Editing Holyhead

{{Short description|Port town in Isle of Anglesey, Wales}}
{{redirect|Caergybi}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox UK place
| static_image_name           = Holyhead - 2024-06-15 04.jpg
| static_image_caption        = Town skyline
| country                     = Wales
| welsh_name                  = Caergybi
| constituency_welsh_assembly = [[Ynys Môn (Assembly constituency)|Ynys Môn]]
| official_name               = Holyhead
| coordinates                 = {{coord|53.309|-4.633|display=inline,title}}
| community_wales             = Holyhead<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.holyheadtowncouncil.com/|title=Holyhead Town Council|website=holyheadtowncouncil.com}}</ref>
| unitary_wales               = [[Anglesey]]
| lieutenancy_wales           = [[Gwynedd]]
| constituency_westminster    = [[Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)|Ynys Môn]]
| post_town                   = HOLYHEAD
| postcode_district           = LL65
| postcode_area               = LL
| dial_code                   = 01407
| os_grid_reference           = SH2482
| population                  = 12,084
| population_ref              = [[United Kingdom Census 2011|2011 Census]]<ref name="ONS">{{cite web|title=Parish Headcounts: Isle of Anglesey|url=http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/viewFullDataset.do;jsessionid=gJm4RnTBDLy7JMQThnyGvtx5L2L96TNJ7ZbTJ9xFWsN5hR1QB83p!99717270!1366167073125?step=4&productId=779&instanceSelection=03070&timeId=1&containerAreaId=790559&startColumn=1&numberOfColumns=4&viewAction=fullScreen&maxi=1&nsjs=true&nsck=true&nssvg=false&nswid=792|work=Neighbourhood Statistics|publisher=Office for National Statistics|access-date=15 March 2018}}</ref>
| module= [[File:Wales Anglesey Community Holyhead map.svg|240px]]<br />Map of the community
}}
'''Holyhead''' ({{IPAc-en|,|h|ə|ʊ|l|i|'|h|ɛ|d|,_|ˌ|h|ɒ|l|i|ˈ|h|ɛ|d}};<ref>{{cite EPD|18}}</ref><ref>{{cite LPD|3}}</ref> {{langx|cy|Caergybi}} {{IPA|cy|kɑːɨrˈɡəbi|audio=Caergybi-.ogg}}, "[[Cybi]]'s fort") is a historic port town, and is the [[list of Anglesey towns by population|largest town]] and a [[Community (Wales)|community]] in the county of [[Isle of Anglesey]], [[Wales]]. Holyhead is on [[Holy Island, Anglesey|Holy Island]], bounded by the [[Irish Sea]] to the north, and is separated from Anglesey island by the narrow [[Cymyran Strait]], having originally been connected to Anglesey via the [[Four Mile Bridge#The Bridge|Four Mile Bridge]].<ref name=fourmile>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DLYHAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA136|title=Wanderings in North Wales: A Road and Railway Guide-book : Comprising Curious and Interesting Historical Information with a Description of the Ancient Castles and Ruins of the Northern Principality, Its Churches, Towns, Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Railways, Etc|page=136|first= William|last= Cathrall|year=1851|publisher=William S. Orr and Company}}</ref>

In the mid-19th century, [[John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley|Lord Stanley]], a local philanthropist, funded the building of a larger [[Stanley Embankment|causeway]],<ref name="stanleym1"/> known locally as "the Cobb". it now carries the [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5]] and the [[North Wales Coast Line|railway line]]. The [[A55 road (Great Britain)|A55 dual carriageway]] runs parallel to the Cobb on a modern causeway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/aerial-photograph-of-holy-island-holyhead-and-the-stanley-news-photo/962697770|title=Aerial View of Llandudno, Clwyd|date=24 May 2018 |publisher=Getty Images|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>

The town houses the [[Port of Holyhead]], a major Irish Sea port for connections towards [[Ireland]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/entries/63d5dd11-61a2-3833-9e74-e617bf7e98bf|title=The opening of Holyhead's new harbour|author=Phil Carradice|author-link=Phil Carradice|website=BBC Blogs - Wales|date=20 June 2011 |access-date=26 April 2016}}</ref> The population of the town proper as of the 2021 census was 12,084, an increase on the 2011 census.<ref>[https://www.citypopulation.de/en/uk/wales/admin Retrieved 26 February 2024.]</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source (citypopulation.de) is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]). It is a [[WP:SELFPUB|self-published source]]. A source from the ONS (likely through NOMIS) directly would be preferred.|date=February 2024}}

