Ellin's Tower and South Stack lighthouse - geograph

Elin's Tower ( cy, Tŵr Elin) is a Victorian stone

tower A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifi ...

on Holy Island, located around west of Holyhead. The

castellated A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

, which was originally used as a summer house, was built between 1820 and 1850 for the notable Stanley family from

Penrhos Penrhos is derived from the Welsh words ''pen'' ("head" or "top") and ''rhos'' ("moorland"). It may refer to: ; Places *Penrhos, Anglesey, a village in Wales ** Penrhos Country Park (AKA Penrhos Coastal Park), a country park near Penrhos, Anglesey * ...

. It is named after Elin (anglicised as "Ellen"), the Welsh wife of the 19th-century politician

William Owen Stanley Hon. William Owen Stanley (13 November 1802 – 24 February 1884) was a British Liberal Party politician. Life Stanley was the son of John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley, and Lady Maria Josepha, daughter of John Holroyd, 1st Earl of Sh ...

. The building near

South Stack South Stack ( cy, Ynys Lawd) is an island situated just off Holy Island on the northwest coast of Anglesey, Wales. Geology South Stack is an island known as a sea stack. It was formed by the wave erosion of sedimentary rocks that once conn ...

was used during both the

First First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

and

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

s as a coastal observation tower. However, it was abandoned and fell derelict. The restored tower is used as an RSPB

information centre A visitor center or centre (see American and British English spelling differences), visitor information center, tourist information center, is a physical location that provides tourist information to visitors. Types of visitor center A visit ...

, shop and

café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non ...

for the

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

in which it is situated, and affords a good view of

and its lighthouse. In 2007, the tower was damaged by vandals who used it for a

drunk Alcohol intoxication, also known as alcohol poisoning, commonly described as drunkenness or inebriation, is the negative behavior and physical effects caused by a recent consumption of alcohol. In addition to the toxicity of ethanol, the main ...

en party.

Gallery

References

External links

* Grade II listed buildings in Anglesey Nature reserves in Anglesey Trearddur {{Anglesey-geo-stub