Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, or Llanfair Pwllgwyngyll (), is a large village and
local government community on the island of
Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
,
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
, on the
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...
next to the
Britannia Bridge
Britannia Bridge ( cy, Pont Britannia) is a bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. It was originally designed and built by the noted railway engineer Robert Stephenson as a tubular bridge of wr ...
and across the strait from
Bangor. Both shortened (Llanfairpwll or Llanfair PG) and lengthened () forms of the placename are used in various contexts (with the longer form pronounced ).
At the 2011 Census, the population was 3,107, of whom 71% could speak
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
. It is the
sixth largest settlement on the island by population.
The long form of the name, with 58 characters split into 18 syllables, is purported to be the longest place name in Europe and the
second longest one-word place name in the world.
History
![Marquess of Anglesey's Column - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Marquess_of_Anglesey%27s_Column_-_geograph.org.uk_-_786189.jpg)
There has been human activity and settlement in the area of the village since the
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
era (4000–2000 BC), with
subsistence agriculture
Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to meet the needs of themselves and their families on smallholdings. Subsistence agriculturalists target farm output for survival and for mostly local requirements, with little or no su ...
and
fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...
the most common occupations for much of its early history. The island of
Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
was at that point reachable only by boat across the
Menai Strait
The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...
. A largely destroyed, collapsed
dolmen
A dolmen () or portal tomb is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of two or more upright megaliths supporting a large flat horizontal capstone or "table". Most date from the early Neolithic (40003000 BCE) and were somet ...
can be found from this period in the parish, located at Ty Mawr north of the present-day church; early Ordnance Survey maps show a long cairn on the site.
The probable remains of a hillfort, with a fragmentary bank and ditch, were recorded on an outcrop known as Craig y Ddinas.
The area was briefly invaded and captured by the
Romans
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
under
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus
Gaius Suetonius Paulinus (fl. AD 41–69) was a Roman general best known as the commander who defeated the rebellion of Boudica.
Early life
Little is known of Suetonius' family, but it likely came from Pisaurum (modern Pesaro), a town on the Adri ...
, temporarily abandoned in order to consolidate forces against
Boudicca
Boudica or Boudicca (, known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh as ()), was a queen of the ancient British Iceni tribe, who led a failed uprising against the conquering forces of the Roman Empire in AD 60 or 61. She ...
, then held until the end of Roman Britain.
With the withdrawal of the Roman forces, the area fell under the control of the early
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...
Kingdom of Gwynedd
The Kingdom of Gwynedd (Medieval Latin: ; Middle Welsh: ) was a Welsh kingdom and a Roman Empire successor state that emerged in sub-Roman Britain in the 5th century during the Anglo-Saxon settlement of Britain.
Based in northwest Wales, th ...
. There has likely been a small Christian religious site, perhaps a
monastic cell
A cell is a small room used by a hermit, monk, nun or anchorite to live and as a devotional space. Cells are often part of larger cenobitic monastic communities such as Catholic and Orthodox monasteries and Buddhist vihara, but may also form sta ...
, in the area since the 7th century.
Surveys of the later medieval period show that the tenants of the
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
of Pwllgwyngyll, as it was then known, held a total of 9
bovates of land from the
Bishop of Bangor
The Bishop of Bangor is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Bangor. The see is based in the city of Bangor where the bishop's seat (''cathedra'') is at Cathedral Church of Saint Deiniol.
The ''Report of the Commissioners appointed ...
under the feudal system.
A church was built during the medieval period and dedicated to
Mary
Mary may refer to:
People
* Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name)
Religious contexts
* New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below
* Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...
, probably under Norman influence: the building, later demolished and replaced by a Victorian-era church, was unusual in having a semi-circular apse, a feature more usually associated with cathedrals.
Despite religious activity, the rural nature of the settlement meant that the parish had a population of only around 80 in 1563.
Much of the land was absorbed into the Earldom of Uxbridge, which later became the
Marquisate of Anglesey, and was subject to
enclosure
Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...
s. In 1844, for example, 92% of the land in Llanfairpwll was owned by just three individuals. The population of the parish reached 385 by 1801.
In 1826, Anglesey was connected to the rest of Wales by the construction of the
Menai Suspension Bridge
The Menai Suspension Bridge ( cy, Pont y Borth, Pont Grog y Borth) is a suspension bridge spanning the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the world's f ...
by
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotla ...