==Etymology==
The town's English name, ''Holyhead'', has existed since at least the 14th century. As is the case with many coastal parts of Wales, the name in English is significantly different from its name in Welsh. It refers to the holiness of the locality and has taken the form ''Haliheved'', ''Holiheved'', ''Le Holyhede'' and ''Holy Head'' in the past. The Welsh name, ''Caergybi'', derives from the fortification around which the town developed. The locality was known by such names as ''Karkeby'' ('seat of Cybi'), ''Castro Kyby'' ('the fortified military camp of Cybi'), and ''Kaer Gybi'' (Cybi's resting place).<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9cxRDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA23|page=23|title=The Place-Names of Wales|first=Hywel Wyn |last=Owen|year=2015|publisher=University of Wales Press|isbn=978-1783161652}}</ref>

Prior to the influence of the fort on the name, the hamlets which came before it were likely known as ''Llan y Gwyddel'' ('church/parish of the Irish') and ''Eglwys y Beddi'' ('church of the graves').<ref>{{cite book |last1= Jones |first1= Gwilym|last2= Roberts |first2= Tomos |date= 1996|title= Enwau Lleoedd Môn : The Place-Names of Anglesey|location= Bangor, Wales |publisher= University of Wales Press |pages= 122–123|isbn= 0-904567-71-0}}</ref>

==History==
===Prehistoric and Roman history===
{{main|Caer Gybi (fort)}}
Holyhead Old Town is built around [[St Cybi's Church]], which is built inside one of Europe's few three-walled [[Roman fort]]s (the fourth boundary being the sea, which used to come up to the fort). The [[Roman Britain|Romans]] also built a [[lighthouse|watchtower]] on the top of [[Holyhead Mountain]] inside Mynydd y Twr, a [[prehistoric]] [[hillfort]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pegasusarchive.org/ancientbritain/holyhead_mountain_hut_group.htm|title=Holyhead Mountain Hut Group|publisher=Pegasus Archive|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>

Settlements in the area date from prehistoric times, with circular huts, [[burial chamber]]s and [[standing stone]]s featuring in the highest concentration in Britain. The current lighthouse is on [[South Stack]] on the other side of Holyhead Mountain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.trinityhouse.co.uk/lighthouses-and-lightvessels/south-stack-lighthouse |title=South Stack Lighthouse |website=trinityhouse.co.uk |access-date=15 February 2020}}</ref>

Soldiers Point Hotel, located near the breakwater park in Holyhead, was first established in 1848. The residence of an engineer was in charge of the government-sponsored alterations to Holyhead Harbour being carried out. It was badly damaged in a fire in 2011.<ref>{{coflein|num=15867|desc=Soldiers Point Hotel|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>

===Heritage  Conservation Areas===
Holyhead has three officially designated Conservation Areas. Holyhead Central Conservation Area covers the historic Old Town core that developed around the Roman Fort. Holyhead Beach Conservation Area in located in the Newry promenade area, and Holyhead Mountain Conservation Area is located north of the village of Llaingoch.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.anglesey.gov.wales/en/Residents/Planning-building-control-and-conservation/Built-and-natural-environment/Conservation-areas/Conservation-Area-Character-Appraisal.aspx|title=Conservation Area Character Appraisal}}</ref>

===Transport history===

====Port====
[[File:001 Holyhead Clock Tower 18.08.13 edited-2.jpg|thumb|Clock Tower commemorating the extension of the Holyhead Docks between 1875 and 1880]]

