(") 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 .
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 Chamber s and
Standing Stone s featuring in the highest concentration in Britain. The current lightouse 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.
Irish Ferries also operate from Holyhead. 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 where the royal mail was dispatched to and from Dublin. The A5 terminates at Admiralty Arch (
1821 , designed by
Thomas Harrison to commemorate a visit by King
George IV en route to Ireland) and marking the zeneth 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.
, showing the harbour's breakwater on the left]]
Holyhead's maritime importance was at its paramount 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 Ore s are transported on a conveyor belt that runs underneath the town to the plants.
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 .
Comedienne
Dawn French was born in the town in
1957 .
The town's main . There is also
Holyhead Gwelfor Athletic who play in the
Anglesey League .