, and connected with
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
in 1850 with the building of the
Britannia Bridge
Britannia Bridge ( cy, Pont Britannia) is a bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. It was originally designed and built by the noted railway engineer Robert Stephenson as a tubular bridge of wr ...
and the busy
North Wales Coast railway line, which connected the rest of Great Britain to the ferry port of
Holyhead
Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is ...
. The old village, known as ("upper village") was joined by new development around the
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
, which became known as , the "lower village".
The first meeting of the
Women's Institute
The Women's Institute (WI) is a community-based organisation for women in the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa and New Zealand. The movement was founded in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada, by Erland and Janet Lee with Adelaide Hoodless being th ...
took place in Llanfairpwll in 1915, and the movement (which began in Canada) then spread through the rest of the British Isles.
Placename and toponymy
The original name of the medieval
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Ca ...
, within whose boundaries the present-day village lies, was , meaning "the pool of the white hazels".
Pwllgwyngyll was one of two townships making up the parish, the other being Treforion; its name was first recorded as in an ecclesiastical valuation conducted in the 1250s for the
Bishop of Norwich
The Bishop of Norwich is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Norwich in the Province of Canterbury. The diocese covers most of the county of Norfolk and part of Suffolk. The bishop of Norwich is Graham Usher.
The see is in the ...
.
The parish name was recorded as ( meaning "
t.Mary's church"; meaning "(of) the") as far back as the mid 16th century, in
Leland's ''Itinerary''. The suffixing of the township name to that of the church would have served to distinguish the parish from the many other sites dedicated to Mary in Wales.
Longer versions of the name are thought to have first been used in the 19th century in an attempt to develop the village as a commercial and tourist centre. The long form of the name is the longest place name in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and one of the
longest in the world at 58 characters (51 "letters" since "
ch" and "
ll" are
digraphs, and are treated as single letters in the
Welsh language
Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...
). The village is still signposted , marked on
Ordnance Survey
, nativename_a =
, nativename_r =
, logo = Ordnance Survey 2015 Logo.svg
, logo_width = 240px
, logo_caption =
, seal =
, seal_width =
, seal_caption =
, picture =
, picture_width =
, picture_caption =
, formed =
, preceding1 =
, di ...
maps as and the
railway station
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...
is officially named , a form used by local residents. The name is also shortened to , sufficient to distinguish it from other places in Wales called (meaning "
t.Mary's church").
19th century renaming
![Llanfair Church](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Llanfair_Church.jpg)
The long name was supposedly contrived in 1869 as an early
publicity stunt
In marketing, a publicity stunt is a planned event designed to attract the public's attention to the event's organizers or their cause. Publicity stunts can be professionally organized, or set up by amateurs. Such events are frequently utilize ...
to give the station the longest name of any railway station in Britain.
According to Sir
John Morris-Jones
Sir John Morris-Jones (17 October 1864 – 16 April 1929) was a Welsh grammarian, academic and Welsh-language poet.
Morris-Jones was born John Jones, at Trefor in the parish of Llandrygarn, Anglesey the son of Morris Jones first a schoolmaster ...
the name was created by a local tailor, whose name he did not confide, letting the secret die with him.
This form of the name adds a reference to the whirlpool in the Menai Strait known as the
Swellies
The Swellies (or Swillies - Welsh: ''Pwll Ceris'') is a stretch of the Menai Strait in North Wales. The most popular use of the name is for the stretch between the Britannia Bridge and the Menai Bridge.
It is notable for its difficulty in saf ...
and to the small chapel of
St. Tysilio, located on a nearby island.
The final ("red cave") is supposed to have been an addition inspired by the
Cardiganshire
Ceredigion ( , , ) is a county in the west of Wales, corresponding to the historic county of Cardiganshire. During the second half of the first millennium Ceredigion was a minor kingdom. It has been administered as a county since 1282. Cere ...
parish of , rather than by any local features.
Literally translated, the long form of the name means: "
hechurch
Church may refer to:
Religion
* Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities
* Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination
* Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship
* Chris ...
of
t.Mary ()
f thepool
Pool may refer to:
Water pool
* Swimming pool, usually an artificial structure containing a large body of water intended for swimming
* Reflecting pool, a shallow pool designed to reflect a structure and its surroundings
* Tide pool, a rocky pool ...
()
of the white hazels () near to
it. "over against"() the fierce whirlpool ()
ndthe church of
t.Tysilio
Saint Tysilio (also known as/confused with Saint Suliac; la, Tysilius, Suliacus; died 640 AD) was a Welsh bishop, prince and scholar, son of the reigning King of Powys, Brochwel Ysgithrog, maternal nephew of the great Abbot Dunod of Bangor ...