In the early nineteenth century, it was still undecided which port would be chosen as the primary sea link along the route from [[London]] to [[Dublin]]: [[Porthdinllaen]], on the [[Llŷn Peninsula]], or Holyhead in [[Anglesey]]. In May 1806, a parliamentary bill approved new buildings in Porthdinllaen when it seemed that the town would be chosen. Porthdinllaen was almost as far west as Holyhead, but Holyhead was more accessible because of [[Thomas Telford]]'s road developments. Porthdinllaen Harbour Company was formed in 1808 in preparation, but the bill before Parliament to constitute Porthdinllaen as a harbour for Irish trade was rejected in 1810.<ref name="ANWales">{{cite web |url=http://archiveswales.org.uk/anw/get_collection.php?coll_id=2957&inst_id=37 |title=Porthdinllaen Harbour Company Records |date=1806–1911 |website=Archifau Cymru |publisher=National Library of Wales |access-date=15 February 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413131902/http://archiveswales.org.uk/anw/get_collection.php?coll_id=2957&inst_id=37 |archive-date=13 April 2014}}</ref>

Holyhead's maritime importance was at its height in the 19th century with a {{convert|1+3/4|mi|km|abbr=off|adj=mid|-long}} [[breakwater (structure)|sea breakwater]]. [[Holyhead Breakwater]], built to create a safe harbour for vessels caught in stormy waters on their way to [[Liverpool]] and the industrial ports of [[Lancashire]]; it is the longest breakwater in the UK.<ref>{{cite book|last=Denton|first=A., & Leach, N.|title= Lighthouses of Wales|publisher=Landmark Publishing Ltd|year= 2008| isbn= 978-1-84306-459-6}}</ref>

Throughout the later 18th century and the entire 19th century, Holyhead was a crucial transit point for [[landed gentry]] and British parliamentarians and military officials who were travelling from Ireland to London. It was also a transit point for British owners of multinational estates visiting their 'other lands' or London houses. The port of Holyhead saw significant development throughout the 19th century to accommodate the growing passenger traffic between Holyhead and Dublin, which reached approximately 14,000 passengers annually by 1814. Key improvements made after the [[Acts of Union 1800|1800 Act of Union]] with Ireland included the illumination of the South Stack Lighthouse in 1809, the construction of a built-up harbor in 1810, and the addition of a substantial breakwater between 1848 and 1873. Although mail service through Holyhead was temporarily suspended in 1838 in favour of rail transport through [[Liverpool]], the development of the north Wales coastal railway in 1850 led to its reinstatement.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Coward |first=Adam N. |date=2023 |title=CONNECTIONS BETWEEN WELSH AND IRISH LANDED ESTATES, c.1650–c.1920: A PRELIMINARY OVERVIEW |url=https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/uwp/whis/2023/00000031/00000004/art00003;jsessionid=2f2nxmg2xnj86.x-ic-live-01 |journal=Welsh History Review/Cylchgrawn Hanes Cymru |volume=31 |issue=4 |pages=558–560 |doi=10.16922/whr.31.4.2 |via=Ingenta Connect|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

====Road====
The post road built by [[Thomas Telford]] from London strengthened Holyhead's position as the port from which the [[Royal Mail]] was dispatched to and from Dublin on the [[Mail coach]]. The [[A5 road (Great Britain)|A5]] terminates at [[Admiralty Arch, Holyhead|Admiralty Arch]] (1822–24), which was designed by [[Thomas Harrison (architect)|Thomas Harrison]] to commemorate a visit by King [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]] in 1821 ''en route'' to Ireland and marked the zenith of Irish Mail coach operations. Holy Island and Anglesey are separated by the [[Cymyran Strait]] which used to be crossed on the [[Four Mile Bridge]]; so called, because the bridge was {{convert|4|mi|km|0|round=0.5|abbr=off}} from Holyhead on the old [[Toll road|turnpike]].<ref name=fourmile/>

====Railway====
With the opening of the railway from London to Liverpool, Holyhead lost the London-Dublin mail contract in 1839 to the [[Port of Liverpool]]. Only after the completion of the [[Chester & Holyhead Railway]] in 1850, and the building of [[Holyhead railway station]], did the ''[[Irish Mail]]'' return to Holyhead, operated from [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] by the [[London & North Western Railway]].<ref>Famous named trains abolished ''[[The Railway Magazine]]'' issue 1216 August 2002 page 14</ref>

==Transport==
[[File:Holyhead Railway Station, Holy Island (507270) (32932192272).jpg|thumb|[[Holyhead railway station]]]]
The [[Port of Holyhead]] is a busy ferry [[seaport|port]]. [[Stena Line]], Northern Europe's biggest ferry company, operates from the port, as do [[Irish Ferries]]. Ferries sail to [[Dublin]].

