Penysarn (; ) is a small village located within

Llaneilian Llaneilian (; ) is a village and community in the Welsh county of Anglesey. It is located in the north east of the island, east of Amlwch, north west of Menai Bridge and north of Llangefni. The community includes the villages and hamlets of ...

Community, in the north-eastern corner 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, and on the north-eastern side of

Parys Mountain Parys Mountain ( cy, Mynydd Parys) is located south of the town of Amlwch in north east Anglesey, Wales. It is the site of a large copper mine that was extensively exploited in the late 18th century. Parys Mountain is a mountain in name only, bei ...

, at approximately 140–150 feet above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardise ...

. The settlement expanded in the 18th century with the arrival of miners working at the nearby copper mines. The population as of the 2011 census was 595.

Name

Penysarn is sometimes written 'Pen-y-sarn', but in both cases, the 'y' is silent. The

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

translation from

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 ...

means 'the end of the causeway'.

History

Penysarn grew throughout the 18th century, close to what was once the world's largest copper mine, located at

. During this time, the mountain and surrounding area had their own nationally recognized currency, known as the Parys Penny, or Anglesey Penny. These coins were made from copper mined at the mountain. The village's early expansion was principally due to employment opportunities created by the busy mines and from providing ancillary services such as clog-making, blacksmithing and baking. Several light industrial companies existed in Penysarn until the 1990s, but employment today is largely limited to core services, such as the village shop and school. Tourism has brought some business opportunities, with the creation of a small camping and caravan site and several properties being rented out as holiday cottages, but most workers living in Penysarn today commute to local towns for work.

Amenities

The village is the starting point for several, officially designated, circular tourist walks. These include industrial heritage walks such as Llwybr Cadi Rondol, which takes walkers through the old copper mines at Mynydd Parys, and Llwybr Eilian, which takes walkers through Llaneilian and the surrounding countryside.

Notable people

* Lewis William Lewis "Llew Llwyfo", (1831 - 1901), poet, novelist, journalist, conductor, singer and winner of several Eistoddfodau. * John Eilian Jones (1904 - 1985), journalist, poet and broadcaster.

References

External links

Photos of the Parys Mountain Copper Mine near Amlwch
{{authority control Villages in Anglesey Llaneilian