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Menai Bridge is the official gateway to Anglesey, the island which is one of the prime tourist destinations of North Wales, rivaled only by Snowdonia in terms of its popularity.
And as the name suggests, Menai Bridge is the site of a historic engineering feat. The Menai Suspension Bridge connected Anglesey to the Welsh mainland in 1826, designed by the great engineer Thomas Telford. It was one of the world's first ever suspension bridges.
Spanning the Menai Strait, it was an impressive achievement then and remains so today. It had to be high enough to allow sailing ships 100feet tall to pass underneath. Even modern engineers still consider its construction, with the limited tools of the day, to have been a huge design coup, as was recognized when it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The Bridge has also been featured by the UK Mint on a £1 coin.
The bridge lends its name to the nearby town, also known by its historic name of Porthaethwy.
Things To See
Today Menai Bridge might be extra familiar to many viewers of Welsh television channel S4C, as it provides the setting for the popular series Rownd a Rownd.
First stop for most visitors to Anglesey, this destination attracts its fair share of tourists, but it is also home to a thriving local community with many schools, shops, churches, fairs and events going on all year round. Among the local worship places is the 14th century Church of St Tysilio, named after a former bishop who was the scholastic son of a one time prince of Powys.
Other local attractions include Plas Newydd (tel: 01248 714795) on the banks of the Menai Strait. This 18th century mansion, now owned by the National Trust, houses the largest collection of artworks by the impressionist master Rex Whistler. Open from spring till December, it also encompasses a military museum, adventure play area, second hand bookshop and tearooms, as well as extensive gardens and woodland walkways.
Families will also find plenty of opportunity for adventure at Pili Palas Nature World, (tel: 01248 712474) the premier butterfly farm in Wales, open year round. Here visitors can see an array of unusual insects, birds and reptiles as well as butterflies. Plus there are pony rides, play areas, a café and gift shop.
An unusual feature of Menai Bridge is that at times it is connected to a small number of islands in the Menai Straits via a series of causeways.
These include Church Island, known as Ynys Tysilio in Welsh, again after the one time bishop, Saint Tysilio. Other small islets include Ynys Gaint and Ynys Castell, which provide interesting photo opportunities, particularly when the sunlight reflects in the ripples of water surrounding them.
The suspension bridge itself also provides a memorable scene from the Anglesey Coastal Path and it is often seen in exhibitions by photographic enthusiasts.
Visitors to Menai Bridge will find plenty of shops and accommodation opportunities nearby, both on the Welsh mainland and on Anglesey, offering the perfect opportunity for a two-centre stay in this part of North Wales.
How To Get There
Road
If you go through Bangor, following the A5, you will have to go across Menai Bridge and to the village of the same name.
If you are on the A55 it is probably quicker to go over Brittannia Bridge.
Once over the bridge take the first slip road to the left and then follow the road for a mile to the right, with the view of Menai Bridge ahead of you.
If you on the A55 coming from Holyhead come off at J8 and head towards Menai Bridge.
Rail
The closest train station is Bangor, which is a couple of miles away.
Bus
The main bus station is in Bangor, a bit less than a mile from the train station (take the road opposite the train station).
You can find bus timetables for Menai Bridge and the rest of Anglesey on the council's website
Taxi
Beaumaris Cars
60, High St, Menai Bridge, Gwynedd LL59 5EF
Tel: 01248 717777
See Bangor town guide for more local taxi firms.