[[Holyhead railway station]] is the terminus of the [[North Wales Coast Line]] and is currently served by [[Avanti West Coast]] and [[Transport for Wales Rail|Transport for Wales]] services. Avanti West Coast runs direct trains to [[Euston railway station|London Euston]] via [[Crewe railway station|Crewe]]<ref>{{Cite web|work=Avanti West Coast|title=Our latest timetable and ticket info |date=May 2023 |access-date=28 May 2023 |url= https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/travel-information/plan-your-journey/timetables |quote=}}</ref> and Transport for Wales operate direct trains to [[Cardiff Central railway station|Cardiff]] and [[Birmingham International railway station|Birmingham International]], via [[Wrexham General railway station|Wrexham]] and [[Shrewsbury railway station|Shrewsbury]]; they also operate on the route to [[Manchester Piccadilly railway station|Manchester Piccadilly]], via [[Warrington Bank Quay railway station|Warrington]].<ref>{{Cite web|work=Transport for Wales|title=Timetables |date=May 2023 |access-date=28 May 2023 |url= https://tfw.wales/service-status/timetables |quote=}}</ref>

[[File:Seiriol Wyn - geograph.org.uk - 404566.jpg|thumb|'Seiriol Wyn' one of a series of glass mosaic panels created by artist [[Gary Drostle]] for the new Celtic Gateway bridge entrance]]
The rail and ferry terminals are connected (for pedestrians and cyclists) to the town centre by [[The Celtic Gateway]] bridge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://structurae.net/en/structures/the-celtic-gateway-bridge|title=The Celtic Gateway Bridge|publisher=Structurae| access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>

[[File:Stanley embankment - geograph.org.uk - 41967.jpg|thumb|Stanley Embankment, looking towards [[Holy Island, Anglesey|Holy Island]]]]
The [[Stanley Embankment]], or ''The Cob'', connects Anglesey and Holy Island. It carries the North Wales Coast Line railway and the A5 road. The embankment was designed and built by [[Thomas Telford]]. When the A5 was being constructed between London and the Port of Holyhead, a more direct route was needed. Construction started in 1822 and was completed a year later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk/pages/thom_tel_rd.htm|title=Thomas Telford: The Road to Holyhead|website=cyclingnorthwales.co.uk}}</ref> It gets its formal name after [[John Stanley, 1st Baron Stanley of Alderley]], a significant local benefactor.<ref name="stanleym1">Hughes, Margaret: ''"Anglesey from the sea"'', page 73. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2001</ref>

In 2001, work was completed on the extension of the [[A55 road|A55]] North Wales Expressway from the [[Britannia Bridge]] to Holyhead, giving the town a [[dual carriageway]] connection to North Wales and the main British motorway network. The A55 forms part of [[International E-road network|Euroroute]] [[European route E22|E22]]. The Anglesey section was financed through a [[Private Finance Initiative]] scheme.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pppforum.com/case-studies/a55-llandegai-holyhead-trunk-road|title=A55 Llandegai to Holyhead Trunk Road|publisher=PPP Forum|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>

Local bus services are provided primarily by [[Arriva Buses Wales]], who operate services around Anglesey and to [[Bangor, Gwynedd|Bangor]].<ref>{{Cite web|work=Bus Times|title=Bus Services |date=May 2023 |access-date=28 May 2023 |url= https://bustimes.org/localities/holyhead |quote=}}</ref>

==Industry==
Until September 2009, Holyhead's main industry was the massive aluminium smelter on the outskirts of the town, operated by [[Anglesey Aluminium]], a subsidiary of [[Rio Tinto (corporation)|Rio Tinto]]. A large [[jetty]] in the harbour received ships from [[Jamaica]] and Australia, and their cargoes of alumina were transported on a rope-driven conveyor belt running underneath the town to the plant. The jetty is now available to dock visiting cruise ships.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.anglesey.gov.wales/en/newsroom/news/acquisition-of-former-anglesey-aluminium-site-welcomed|title=Acquisition of former Anglesey Aluminium site welcomed|date=21 September 2022|publisher=Isle of Anglesey County Council|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>

