 | This articlepossibly containsoriginal research. Pleaseimprove it byverifying the claims made and addinginline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed.(November 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Amlwch | |
|---|---|
 Amlwch Port | |
  Amlwch Location withinAnglesey | |
| Area | 18.19 km2 (7.02 sq mi) |
| Population | 3,789 (2011) |
| • Density | 208/km2 (540/sq mi) |
| OS grid reference | SH4492 |
| Community |
|
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | AMLWCH |
| Postcode district | LL68 |
| Dialling code | 01407 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
53°24′22″N4°20′28″W / 53.406°N 4.341°W /53.406; -4.341  Map of the community | |
Amlwch (Welsh:[ˈamlʊχ]) is a port town andcommunity inWales. It is situated on the north coast of theIsle of Anglesey, on theA5025 which connects it toHolyhead and toMenai Bridge. As well as Amlwch town andAmlwch Port, other settlements within the community includeBurwen,Bull Bay (Porthllechog) andPentrefelin. The town has a beach in Llaneilian, and it has significant coastal cliffs. Tourism is an important element of the local economy. At one time it was a booming mining town that became the centre of a vast global trade in copper ore. The harbour inlet became a busy port and significant shipbuilding and ship repair centre, as well as an embarkation point with boats sailing to theIsle of Man and toLiverpool. The community covers an area of about 15 square kilometres.[1]
The name Amlwch – a reference to the site of the town's harbour, Porth Amlwch – derives fromWelsham ("about, on or around") andllwch (an old word meaning "inlet, creek" - similar to the Gaelic word "loch" for a body of water).[2]
On 23 November 1981, the first tornado of the record-breaking1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak, an F1/T2 tornado, passed through Amlwch.
At the 2011 census thecommunity had a population of 3,789.[3]
It is also home to the localsecondary school,Ysgol Syr Thomas Jones whichLemmy attended, and the town also has a primary school.
The local newspaper for northeastern Anglesey isYr Arwydd ('The Sign').Yr Arwydd is the local Welsh name forMynydd Bodafon, the paper covers the area surrounding the mountain, and has an image of the summit as its logo.
Amlwch grew rapidly in the 18th century near what was then the world's biggestcopper mine at the nearbyParys Mountain. By the late 18th century, Amlwch had a population of around 10,000 and was the second largest town in Wales afterMerthyr Tydfil. It was at this time that its harbour was also extended to accommodate the ships needed to transport the ore.
When the copper production declined, a wide variety of industrial activities were developed to take its place. Ship-building in the narrow harbour area and other sites around the coast ofAmlwch Port was a significant enterprise from the 1820s and grew in significance after the railway opened in 1864, reducing the use of the harbour for copper and other goods by ship. By 1912 the main shipbuilding activities were in decline, and neither the harbour nor shipyards offered much commercial activity.[4]
In 1953 Octel began the extraction ofbromine from seawater at a plant built just west of the port. The bromine was taken toEllesmere Port where it was used in the manufacture ofanti-knock additives forleaded petrol. When leaded petrol was withdrawn in 2000 the demand for bromine fell. The plant ceased production in 2004.[5]
In the 1970s, Amlwch had an offshoresingle point mooring - Amlwch Oil Terminal - which was used to receive largeoil tankers which were unsuitable for theMersey.[6] Reception tanks were located ashore and the oil was pumped from there to the refineries on theManchester Ship Canal. The terminal closed in 1990.
Whencopper mining began to decline in the mid-1850s,shipbuilding became the main industry with many people also becoming involved in the ship repair and other maritime industries. The town was home to a brewing industry and also had tobacco works, producing the famous Amlwch Shag Tobacco - "Baco Shag Amlwch".
Amlwch station was the northern terminus of theAnglesey Central Railway which was opened in 1864. It closed to passengers a hundred years later, in 1964, but for the next 30 years was used by freight trains. In 1951 the Amlwch Octel bromide works installed an extension to the line from Amlwch station into their premises. After the passenger service ceased the line continued until 1993 with freight trains bringing sulphuric acid in to the Octel works, and transporting bromine and related products used in fuel additives, back to the main line, bound for Ellesmere Port.[5]
In 1993 the freight activity was all transferred to road vehicles, and use of the line ceased. The rails were not lifted however, leaving open the prospect that the line could be restored as a tourist and local transport facility for Amlwch, Llanerchymedd and Llangefni. In 2012 a local enthusiast group, Anglesey Central Railway, orLein Amlwch, were granted permission to clear and survey the line condition,[7] and in May 2017 the Welsh Government announced that re-opening Llangefni station was under active consideration, raising a strong hope that the service could one day continue north to reach Amlwch again.[8]
Attractions in Amlwch include its restored port area, theAnglesey Coastal Path which passes through it, itswatch tower containing an exhibition byGeo Môn, maritime and copper mining museums,St Eleth's Church (which dates from 1800) and thereinforced concrete Catholic churchOur Lady Star of the Sea and St Winefride, built in 1937.
There are two tiers of local government covering Amlwch, atcommunity (town) andcounty level: Amlwch Town Council andIsle of Anglesey County Council. The town council is based at the old police station on Lôn Goch and comprises fifteen councillors elected from the three community wards of Town, Rural and Amlwch Port.[9][10] Amlwch is in theTwrcelyn electoral ward which also includesLlanbadrig,Llaneilian andRhosybol, electing three county councillors to the county council.[11]
Amlwch was anancient parish.[12] When elected parish and district councils were established in 1894, Amlwch was given a parish council and included in theTwrcelyn Rural District.[13] In 1901 the parish was converted into anurban district.[14] Amlwch Urban District was abolished in 1974, with its area instead becoming a community. District-level functions passed toYnys Môn-Isle of Anglesey Borough Council, which in 1996 was reconstituted as a county council.[15][16]
The town'sleisure centre is one of the few on Anglesey and has aswimming pool, sports centre. It is situated on Anglesey's 125-mile stretch of coast that is designatedArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
The town also has twofootball clubs,Amlwch Town F.C., who play in theWelsh Alliance League, and Amlwch Port F.C., a Sunday League pub team that plays in the North Wales Sunday League.
Amlwch has a sea rowing club based inBull Bay, Trireme Ynys Mon Rowing Club.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
