Menai
Straits
The Menai Strait (Welsh: Afon Menai, the River Menai) is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about 23 km (14 miles) long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales.
Many like to go on vacation to see the region of the Menai Streets to see the culture, the history, the tourist attractions and the society of the region. Some may want some accommodation in the region. Some may require hotels, cabins, cottages, houses, apartments, flats or B&B accommodation in the region. Some may want a short term or long term place to stay. Some may buy or rent accommodation in the region. Some tourists or other visitors may want to see the tourist attractions of the region.
Some may want to cruise the Menai Straits on a boat to see the coastal regions of the area. Some may want to examine the region for study or for work. Some may want to see the region for the purposes of entertainment or sport. Some may try water sports on the water of the straits. Some may want to go across the straits by boat.
The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind, opened in January 1826, and adjacent to this is Robert Stephenson's 1850 Britannia Tubular Bridge. Originally this carried rail traffic in two wrought iron rectangular box spans, but after a disastrous fire in 1970, which left only the limestone pillars remaining, it was rebuilt as a steel box girder bridge. When crossing the Britannia Bridge from the Gwynedd bank, one might like to look down to the right to observe a house built on a small outcrop of rocks Ynys Gored Goch, right in the middle of the strait.
Because
the strait has such unusual tidal conditions, coupled with very low wave heights
because of its sheltered position, it presents a unique and diverse benthic ecology.
The existence of this unique ecology was a major factor in the establishment of
the internationally renowned School of Ocean Sciences at Menai Bridge, part of
the University of Wales, Bangor as well as its status as a proposed Marine Nature
Reserve. The depth of the channel reaches 15m in places, and the current can exceed
7 knots. It's very rich in Sponges.
In places the strait is nearly two miles across but it narrows to little more than 200 metres where it passes underneath the two bridges. The differential tides at the two ends of the strait cause very strong currents to flow in both directions through the strait at different times, creating dangerous conditions. One of the most dangerous areas of the strait is known as the Swellies (or Swillies – Welsh Pwll Ceris) between the two bridges. Here rocks near the surface cause over-falls and local whirlpools, which can be of considerable danger in themselves and cause small boats to founder on the rocks. This was the site of the loss of the school ship HMS Conway in 1953. Entering the strait at the Caernarfon end is also hazardous because of the frequently shifting sand banks that make up Caernarfon bar. Entering the strait at the south-western end, shipping has to pass Fort Belan, an 18th century defensive fort built in the times of the American War of Independence.
The tidal effects observed along the banks of the strait can also be confusing. A rising tide approaches from the south-west causes the water in the strait to flow north-eastwards as the level rises. The tide also flows around Anglesey until, after a few hours, it starts to flow into the strait in a south westerley direction from Beaumaris. By the time this happens the tidal flow from the Caernarfon end is weakening and the tide continues to rise in height but the direction of tidal flow is reversed. A similar sequence is seen in reverse on a falling tide. This means that slack water between the bridges tends to occur approximately one hour before high tide or low tide.
Theoretically it is possible to ford the strait in the Swellies at low water, spring tides when the depth may fall to less than 0.5 metres. However, at these times a strong current of around 9 km/h is running making the passage extremely difficult. Elsewhere in the strait the minimum depth is never less than 2 metres.
The Menai Suspension Bridge, or Pont Grog y Borth in Welsh, is a suspension bridge between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it is one of the first modern suspension bridges in the world. Prior to the bridge's completion in 1826 the island had no fixed connection to the mainland and all movement to and from Anglesey were by ferry (or, with difficulty, on foot at low tide). However, the Act of Union 1800 increased the need for transport to Ireland, and with Holyhead as one of the principal terminals to Dublin it was decided that a bridge was needed. Thomas Telford was assigned the task of improving the route from London to Holyhead, and one of the key improvements was his design of the suspension bridge over the Menai Strait between a point near Bangor on the mainland and what was then the village of Porthaethwy which is now also known as Menai Bridge on Anglesey. The design of the bridge had to allow sailing ships 100 ft tall to pass under the deck at high water slack tide.
Britannia Bridge (Welsh: Pont Britannia) is a bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales, originally a tubular bridge of wrought iron rectangular box section spans, and now a two-tier steel truss arch bridge. The opening of the Menai Bridge in 1826, a mile to the east of where Britannia Bridge was later built, provided the first fixed road link between Anglesey and the mainland. The increasing popularity of rail travel necessitated a second bridge to provide a direct rail link between London and the port of Holyhead, the Chester and Holyhead Railway.