The plant relied for its electricity supply on [[Wylfa nuclear power station]], near [[Cemaes Bay]]. However, Wylfa was reaching the end of its life and had permission to generate only until 2012.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wylfa to continue generating until 2012|url=http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sc=2057790|work=Nuclear Engineering International|access-date=13 December 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305192914/http://www.neimagazine.com/story.asp?sc=2057790|archive-date=5 March 2012}}</ref> On 18 October 2010, the British government announced that Wylfa was one of the eight sites it considered suitable for future nuclear power stations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nuclear power: Eight sites identified for future plants |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11564152 |work=BBC News |publisher=BBC |access-date=18 October 2010 |date=18 October 2010}}</ref>

Holyhead Port is a major employer, most of the jobs linked to ferry services to Ireland operated by Stena and Irish Ferries. Other significant industrial/transport sector employers in Holyhead include Holyhead Boatyard, Gwynedd Shipping and Eaton Electrical, with the last of these having seen many job losses in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/holyhead-factory-closure-could-put-2808756|title=Holyhead factory closure could put 265 jobs at risk|website=[[Daily Post (North Wales)|Daily Post]]|date=19 April 2013|access-date=26 May 2017}}</ref>

Until the end of 2020 the port, which employs 250 (in 2021), was the second busiest roll-on roll-off port in the UK after Dover with around 450,000 lorries taking ferries to Dublin. Following the [[Brexit withdrawal agreement]], freight traffic from Ireland fell by 50% in January 2021.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Partridge|first=Joanna|date=20 February 2021|title=Ports feel the chill as trade re-routes around Brexit Britain|language=en-GB|work=[[The Observer]]|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/20/ports-feel-the-chill-as-trade-re-routes-around-brexit-britain|access-date=21 February 2021|issn=0029-7712}}</ref>

==Climate==

Like the rest of Wales and the [[British Isles]], Holyhead has a [[maritime climate]] (''Cfb'' according to the [[Köppen climate classification]]) with cool summers and mild winters, and often high winds exacerbated by its location by the Irish Sea. The nearest official weather observation station is at [[RAF Valley]], about {{convert|5|mi|km|0|abbr=off|spell=on}} southeast of the town centre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/1987-01-19/debates/107955d9-005a-48de-bb34-2842f46ad19d/SevereWeatherPayments|title=Severe Weather Payments|publisher=Hansard|date=19 January 1987|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>

On 23 November 1981, Holyhead was struck by two tornadoes during the record-breaking [[1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak]]. One of the tornadoes, rated as an F2/T4 tornado, was the strongest recorded out of 104 tornadoes in the entire outbreak, causing damage to around 20 properties in Holyhead and destroying a mobile home.<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1175/WAF-D-15-0131.1|title = Reexamining the United Kingdom's Greatest Tornado Outbreak: Forecasting the Limited Extent of Tornadoes along a Cold Front| journal=Weather and Forecasting| volume=31| issue=3| pages=853–875|year = 2016|last1 = Apsley|first1 = Miriam L.| last2=Mulder| first2=Kelsey J.| last3=Schultz| first3=David M.|bibcode = 2016WtFor..31..853A| url=http://centaur.reading.ac.uk/61279/1/waf-d-15-0131%252E1.pdf}}</ref>

