August 2010    Photographers Resource - Monthly    Edition 80

Anglesey

• Editorial

• Feature - Anglesey

• Feature - More Lighthouses

• Photographers Diary

• August Wildlife Diary

In this months issue we have taken on the task of putting together a comprehensive guide to Anglesey. Starting with it's history and then putting together an attractions list, Anglesey Attractions and for the first time for attractions, have created an interactive map, Anglesey Attractions Map which allows you to find places to visit more easily. Putting your mouse over the item will give it's description and clicking on it will take you to the relevant location page. We had already previously written up some items on Anglesey and in this operation we have been able to bring these guides up to date, as well as link up all the new guides onto the many lists and sections we now have.

We have also continued to work on the lighthouse section and have extended 13 more guides with more information on their history and in some cases have detailed the daily life of the light keepers who worked and lived at them such as David Morgan, who worked at the Point Lynas Lighthouse on Anglesey for 36 years. As a result of this we did come across a couple more that are now available for holiday lets, so have updated the Staying in or by a Lighthouse guide with the information we found.

Two of the lighthouse features are long pages with a lot of information for different reasons. Point Lynas Lighthouse we have covered a great deal about the keepers, the way they lived and amount they were paid over the years. With the Skerries Lighthouse we have another long page due to the historic significance brought about by this lighthouse, which was both the first on the west coast of England and Wales and the last private lighthouse to be taken over by Trinity House, although it was the reason why all others were taken over.

We have also added the 125 mile circular Anglesey Coastal Path   to our walks section. Of the total distance, 60 miles is on public rights of way, 28 miles on public highway, 9 miles on permissive path and 28 miles of other access including National Trust and Forestry Commission land. Some of the route also follows the shoreline and goes along beaches, sand dunes, and river estuaries. It also takes you by some dramatic ruined landscapes, which tell some of the history of Anglesey, from pre-historic with it's many burial chambers, standing stones, and hut groups, through the Romans, to being the Copper Mining Centre of the World in the 18th and 19th centuries and the brickworks and more.....

Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey  

  Beaumaris Castle

Feature

Anglesey or Ynys Mon

Anglesey is an island off the north west coast of Wales, and is connected to mainland Wales by two spectacular bridges both carrying the two major roads of the A55 and A5 to Holyhead. It also has a number of islands around its coastline including the largest of this Holy Island. Covering an area of 278 square miles it is the largest island in the Irish sea, larger than the Isle of Man and the 5th largest surrounding the island of Great Britain.

In the Gaelic Welsh language its called "Môn Mam Cymru", which means 'Mother of Wales', thought to come from an earlier statement that it was so fertile that it was capable of feeding the whole of Wales. However Wales at that point in history was what we now think of as north and mid Wales and the population of this was far smaller at this point in time. It is a county of Wales, although for a short period in the 20th century it was part of the larger county of Gwynedd, but in 1996 it got its county status back.

It is an island and is separated from the mainland by a body of water known as the Menai Straits. Thought to have split away from the mainland as a result of a fault line that is active from time to time. The gap between the mainland and Anglesey is only 270yards (250m) at the closest point, but has difficult currents and shifting sandbanks. At very low tides, and with the knowledge of the area, it is possible to walk across the straits. It was not until 1826 when Thomas Telford built the Menai Suspension Bridge that it was able to be reached more easily by bridge, following this, and the growth of the railway, a rail bridge was added in 1850, the Britannia Bridge.   Both bridges have since been modified and the Britannia Bridge   now has two levels having a road (A55) running over the railway.

Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge

Photo by Anne Burgess 

Reaching Anglesey for all except those living in some parts of Wales is easily achieved by going along the A55 along the coast of North Wales. From the M6 you can take the M56 and then follow the dual carriageway from it's end until it joins the A55 which then continues all the way to Holyhead.

Anglesey has a lot to offer for a short or longer break with a lot to see, places to discover, with small towns and countryside offering fantastic scenery. The only problem are the place names, that being in Welsh, look as if they have been constructed from the letters left over from other signs, and this includes Llanfair Pwyllgwyngll, the village with the longest place name in the world, but referred to today as Llanfairpwll or Llanfair P.G. Here is the tongue twister, 'Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantysiliogogogoch'. We have put together a guide on Llanfairpwll Station, which is where, in the village, you will see this long name on the station building, platform and the nearby James Pringle Weavers shop, it also tells you the history of how this name came about, in the 19th century, to attract Victorian tourists.

We have a guide to Anglesey explaining the history of the island, details on some of the major towns and villages, what to see, the other nearby islands and this links to all the other pages we have produced. If you use this in combination with the Anglesey Attractions Map   and Anglesey Attractions list you will get to all of the information we have available now, but like all items on Photographer Resource, you can also get it from the main indexes including the County Index which brings everything geographically together. Relevant items have also been added into many other sections including, Ancient Britain, Stones Circles, Roman Britain,   Abbeys, Castles, Historic Houses,  Gardens, Follies and Monuments, Windmills, Lighthouses, Islands and Walks.