Places on the Strait include ; Beaumaris, Bangor, Caernarfon, Dwyran, Menai Bridge, Y Felinheli, in English Port Dinorwic
Beaumaris was originally a Viking settlement known as Porth y Wygyr (Port of the Vikings), but the town itself began its development in 1295 when Edward I of England commissioned the building of Beaumaris Castle as part of a chain of fortifications around the North Wales coast. Beaumaris was awarded a Royal Charter by Edward I which was drawn up on similar terms the charters of his other castle towns in North Wales and intended to invest only the English and Norman-French residents with civic rights. Native Welsh residents of Beaumaris were largely disqualified from holding any civic office, carrying any weapon, holding assemblies and were not allowed to purchase houses or land within the Borough. The Charter also specifically prohibited Jews (who had been largely expelled from most English towns) from living in Beaumaris. A requirement that all trade in the immediate area be conducted at Beaumaris meant the town became the main commercial centre of Anglesey.
Beaumaris
Gaol is a disused jail located in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales. Although no longer
in use it remains largely unaltered and is now a museum open to visitors. The
jail was designed by Joseph Hansom, designer of the Hansom cab, and was built
in 1829. It was expanded in 1867 to accommodate approximately 30 inmates but was
closed just 11 years later. Beaumaris Castle, located in Beaumaris, Anglesey,
Wales was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales.
It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never completed.
Beaumaris Castle (beau mareys - fair marsh) was the last of Edward I's fortresses
in North Wales. Work started in 1295 and continued for 35 years, with over 3,500
workmen employed at the peak of construction.
Bangor, in Gwynedd, North Wales,
is one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city. The origins
of the city date back to the founding of Bangor Cathedral by the Celtic saint
Deiniol in the early 6th century AD. The name 'Bangor' itself comes from a Welsh
word for a type of fenced-in enclosure, such as was originally on the site of
the cathedral. The present cathedral is a somewhat more recent building and has
been extensively modified throughout the centuries. While the building itself
is not the oldest, and certainly not the biggest, the bishopric of Bangor is one
of the oldest in Britain. Another claim to fame is that Bangor allegedly has the
longest High Street in Wales. Friars School was founded as a free grammar school
in 1557, and Bangor University was founded in 1884. Bangor is largely contained
to the south by Bangor Mountain although the large housing estate of Maesgeirchen,
originally built as council housing, is to the east of the toe of the mountain
near to Port Penrhyn. The presence of Bangor Mountain casts a shadow across the
High Street, Glan Adda and Hirael areas such that from November through to March
some parts of the High Street in particular receive no direct sunlight as they
lie in the shadow of the mountain. Another ridge rises to the north of the High
Street, dividing the city centre from the Menai Strait; this area is known as
Upper Bangor.
Caernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now almost always used in preference to the anglicised forms, "Caernarvon" or "Carnarvon") is a royal town in Gwynedd, northwest Wales. Caernarfon is the traditional county town of the historic county of Caernarfonshire. The town is best known for its great stone castle, built by Edward I of England and consequently sometimes seen as a symbol of English domination. Edward's architect, James of St. George, may well have modelled the castle on the walls of Constantinople, possibly being aware of the alternative Welsh name Caer Gystennin; in addition, Edward was a supporter of the Crusader cause. On higher ground on the outskirts of the town are the remains of an earlier occupation, the Segontium Roman Fort.
Caernarfon was constituted a borough in 1284 by charter of Edward I. The charter, which was confirmed on a number of occasions, appointed the mayor of the borough Constable of the Castle ex officio.
Menai Bridge (Welsh: Porthaethwy) is a small town on the island of Anglesey in north Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford. It is the third largest settlement on the island. It has existed as Porthaethwy for many centuries and it still has a house in current use which dates from the 17th century. It is likely that a community has existed at the location of Menai Bridge since Roman times simply because this is the shortest crossing of the Menai Strait. There is still a range of interesting buildings including the old court house, a number of old pubs and the buildings associated with the wood yard (in the process of being converted to houses).
Y
Felinheli is a village lying beside the Menai Strait (Welsh: Y Fenai) between
Bangor and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There are several mills in
the local area dependent on the tidal power of the Menai Strait. During the late
18th century the Dinorwig quarries built an extensive harbour for the export of
slate, which was transported to the quay on the purpose-built Dinorwic Railway
narrow gauge railway later replaced by the Padarn Railway. It was this industrial
expansion which gave Y Felinheli the alternative name of Port Dinorwig or Port
Dinorwic. The demise of the slate industry and the development of the harbour
for recreational sailing have recently contributed to the replacement of the name
Port Dinorwic in English with Y Felinheli, bringing English usage in line with
Welsh.
Some
like to go Bass Fishing Menai Straits, but some do not like the idea of fishing.
Some may want to look up the history of the bridges over the Menai Straits. Some
want to tour the region by caravan so may want to see the caravan Menai Straits
options. Some may want to look for a Sailing club Anglesey Menai Straits, or for
another boating club to join to tour the region by boat with fellow boaters. Some
may want to look for a map of Menai Straits if they are touring it by boat or
other transport so they can know how to get around the region.
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