{{Weather box
 | width       = auto
 | metric first = yes
 | single line = yes
 | location    = [[RAF Valley]] (1991–2020)
 | Jan high C = 8.4
 | Feb high C = 8.4
 | Mar high C = 9.8
 | Apr high C = 12.1
 | May high C = 15.0
 | Jun high C = 17.2
 | Jul high C = 18.8
 | Aug high C = 18.8
 | Sep high C = 17.3
 | Oct high C = 14.3
 | Nov high C = 11.3
 | Dec high C = 9.1
 | year high C = 13.4
 | Jan low C = 3.8
 | Feb low C = 3.6
 | Mar low C = 4.5
 | Apr low C = 6.1
 | May low C = 8.6
 | Jun low C = 11.0
 | Jul low C = 12.9
 | Aug low C = 13.1
 | Sep low C = 11.6
 | Oct low C = 9.2
 | Nov low C = 6.6
 | Dec low C = 4.4
 | year low C = 8.0
 | rain colour = green
 | Jan rain mm = 74.6
 | Feb rain mm = 62.0
 | Mar rain mm = 57.0
 | Apr rain mm = 54.4
 | May rain mm = 52.4
 | Jun rain mm = 57.1
 | Jul rain mm = 57.4
 | Aug rain mm = 69.2
 | Sep rain mm = 73.9
 | Oct rain mm = 101.6
 | Nov rain mm = 103.3
 | Dec rain mm = 93.3
 | year rain mm = 856.3
 | unit rain days = 1 mm
 | Jan rain days = 14.1
 | Feb rain days = 11.6
 | Mar rain days = 11.2
 | Apr rain days = 10.9
 | May rain days = 9.3
 | Jun rain days = 9.3
 | Jul rain days = 10.5
 | Aug rain days = 10.6
 | Sep rain days = 11.0
 | Oct rain days = 13.9
 | Nov rain days = 16.3
 | Dec rain days = 15.8
 | year rain days = 144.5
 | Jan sun = 60.6
 | Feb sun = 85.1
 | Mar sun = 131.7
 | Apr sun = 181.8
 | May sun = 233.4
 | Jun sun = 219.3
 | Jul sun = 205.5
 | Aug sun = 187.9
 | Sep sun = 150.7
 | Oct sun = 107.9
 | Nov sun = 62.5
 | Dec sun = 48.3
 | year sun = 1674.7
| source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref name="MetOffice">{{cite web
|url = https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gckyby0r2
|title = Valley (Isle of Anglesey) UK climate averages - Met Office
|publisher = Met Office
|access-date = July 5, 2024}}</ref>
}}

==Governance==
[[File:Neuadd Y Dref Caergybi, Holyhead Town Council (geograph 3662368).jpg|thumb|Holyhead Town Hall]]
There are two tiers of local government covering Holyhead, at [[Community (Wales)|community]] (town) and [[Principal areas of Wales|county]] level: [[Holyhead Town Council]] and [[Isle of Anglesey County Council]]. The town council is based at [[Holyhead Town Hall]] on Newry Street. It comprises sixteen councillors elected from the seven community electoral wards.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.holyheadtowncouncil.com/councillors |title=Councillors  |publisher=Holyhead Town Council |access-date=5 December 2017 }}</ref>

===Administrative history===
The [[ancient parish]] of Holyhead covered the majority of Holy Island.<ref>{{cite web |title=Holyhead Ancient Parish / Civil Parish |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10149241/boundary |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=31 October 2024}}</ref> In 1832 a [[parliamentary borough]] was established covering just the area around the town itself, as a contributory borough to the [[Beaumaris (UK Parliament constituency)|Beaumaris Boroughs constituency]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Parliamentary Boundaries Act 1832 |date=1832 |page=370 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Uq0uAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA370 |access-date=31 October 2024}}</ref>

In 1860 a [[Local board of health#Local Government Act 1858|local government district]] was created covering the same area as the parliamentary borough, governed by an elected local board.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=22341|page=4883|date=30 December 1859}}</ref> Such local government districts were reconstituted as [[Urban district (England and Wales)|urban districts]] under the [[Local Government Act 1894]]. As part of the 1894 reforms, parishes were no long allowed to straddle district boundaries, and so the part of Holyhead parish outside the urban district became a separate parish called 'Holyhead Rural'.<ref>{{cite web |title=Holyhead Urban District Council - Additional Deposit |url=https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/search/archives/d2b9fe61-ea90-3e5c-9542-9924db05008a |website=JISC Archives Hub |publisher=Anglesey Archives |access-date=31 October 2024}}</ref>

Holyhead Town Hall was completed in 1875 and served as both a public events venue and meeting place for the local board and the urban district council which replaced it.<ref name=nwc>{{cite web|url=https://hdl.handle.net/10107/4514500|title=Opening of the Holyhead Town Hall|publisher= The North Wales Chronicle and Advertiser|date=4 September 1875|hdl=10107/4514500 |access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=45415|page=7162|date=2 July 1971}}</ref> Holyhead Urban District was abolished in 1974, with its area instead becoming a community. District-level functions passed to [[Isle of Anglesey County Council|Ynys Môn-Isle of Anglesey Borough Council]], which in 1996 was reconstituted as a county council.<ref>[[Local Government Act 1972]]</ref><ref>[[Local Government (Wales) Act 1994]]</ref> The Holyhead Rural parish also became a community in 1974, and was renamed [[Trearddur]] in 1984.