Lighthouses - continued

Last month we added a complete new section on lighthouses and didn't manage to get all the guides as complete as we had wanted, so we have continued our efforts this month and have managed to update a further 13 of the guides. We have also updated the list Featured Lighthouses - England and Wales,   removing the 'working on' markers and adding the up to date information.

and as a result of some of you getting in contact with us we have also been able to add new information to:

Hoy High Lighthouse on the Island of Greamsay in the Orkney Isles.

Southwold Lighthouse, Suffolk 

Staying in or by a Lighthouse

we haven't finished with Lighthouses and over the next coming months more will appear.

Point Lynas Lighthouse, Llaneilian, Anglesey

Photo from Geograph

The New September diary is now online and in the 'Next Month' slot, and August has been moved to 'This Month'. Some highlights for August that you may find of particular interest are:-

The Bristol Balloon Festival from the 12th to 15th of August is the largest balloon festival in the UK. As well as all the balloons on show, with early morning and evening launches, weather permitting, there is also music, activities, fairground and more.

Next weekend, the 6th to 8th is the Gatcombe International Horse Trials, 3 day eventing including dressage, show jumping and cross country.

During August on each Monday evening Weymouth Beach have their annual firework displays choreographed to music with the fireworks taking off from a pontoon in the bay.

Still continuing through this month and until the 5th of September is the Weston Super Mare Sand Sculpture Festival, with large creations of items that represent Great Britain on the beach, like the one of Shakespeare below. See this link for more details and a gallery.

Shakespeare relaxing on the beach at Weston Super Mare in Somerset

Photo by James Clay

2010 marks the Diamond Jubilee of the Edinburgh Royal Military Tattoo, with performances taking place from the 6th to 28th (Mon-Fri) at 9pm and on Saturday's two performances at 7.30pm and 10.30pm.

On the 7th of August for 3 days the Tall Ships Race docks at Hartlepool, with 70-100 ships berthed at Harbour Quays, on the evening of 9th, and there is a parade sail on the 10th when they leave.

The 12th of August in Plymouth, Cornwall is the venue for the British Fireworks Championships Finals, where 15 finalists will each produce a 10 minute display and the winner will go on to represent Britain in the International Championships. Take a look at Photographing fireworks to get some tips on how to get some good photos.

One of the largest Military extravaganzas takes place on the Bank Holiday weekend in Kent, with the Military Odyssey, a living history event with re-enactment groups bringing to life the lives of the Greeks, Romans, medieval knights, historic battles and loads more.

At the end of the August is the Bank Holiday weekend and there are lots of activities and events taking place over the extended 3 day weekend. This biggest event is the annual Notting Hill Carnival in London which starts on the 29th with the main event on Bank Holiday Monday.

For the more unusual events this weekend take a look at:-

• The World Bog Snorkelling Championships on the 29th, with people making their way through muddy black water along a marked out section of the bog.

• Race The Train on the 21st - where runners race a train by the Talyllyn Railway in mid Wales.

• Saddleworth Rushcart on the 21st and 22nd, sees 80-100 Morris men pull a cart laden with rushes through the area and visiting a number of public houses and churches along the way.

• Worthing International Birdman on the 14th, where perfectly sane (well in their normal life) individuals, in costumes, throw themselves off Worthing Pier to see how far they can fly.

• On Bank Holiday Monday two teams of footballers take part in the annual Football in the River event in Bourton on the Water, Gloucestershire in the Cotswolds.

• Or if getting dirty is your thing, then you could go along to the World Gravy Wrestling Championships in Lancashire, and watch grown men and women pull each other about in a paddling pool of gravy!

So you can see there is plenty to go and see, and loads more is listed in the diary, so take a look to find something that is of interest to you.

August is the main part of the summer holiday season in the UK and those who have decided to stay at home, rather than go off to warmer climates elsewhere, can get the chance to see a lot of wildlife both in our countryside and at the beach. Along the coast in rock pools you can discover visits from crabs, shellfish, sea anemones and maybe lobsters, as the tide goes out you are also likely to find stranded jellyfish on the beach.

The 7th of August sees the start of National Whale and Dolphin Watch Week. There are various locations around the UK shores where you may get glimpses, including Charnory Point, Inverness-shire and around Puffin Island on Anglesey.

The Dolphins at Charnory Point

Photo by Sam Pitcher

In the later evenings bats are out and about, many getting those tasty insects that fill up our skies on the warm summer evenings. The Bank Holiday weekend, starting on the 28th, is European Bat Week. There are 16 species in the UK, two of which are endangered and nine threatened. Over this weekend you are encouraged to see and hear bats in their natural environments by taking part in events put on by local bat groups, wildlife trusts, countryside rangers and more. See BATS.org for more details and where you might be able to go along and see some near you.

