Benllech
Encyclopedia
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Benllech is a small town on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales
. It is in the community
of Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf, which has a population of 3,408. The popularity of its beach makes Benllech – on the A5025, the main road around Anglesey – one of the most visited places on the island.
The name
Benllech is perhaps a mutated form of penllech, literally "head slab" or "head rock", i.e. "capstone" or "head of the rock". or possibly meaning 'on slate', shortened from the Welsh term 'ar ben llech'.
Benllech is a popular beach holiday destination. The beach shelves and has an abundance of clean yellow sand. The Anglesey Coastal Path
passes through.
There are several hotels, a camping and caravan site and several bed and breakfast
s. The community has a primary school, Ysgol Goronwy Owen
; and other things you would typically find in a small British village. Between 1909 and 1950 there was a railway station close to the village which was the terminus of the Red Wharf Bay branch line
.
Benllech is a small town on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is in the community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
of Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf, which has a population of 3,408. The popularity of its beach makes Benllech – on the A5025, the main road around Anglesey – one of the most visited places on the island.
Welsh placenames
The placenames of Wales derive in most cases from the Welsh language, but have also been influenced by linguistic contact with the Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Anglo-Normans and modern English...
Benllech is perhaps a mutated form of penllech, literally "head slab" or "head rock", i.e. "capstone" or "head of the rock". or possibly meaning 'on slate', shortened from the Welsh term 'ar ben llech'.
Benllech is a popular beach holiday destination. The beach shelves and has an abundance of clean yellow sand. The Anglesey Coastal Path
Anglesey Coastal Path
The Anglesey Coastal Path is a long-distance footpath around the island of Anglesey in North Wales....
passes through.
There are several hotels, a camping and caravan site and several bed and breakfast
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
s. The community has a primary school, Ysgol Goronwy Owen
Ysgol Goronwy Owen
Ysgol Goronwy Owen is a primary school in Benllech, Isle of Anglesey, North Wales named after the local poet Goronwy Owen , born in the parish of Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf....
; and other things you would typically find in a small British village. Between 1909 and 1950 there was a railway station close to the village which was the terminus of the Red Wharf Bay branch line
Red Wharf Bay branch line
The Red Wharf Bay branch line was a standard gauge railway line in Anglesey, Wales, a branch off the Anglesey Central Railway. It opened fully in 1909, but closed to passengers in September 1930...
.
Notable residents
- The poet Goronwy OwenGoronwy Owen (poet)Goronwy Owen was one of the 18th century's greatest Welsh poets. He mastered the traditional bardic metres and, although forced by circumstances to be an exile, played an important role in the literary and antiquarian movement in Wales often described as the Welsh Eighteenth Century Renaissance...
(1723–1769) was a native of Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf; the village hall was named after him.
- Lemmy KilmisterLemmy KilmisterIan Fraser "Lemmy" Kilmister is an English heavy metal musician....
, born Ian Fraser Kilmister, lead singer, bassist and guitarist of the band Motörhead, lived here from the age of 10 to the age of 16 (1956-1962).
- Carwyn EllisCarwyn EllisCarwyn Ellis is a British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger and music producer from Wales. He is also known as the frontman of British psychedelic pop band Colorama as well as the bandleader / guitarist / bassist of Edwyn Collins’ all-star band.-Career:After a nomadic...
, lead singer for ColoramaColorama-Personnel:*Jimmy Ryan – guitars, vocals, additional instrumentation, production, mixing*Johnny Ryan – guitars, vocals, additional instrumentation, production, mixing...
had a nomadic childhood before his family eventually settled in Benllech.