==Notable people==
[[File:Baroness Kinnock.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Glenys Kinnock]], 2012]]
[[File:Dawn French 4.jpg|thumb|140px|[[Dawn French]], 2005]]
*Captain John Macgregor Skinner (1761–1832) moved to Holyhead from the US in 1793. Master on packet ships between Holyhead and Dublin but was washed overboard. The town erected an obelisk in his honour<ref>[http://www.holyhead.com/captainskinner/index.html Holyhead.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924031048/http://www.holyhead.com/captainskinner/index.html |date=24 September 2015 }} Accessed 15 February 2015</ref> and his house is an exhibit at the [[Holyhead Maritime Museum]].<ref>[http://www.holyheadmaritimemuseum.co.uk/index.php/exhibits/captain-skinner Holyhead Maritime Museum] Accessed 15 February 2015</ref>
*[[John Walpole Willis]] (1793–1877), a Welsh-born judge, and a judge of the Supreme Court of [[New South Wales]]
*[[Ralph Champneys Williams|Sir Ralph Champneys Williams]]  (1848–1927) colonial governor of the [[Windward Islands]] & [[Dominion of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]].
*[[Lillie Goodisson]] (1860–1947), a Welsh Australian nurse and a pioneer of family planning in [[New South Wales]]
*[[Francis Dodd (artist)|Francis Dodd]]  (1874–1949), a British portrait painter, landscape artist and printmaker
*[[John Russell (VC)|John Russell]] (1893–1917) winner of the [[Victoria Cross]], was born in the town
*[[Ceinwen Rowlands]] (1905–1983), a Welsh concert soprano and recording artist
*[[R. S. Thomas]] (1913–2000), a Welsh poet and Anglican priest poet, grew up in Holyhead
*[[Cledwyn Hughes, Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos]] (1916–2001) MP & politician; attended [[Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi]]
*[[Barbara Margaret Trimble]] (1921–1995) a British writer of over 20 crime, thriller and romance novels
*[[David Crystal]] (born 1941) [[linguistics|linguist]] and chair of the charity behind Holyhead's [[Ucheldre Centre]], lives in Holyhead
*[[Glenys Kinnock]] (1944-2023) a politician, MEP, educated at [[Holyhead High School]]
*[[Dawn French]] (born 1957) comedian and actress, co-star in ''[[French and Saunders]]''
*[[Albert Owen]] (born 1959) politician, MP for [[Ynys Môn (UK Parliament constituency)|Ynys Môn]] from 2001 to 2019.
*[[Kevin Johnson (venture capitalist)|Kevin Johnson]] (born 1960) is a managing partner at Medicxi Ventures, a [[venture capital]] firm
*[[Jason Evans (photographer)|Jason Evans]] (born 1968), a Welsh photographer and lecturer on photography
*[[Ben Crystal]] (born 1977), an English actor, author, and producer brought up in the town
*[[Death of Gareth Williams|Gareth Williams]] (1978–2010) worked for [[GCHQ]] and SIS died in suspicious circumstances

===Sport===
*[[Donough O'Brien (cricketer)|Donough O'Brien]] (1879–1953), was a Welsh-born Irish cricketer.
*[[Ray Williams (weightlifter)|Ray Williams]] (born 1959), is a weightlifting [[Commonwealth Games]] gold medallist.
*[[Tony Roberts (footballer)|Tony Roberts]] (born 1969), is [[Wales national football team|Welsh international]] footballer with 614 club caps
*[[Gareth Evans (weightlifter)|Gareth Evans]] (born 1986), weightlifter, Commonwealth gold medalist and [[2012 Summer Olympics]], lives in the town.
*[[Alex Lynch]] (born in 1995), a footballer with over 100 club caps, educated in [[Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi]].

