent to respond to the revolt of Eugenius of Gaul.
N
O
P
- Plas Newydd ❊, located in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, is the country seat of the Marquess of Anglesey. The family's former principal seat at Beaudesert, Staffordshire, was sold and demolished in the 1930s. The estate can be traced to the 15th century when it was held by the Griffiths family, owners of a large estate in nearby Bangor. The estate then passed in turn to the Bagenal and Bayly families through marriage. The house originated in the 14th century; the earliest section is the Great Hall with symmetrical entrances at either end. From there the house was expanded towards the Menai Strait and two towers were added by the Bayly family. James Wyatt refaced the building in the 18th Century. He blended the towers into the building front, and substantially made it into the building that stands today. In 1812, the estate passed to Henry William Paget, whose father had changed his surname from Bayly to Paget. Henry William was created the first Marquess of Anglesey in 1815 for his heroism at the Battle of Waterloo, where he lost a leg. At the end of the 19th century the Henry Cyril Paget, 5th Marquess of Anglesey had the chapel turned into a theatre. Plays were put on regularly, with the Marquess often taking the lead role himself. After Charles Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey, a cousin of the 5th Marquess, inherited the estate, all the furniture was sold to help restore the solvency of the family after the 5th Marquess' huge spending. The family also sold off their main home and their London house and moved into Plas Newydd permanently. The 6th Marquess made the final big changes to the house by removing the crenellations from the roof, disposing of the theatre, knocking three servants' rooms together to make the dining room and covering over a courtyard to provide a roof for the servants. The house has been owned by the National Trust since 1976.
Q
R
S
- The Church of St Cybi ❊ stands on the site of Caer Gybi ((above) today, with a small detached chapel (Eglwys y Bedd) that reputedly stands over Saint Cybi's grave.
T
- Castell Trefadog - A very heavily-defended coastal site. Recent excavation revealed the foundations of a 14th-century stone house inside an enclosure. An unusual site, perhaps akin to Penmaen Castle, Gower. Some have suggested a Viking origin for the site.
U-V
W
X-Y-Z
Ancient Monuments - Neolithic, Roman & Saxon
- Barclodiad y Gawres Burial Chamber - Cadw
- Bodowyr Burial Chamber - Cadw
- Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber Cadw Web Site - Landdaniel Fab - Cadw
- Cadfan Stone - Llangadwaladr Church
- Caer Gybi Roman Fortlet - Cadw Web Site - More Information - Holyhead - Cadw
- Caer Leb - Cadw
- Castell Bryn Gwyn - Cadw
- Din Dryfol Burial Chamber - Cadw
- Holyhead Mountain Hut Circles - Cadw
- Llanbedrgoch Viking settlement
- Lligwy Burial Chamber - Cadw
- Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones - Cadw
- Tý Mawr Standing Stone - Cadw
- Trefignath Burial Chamber - Cadw
Historic Buildings - Domestic
- Llys Rhosyr
- Plas Newydd - Llanfairpwll - National Trust
- Swtan Folk Museum - Church Bay
Historic Buildings - Public
- Beaumaris Courthouse
- Beaumaris Goal
- Beaumaris Pier
- The Marquess of Anglesey's Column
- South Stack Lighthouse
Historic Buildings - Ecclesiastical
- Penmon Dovecote & Priory - Penmon - Cadw
Industrial Heritage
- Llynnon Mill - Llanddeusant
- South Stack
- Thomas Telford Centre - Britannia & Menai Bridges - Menai Bridge
References and Sources
Anglesey Specific
General
- http://www.welsh-cottages.co.uk/wales/historicbuildingsandmonuments...
- http://www.castlewales.com/listings.html
- http://www.scottishcastlesassociation.com/
- http://www.stravaiging.com/history/castles
- http://www.secretscotland.org.uk/index.php/Main/HomePage
- http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk
- http://www.historic-scotland.gov.uk/
- http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/
- http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_country_houses_in_the_United_K...
- http://www.britainsfinest.co.uk/historichouses/
- http://www.britainexpress.com/Where_to_go_in_Britain/historic_house...
- http://www.landmarktrust.org.uk/
- Historic Houses Association - represents 1,500 houses in the UK
- Hudson's Historic Houses and Gardens - UK - guidebook of over 2,000 houses open to the public
- The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses - database of over 7,000 houses
- Lost Heritage - A Memorial to the Lost Country Houses of England - list of over 1,700 houses
- National Trust for Historic Preservation - online database of historic houses in the United State
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historic_Houses_Association - http://www.hha.org.uk/
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treasure_Houses_of_England
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