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Lavan Sands

Menai StraitSites of Special Scientific Interest in West GwyneddStraits of AngleseyStraits of Gwynedd
Lavan Sands map
Lavan Sands map

Lavan Sands (Welsh: Traeth Lafan) is an intertidal sandbank found in the Menai Strait between Bangor, Gwynedd and Llanfairfechan, Wales. Totally underwater at high tide, at extreme low tides it measures 5.5-mile (8.9 km) east-west and 3.25-mile (5.23 km) north-south. At the western end is found another sandbank Bangor Flats and just north is the sandbank Dutchman's Bank (Welsh: Banc Yr Hen Wyddeles). At low tide the Lavan Sands make the narrowest part of the Menai Strait, at Beaumaris, a mere 237 m (778 ft). The area is designated as an SSSI due in part to the large numbers of Eurasian oystercatchers that migrate there due to the freshwater streams that flow across it.Historians have speculated that the sands might have been the launch site of the first Roman assault on Anglesey led by Gaius Suetonius Paulinus in 60AD. What is certain is that they were used as a point of departure for the ferries between the mainland and the island until the Menai Suspension Bridge was completed in 1826. Due to the busy shipping lanes in and out of Liverpool, the Sands and Dutchman's Bank have been the location of several shipwrecks over the years involving vessels that have gone off course or have been looking for shelter from the Irish Sea. One of the best known is that of the Rothsay Castle on 18 August 1831 in which 130 people died. The disaster led to the establishment of a lifeboat station at Penmon and to the completion of Trwyn Du Lighthouse in 1837.From the mainland the Sands are extensively viewable from both the Wales Coast Path and the North Wales Coast Line railway. From Anglesey the best views are from Beaumaris and the Anglesey Coastal Path.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Lavan Sands (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 53.253066 ° E -4.05312 °
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Aber


, Aber
Wales, United Kingdom
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Beaumaris Castle
Beaumaris Castle

Beaumaris Castle ( bew-MAR-is; Welsh: Castell Biwmares Welsh pronunciation: [kastɛɬ bɪuˈmɑːrɛs]), in Beaumaris, Anglesey, Wales, was built as part of Edward I's campaign to conquer north Wales after 1282. Plans were probably first made to construct the castle in 1284, but this was delayed due to lack of funds and work only began in 1295 following the Madog ap Llywelyn uprising. A substantial workforce was employed in the initial years under the direction of James of St George. Edward's invasion of Scotland soon diverted funding from the project, however, and work stopped, only recommencing after an invasion scare in 1306. When work finally ceased around 1330 a total of £15,000 had been spent, a huge sum for the period, but the castle remained incomplete. Beaumaris Castle was taken by Welsh forces in 1403 during the rebellion of Owain Glyndŵr, but recaptured by royal forces in 1405. In March 1592, the Welsh Roman Catholic priest and martyr William Davies was imprisoned in the castle, and was eventually hanged, drawn and quartered there on 27 July 1593.Following the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642, the castle was held by forces loyal to Charles I, holding out until 1646 when it surrendered to the Parliamentary armies. Despite forming part of a local royalist rebellion in 1648, the castle escaped slighting and was garrisoned by Parliament, but fell into ruin around 1660, eventually forming part of a stately home and park in the 19th century. In the 21st century, the ruined castle is still a tourist attraction. Historian Arnold Taylor described Beaumaris Castle as Britain's "most perfect example of symmetrical concentric planning". The fortification is built of local stone, with a moated outer ward guarded by twelve towers and two gatehouses, overlooked by an inner ward with two large, D-shaped gatehouses and six massive towers. The inner ward was designed to contain ranges of domestic buildings and accommodation able to support two major households. The south gate could be reached by ship, allowing the castle to be directly supplied by sea. UNESCO considers Beaumaris to be one of "the finest examples of late 13th century and early 14th century military architecture in Europe", and it is classed as a World Heritage Site.