==Culture and sport==
[[File:Saint Mary's Church Holyhead.jpg|thumb|right|[[Saint Mary's Church, Holyhead|St. Mary's Help of Christians Church]]]]
[[File:Sketches in Wales - Holyhead market.jpeg|thumb|View of Holyhead market; activities, stalls and Welsh dress]]
[[File:Holyhead, Isle of Anglesea.jpeg|thumb|Holyhead, c 1850]]
Holyhead's arts centre, the [[Ucheldre Centre]], is located in the chapel of an old convent belonging to the [[Christian monasticism|order]] of the [[Bon Sauveur]]. It holds regular art exhibitions, performances, workshops and film screenings. Holyhead Library is located in the [[Holyhead Market Hall|old market hall]]. The [[Holyhead Maritime Museum]] is housed in what is claimed to be Wales's oldest [[Lifeboat (rescue)|lifeboat]] house. The lifeboat station was established in 1828.<ref>{{cite web|title=RNLI: Holyhead|url=http://rnli.org/findmynearest/station/Pages/Holyhead-Lifeboat-Station.aspx|access-date=16 February 2016}}</ref> The 1927 [[National Eisteddfod]] was held in the town. [[Holyhead High School]] (previously County Secondary school) was the first comprehensive school in the UK.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/wales/2014-12-19/are-comprehensive-schools-still-working-for-our-pupils|title=Are comprehensive schools still working for our pupils?|date=19 December 2014 |publisher=ITV|access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref>

According to the [[United Kingdom Census 2001]], 47% of the residents in the town can speak [[Welsh language|Welsh]]. The highest percentage of speakers is in the 15-year-old age group, of whom 66% can speak the language. According to the 2011 Census, of those in the community who were born in Wales, 52.2% of the population could speak Welsh.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://fusiontables.googleusercontent.com/embedviz?q=select+col0%3E%3E1+from+1p2cQJzK-0MzvUO6sXtNjytPwLxF0lHRtceRfM3sO&viz=MAP&h=false&lat=52.73782428593626&lng=-2.9679409294125207&t=1&z=8&l=col0%3E%3E1&y=2&tmplt=2&hml=KML|title=O'r rhai a anwyd yng Nghymru, % yn gallu siarad Cymraeg|website=Statiaith}}</ref>

The town's main [[association football|football]] team is called [[Holyhead Hotspur F.C.|Holyhead Hotspur]], and they play in the [[Cymru North]], the second tier of Welsh football, with their reserves playing in the [[Gwynedd League]]. Caergybi F.C. plays in the sixth tier [[Anglesey League]]. Holyhead Sailing Club provides members with facilities for sailing and kayaking with swinging moorings, a dinghy park and a clubhouse with a restaurant and bar. It is on Newry Beach in the historic port of Holyhead. Holyhead & Anglesey Amateur Boxing Club was founded on 1 April 2012, located in Vicarage Lane, Holyhead. The club is open to anyone over the age of 10, having a class for male and female trainees. Holyhead's cliffs are used for [[coasteering]], a water sport which involves jumping off cliffs at different heights. Holyhead is the start and finish point of the [[Anglesey Coastal Path]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_name=Isle+of+Anglesey+Coastal+Path |title=Anglesey Coastal Path|publisher=[[Long Distance Walkers Association]]|access-date=3 February 2021}}</ref>

Holyhead was officially twinned with [[Greystones|Greystones, County Wicklow]] on 20 January 2012, and this is celebrated on a new road sign.<ref>{{cite web| last = Everett| first = Cliff| title = Twinning Oath Signed| work = holyheadtowncouncil.com| publisher = Holyhead Town Council| date = 23 January 2012| url = http://www.holyheadtowncouncil.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=148| access-date = 8 February 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160312022854/http://holyheadtowncouncil.com/index.php?id=148&option=com_content&view=article| archive-date = 12 March 2016| url-status = dead}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Holyhead}}
{{Wikivoyage|Holyhead}}
*[http://www.holyheadtowncouncil.com Holyhead Town Council]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20140620091445/http://www.holyhead.com/ Welcome to Holyhead]
{{Anglesey}}
{{Communities of Anglesey}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Holyhead| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Anglesey]]