Most of the bird populations have finished laying or sitting on eggs so the skies will be filled with young broods flying around to get food, and particularly those that are going to leave us at the end of summer, they need enough energy to be able to do this. In the countryside you may see Swallows or house martins lining up on telephone and other wires taking a break between feeds. If you're in the fields watch you don't get bombarded by the low flying Martins, Swifts and Swallows as they skim up all the flies they can.

You may also see Grey Squirrels starting to collect nuts and bury them ready for the winter, however they are not quite ripe yet so you may see them breaking open the nuts to see if anything is edible inside.

There are a lot of butterflies around in August, and different locations, and landscape types will have a range of different collections.  These may include Purple Hairstreak, Purple Emperor, White Admiral, Silver-Washed Fritillary, Meadow Brown, Small Skipper butterflies and large whites. Gatekeepers are particularly attractive orange and brown butterflies that can often be found near hedgerows.

Berries are now staring to ripen and hedgerows will start to fill up with blackberries, blueberries, sloes, hips, haws and elderberries. As well as being a quick snack for us, as we wander through the countryside, they are often a magnet for birds and small mammals.

Romans on Anglesey

Druids

Anglesey

Anglesey Attractions Map

Anglesey Attractions

Anglesey Coastal Path 

Amlwch Copper Kingdom, Amlwch, Anglesey

Barclodiad y Gawres Burial Chamber, nr Aberfrraw, Anglesey

Beaumaris Courthouse, Beaumaris, Anglesey

Beaumaris Gaol, Beaumaris, Anglesey

Bodowyr Burial Chamber, nr Brynscienyn, Anglesey

Britannia Bridge, nr Llanfairpwll, Anglesey

Bryn Celli Ddu Burial Chamber, nr Llanfairpwll, Anglesey

Bryn Gwyn Standing Stones, nr Brynscienyn, Anglesey 

Caer Gybi Roman Fort, Holyhead, Anglesey

Caer Leb, nr Brynscienyn, Anglesey

Caer y Twr Hillfort, nr Holyhead, Anglesey

Capel Lligwy, nr Moelfre, Anglesey

Castell Bryn Gwyn, nr Brynscienyn, Anglesey

Cemlyn Nature Reserve and Bay, nr Tregele, Anglesey

Church Island, nr Menai Bridge, Anglesey

Din Dryfol Burial Chamber, nr Aberfrraw, Anglesey

Din Lligwy Hut Group, nr Moelfre, Anglesey

Dingle Nature Reserve (The), Llangefni, Anglesey

Holyhead Mountain Hut Group, Holyhead, Anglesey

Howell Watermill, Llanddeusant, Anglesey

Llanfairpwll Station, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey 

Llangefni Windmill, Llangefni, Anglesey

Llangwyfan Church, Llanwyfan, Anglesey

Lligwy Burial Chamber, nr Moelfre, Anglesey

Llynnon Mill, Llanddeusant, Anglesey

Marquess of Anglesey Column, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey

Menai Heritage Experience, Menai Bridge, Anglesey

Menai Suspension Bridge, Menai Bridge, Anglesey

Penmon Cross, Penmon, Anglesey

Penmon Dovecot, Penmon, Anglesey

Penmon Priory, Penmon, Anglesey

Penrhos Feilw Standing Stones, nr Holyhead, Anglesey

Plas Newydd, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey  

Prysaddfed Burial Chamber, Prysaddfed, Anglesey

Puffin Island, Penmon, Anglesey

Seawatch Centre, Moelfre, Anglesey

St Seiriols Well, Penmon, Anglesey

Tacla Taid Transport and Agricultural Museum, Newborough, Anglesey 

Trefignath Burial Chamber, nr Holyhead, Anglesey

Tregwehelydd Standing Stone, Stryd y Facsen, Anglesey

Ty Mawr Standing Stone, nr Holyhead, Anglesey

Ty Newydd Burial Chamber, nr Llanfaelog, Anglesey

White Ladies Sea Marks, Carmel Head, Anglesey

Amlwch Lighthouse, Anglesey

Beaumaris Castle, Anglesey  

Happisburgh Lighthouse,  Norfolk

Hoy High Lighthouse, Orkney Isles

Hurst Point Lighthouse, Hampshire  

Llanddwyn Island Lighthouses, Anglesey

Needles Lighthouse, Hampshire 

North Foreland Lighthouse, Kent

Old Hunstanton Lighthouse, Norfolk

Orfordness Lighthouse, Suffolk

Pendeen Lighthouse,  Cornwall

Penmon Lighthouse,  Anglesey

Penninis Lighthouse, Isles of Scilly, Cornwall  

Point Lynas Lighthouse, Llaneilian, Anglesey

Salt Island Lighthouse, Holyhead, Anglesey

Skerries Lighthouse (The), Anglesey

South Stack Lighthouse, Anglesey

South Stack, nr Holyhead, Anglesey 

Southwold Lighthouse, Suffolk 

St Catherine's Point Lighthouse, Isle of Wight, Hampshire

Featured Lighthouses - England and Wales  

Staying in or by a Lighthouse