Holyhead

by WBlackwell on November 12, 2017

When you approach Holyhead Island from either the train or ferry you cross this multi-million £ foot bridge. Unfortunately the other side leads into a sad, tired town center. Outside the center is nice but first impressions are not great.

After yesterday’s trip to Beaumaris, I decided to wander the Holyhead shore. Unfortunately the local maritime museum was closed for the season but I noticed a very substantial breakwater and lighthouse that I felt would give me a good view of the town.

Soldier’s Point House and later Soldiers Point Hotel, also known as the ‘Old Castle’ building, was built in 1848 as the residence of the Engineer in charge of the Government-sponsored alterations to Holyhead harbour being carried out as part of improvements to the mail route from London to Dublin. John Hawkshaw succeeded James Meadows Rendel in this post when the latter died in 1856.

Sadly the hotel was destroyed by a fire in Sept. 2011 and has since fallen to ruin.

The Holyhead Breakwater at just over 1.5 miles long is the longest in the UK.

And I did get the views I was hoping for.

I spent the remainder of the afternoon resting and working on the blog. And the next morning at breakfast there were 3 guests whose language I could not quite place, so I asked. Italian, but from the north, so the accent was different from what one might hear from someone from Rome or southern Italy. We chatted for a while and I found out that before they headed back to London ( a pretty long drive) for 2 of them to fly home, they were planning on visiting the 41m/135ft South Stack Lighthouse. I had wanted to go there the day before but the 7 mile round trip was going to be too much. Not being shy and realizing that if I did not ask the answer would be no, I asked if I could hitch a lift and they were more than happy to accommodate. In fact, since they had to drive by the hotel on the return it was not out of their way at all. Michael, Paulo & Pietro were good company. Unfortunately the bridge to the island was not open so I could not add it to my list.

There are just over 390 steps from the parking lot to the gate at the bridge so it was a pretty good way to work off breakfast. I was glad that the early ferry had been canceled so I had a couple hours to recuperate

The ferry I was supposed to go on in the morning is a fast catamaran and isn’t the best for rough weather.

So I was pleased when I saw the one I’d be on for afternoon sailing. The MV Ulysses is huge at 209.2 m (686.4 ft) with a height of 51 m (167.3 ft). With 12 decks it can carry 2,166 passengers, 1342 cars & 240 trucks.