() of the red cave ()". Various elements have occasionally been translated differently, for example "the white pool among the hazel trees"
or "the cave of St Tysilio the Red".
The true originator and date of the longer version of the name is less certain, however: an ecclesiastical directory published several years before the claimed renaming gives what it calls the "full" parish name in the slightly differing form of ("St Mary's church of the pool of the white hazels over against the pool of St
of the cave),
[ while appears in a paper on placenames published in 1849, its author noting that "the name was generally abridged" by locals.] While the addition regarding the Swellies is supposed only to have been made in the 1860s, early 19th century guidebooks had already suggested a derivation of the element from , and ("gloomy raging pool"), in reference to the Swellies.
Pronunciation
The ⟨ch⟩ is a voiceless uvular fricative
The voiceless uvular fricative is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , the Greek chi. The sound is represented by (ex with underdot) in Ame ...
or voiceless velar fricative
The voiceless velar fricative is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. It was part of the consonant inventory of Old English and can still be found in some dialects of English, most notably in Scottish English, e.g. in ''loc ...
as in (: see ) in most varieties of German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
. The sound is absent from many dialects of Modern English, but existed in older versions of English and is retained in a few modern dialects (such as Scottish English).
The ⟨ll⟩ is a voiceless alveolar lateral fricative
The voiceless alveolar lateral fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents voiceless dental, alveolar, and postalveolar lateral fricatives is , ...
, a sound that has never occurred in English.
Tourism and attractions
A few thousand local residents welcome about 200,000 visitors per year. The most popular attraction is the Llanfairpwll railway station
Llanfairpwll railway station is a station on the North Wales Coast Line from Crewe to , serving the village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey.
History
Opened in 1848 it was initially the terminus of the line from Holyhead before the opening of ...
that features the plate with the full name of the village. Other places of interest in the area include Anglesey Sea Zoo
The Anglesey Sea Zoo ( cy, Sw Môr Môn) is an aquarium and independent research and marine education centre on the south coast of Anglesey island in North Wales. Located just outside the village of Brynsiencyn, Anglesey Sea Zoo claims to be the ...
, Bryn Celli Ddu
Bryn Celli Ddu is a prehistoric site on the Welsh island of Anglesey located near Llanddaniel Fab. Its name means 'the mound in the dark grove'. It was archaeologically excavated between 1928 and 1929. Visitors can get inside the mound through ...
Burial Chamber, St. Tysilio's Church, and Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens.
In science
In 2020, a new species of bacteria isolated from soil collected in the parish of the village was placed in the ''Myxococcus
''Myxococcus'' is a genus of bacteria in the family Myxococcaceae. Myxococci are Gram-negative, spore-forming, chemoorganotrophic, obligate aerobes. They are elongated rods with rounded or tapered ends, and they are nonflagellated. The cells mov ...
'' genus and was named '' Myxococcus ''.
In popular culture
The name was submitted to ''Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the longest word to appear in a published cryptic crossword
A cryptic crossword is a crossword puzzle in which each clue is a word puzzle. Cryptic crosswords are particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where they originated, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, and in several Commonwealth nations, includi ...
, having been used by compiler Roger Squires
Roger Squires (born 22 February 1932 in Tettenhall, Wolverhampton, England) is a retired British crossword compiler/setter, living in Ironbridge, Shropshire, who is best known for being the world's most prolific compiler. He compiled under the ...
in 1979. The clue was "Giggling troll follows Clancy, Larry, Billy and Peggy who howl, wrongly disturbing a place in Wales (58)", where all but the last five words formed an anagram.
In his 1957 appearance on ''You Bet Your Life
''You Bet Your Life'' is an American comedy quiz series that has aired on both radio and television. The original and best-known version was hosted by Groucho Marx of the Marx Brothers, with announcer and assistant George Fenneman. The show deb ...
'', the Welsh academic John Hughes answered host Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...
's question about the location of his birthplace by mentioning the town.
In 2002, the village's website was listed as the longest URL on the Internet.
In the Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
-penned song " The Boy From...", the singer details her unrequited love for a boy from the (fictional) island of Tacarembo la Tumbe del Fuego Santa Malipas Zatatecas la Junta del Sol y Cruz, who is moving to . Part of the song's humor stems from the singer's attempts to catch her breath after repeatedly singing the unwieldy place names.
In 1995, Welsh band Super Furry Animals
Super Furry Animals are a Welsh rock band formed in Cardiff in 1993. For the duration of their professional career, the band consisted of Gruff Rhys (lead vocals, guitar), Huw Bunford (lead guitar, vocals), Guto Pryce (bass guitar), Cian Ciaran ...
released its debut EP, (In Space).
