Coordinates: 53°19′18″N 4°13′33″W / 53.3216°N 4.2257°W
| Benllech | |
  Benllech
 Benllech shown within Wales |
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| OS grid reference | |
|---|---|
| Community | Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf |
| Principal area | Anglesey |
| Ceremonial county | Gwynedd |
| Constituent country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | TYN-Y-GONGL |
| Postcode district | LL74 |
| Dialling code | 01248 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| European Parliament | Wales |
| UK Parliament | Ynys Môn |
| List of places: UK • Wales • Anglesey | |
Benllech is a small village on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales. It is in the community of Llanfair-Mathafarn-Eithaf,[1] which has a population of 3,408.[2] The popularity of its beach makes Benllech – on the A5025, the main road around Anglesey – one of the most visited places on the island.[citation needed]
The name Benllech is perhaps a mutated form of penllech, literally "head slab", i.e. "capstone".[3] 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 breakfasts. The community has a primary school, Ysgol Goronwy Owen; doctor's surgery; library; and post office. 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 also a popular place to retire to;[citation needed] its sprawling bungalow estates are populated to some extent by couples who retire here after many years of family holidays.[citation needed] This makes Benllech feel culturally less Welsh and more English than some nearby villages,[citation needed] and Lancashire and Mancunian accents are nearly as frequently heard as Welsh in the village shops.[citation needed] Despite the influx of English people into the area, 63% of Benllech can speak Welsh fluently.[citation needed]
Notable residents
- The poet Goronwy Owen (1723-1769) was a native of Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf; the village hall was named after him.
References
- ^ Ordnance Survey : Election Maps : Isle of Anglesey Retrieved 2009-08-18
- ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Isle of Anglesey Retrieved 2009-08-18
- ^ BBC Wales: What's in a name?
External links
- 360 Panoramic View Of Cliffs On Coastal Walk At Benllech
- photos of Benllech and surrounding area on geograph
- Video of Benllech Past and Present by Dafydd Jones
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