Llanfairpwllgwyngyll…etc., etc. – Wales

DAY 7 – Before crossing the Menai Straits we passed through the world-famous village with the very Welsh name of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch — you’ve got to have Welsh blood to be able to work out the pronounciation, but once you work out how the syllables come together, it’s helpful to break the word down to segments as follows: Llan – fair – pwll -gwyn – gyll – go – ger – ych – wyrn – drob – wll – llan – ty – silio – go – go – goch. And what this translates into is : Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio of the red cave.

For centuries, Llanfairpwll was a small rural settlement.  However, as a result of road construction by Thomas Telford in the 1820s and the arrival of the railway crossing at Britannia Bridge at the beginning of the 1850s, led to the development of a new part of the village (Pentre Isaf, Lower Village) around the railway station. With transport, came a number of craftsmen, traders and shopkeepers who moved into the village, and Llanfairpwll became an important commercial centre.

This exciting period saw the establishment of a Post Office, two schools, half a dozen pubs, a brewery, a hotel for visitors and 12 grocers in the village.  By 1889, the population had reached 961. 

Inside the James Pringle Visitors Centre next to the old station house, you’ll be able find Welsh crafts, gifts and souvenirs, including the station’s record-breaking size platform tickets.  Don’t forget to get your passport stamped with the village’s name.  It’s probably not legal to do this, but how could you give up the opportunity. 

Helen