The computer game ''Civilization V
''Sid Meier's Civilization V'' is a 4X video game in the ''Civilization'' series developed by Firaxis Games. The game was released on Microsoft Windows on September 21, 2010, on OS X on November 23, 2010, and on Linux on June 10, 2014.
In ''C ...
'' awards the "Longest. Name. Ever." Steam
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization ...
achievement to players for having a city named .
In the 1968 movie '' Barbarella'', Dildano proposes that the password for a meeting is "".
In September 2015, ''Channel 4 News
''Channel 4 News'' is the main news programme on British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since Channel 4's launch in November 1982.
Current productions
''Channel 4 News''
''Channel 4 News'' ...
'' weatherman Liam Dutton went viral around the world after accurately pronouncing the name of the town in one of his forecasts.
Climate
The village has a temperate oceanic
Oceanic may refer to:
*Of or relating to the ocean
*Of or relating to Oceania
**Oceanic climate
**Oceanic languages
**Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)"
Places
* Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...
climate (Köppen ''Cfb''; Trewartha ''Do''), with mild summers and cool, wet winters.
Notable people
* Wilfred Mitford Davies (1895–1966) Welsh artist and publisher, went to school in the town.
* Sir John "Kyffin" Williams, KBE, RA (1918–2006) Welsh landscape painter, lived at Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll.
* Lady Rose McLaren
Lady Rose Mary Primrose McLaren (née Paget; 21 July 1919 – 1 November 2005) was a British aristocrat, the fourth daughter of the 6th Marquess of Anglesey.
The Paget family (the Marquesses of Anglesey) resided in Plas Newydd and Beaudesert ...
(1919–2005) aristocrat, 4th daughter of the 6th Marquess of Anglesey, resided in Plas Newydd
* John Lasarus Williams
John Lasarus Williams (29 October 1924 – 15 June 2004), known as John L, was a Welsh nationalist activist.
Williams was born in Llangoed on Anglesey, but lived most of his life in nearby Llanfairpwllgwyngyll. In his youth, he was a keen footba ...
(1924–2004), known as John L, was a Welsh nationalist
Welsh nationalism ( cy, Cenedlaetholdeb Cymreig) emphasises and celebrates the distinctiveness of Welsh culture and Wales as a nation or country. Welsh nationalism may also include calls for further autonomy or self determination which includes ...
activist.
* Naomi Watts
Naomi Ellen Watts (born 28 September 1968) is a British actress. After her family moved to Australia, she made her film debut there in the drama '' For Love Alone'' (1986) and then appeared in three television series, '' Hey Dad..!'' (1990), '' ...
(born 1968), English actress and film producer, lived in the town as a child.
* Taron Egerton
Taron Egerton ( ; born 10 November 1989) is a Welsh actor. He is the recipient of a Golden Globe Award, and has received nominations for a Grammy Award and two British Academy Film Awards.
Born in Birkenhead, England, Egerton began acting at a ...
(born 1989), Welsh actor, went to school in the town.
* Siobhan Owen
Siobhán Owen (born 4 October 1993) is a soprano and harpist from Adelaide, South Australia. Owen regularly performs at festivals, concerts and events around Australia and further abroad. She favours classical and Celtic/folk songs, but also ...
(born 1993), soprano and harpist from Llanfairpwll who now lives in Adelaide, emigrated aged two.
* Elin Fflur
Elin Fflur Llewelyn Harvey (''née'' Jones; born 26 July 1984), known professionally as Elin Fflur, is a Welsh singer-songwriter, television and radio presenter.
Early life
Fflur was born in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey and was the oldest o ...
(born 1984), Welsh singer-songwriter, television and radio presenter.
See also
* Llanfairpwll F.C., the village's football club
*List of long place names
This is a list of long place names.
Single-word names 25 letters or more
20-24 letters
14–19 letters
Names with spaces or hyphens
* Bangkok#Name, Krungthepmahanakhon Amonrattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilokphop Noppharatratchathan ...
*
Notes
References
External links
* Listed in the 2002 ''Guinness Book of Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' as the world's longest valid Internet
The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
domain name
A domain name is a string that identifies a realm of administrative autonomy, authority or control within the Internet. Domain names are often used to identify services provided through the Internet, such as websites, email services and more. As ...
*
*
*
*
Newscaster pronouncing the full name
{{authority control
Villages in Anglesey