is a small

tidal island A tidal island is a raised area of land within a waterbody, which is connected to the larger mainland by a natural isthmus or man-made causeway that is exposed at low tide and submerged at high tide, causing the land to switch between being ...

off the west coast of

Anglesey Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...

( Welsh: Ynys Môn), northwest

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. The nearest settlement is the village of Newborough.

Geology and geography

The island is of geological interest with

pillow lava Pillow lavas are lavas that contain characteristic pillow-shaped structures that are attributed to the extrusion of the lava underwater, or ''subaqueous extrusion''. Pillow lavas in volcanic rock are characterized by thick sequences of discontinu ...

jasper Jasper, an aggregate of microgranular quartz and/or cryptocrystalline chalcedony and other mineral phases, is an opaque, impure variety of silica, usually red, yellow, brown or green in color; and rarely blue. The common red color is due to ...

formations and aeolian sand deposits. The island forms part of the National Nature Reserve of Newborough Warren which includes the extensive and floristically rich

sand dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...

system. Ynys Llanddwyn is a

; it remains attached to the mainland except at high tide. It provides views of

Snowdonia Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and National parks of the United Kingdom, national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales Welsh 3000s, over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which i ...

and the

Llŷn Peninsula The Llŷn Peninsula ( or , ) is a peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, with an area of about , and a population of at least 20,000. It extends into the Irish Sea, and its southern coast is the northern boundary of the Tremadog Bay inlet of Cardigan Ba ...

. Tŵr Mawr lighthouse marks the western entrance to the

Menai Strait The Menai Strait () is a strait which separates the island of Anglesey from Gwynedd, on the mainland of Wales. It is situated between Caernarfon Bay in the south-west and Conwy Bay in the north-east, which are both inlets of the Irish Sea. The s ...

IUGS geological heritage site

In respect of the site having 'spectacular, accessible and well-preserved exposures of late

Neoproterozoic The Neoproterozoic Era is the last of the three geologic eras of the Proterozoic geologic eon, eon, spanning from 1 billion to 538.8 million years ago, and is the last era of the Precambrian "supereon". It is preceded by the Mesoproterozoic era an ...

Cambrian The Cambrian ( ) is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 51.95 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran period 538.8 Ma (million years ago) to the beginning of the Ordov ...

mélange In geology, a mélange is a large-scale breccia, a mappable body of rock characterized by a lack of continuous bedding and the inclusion of fragments of rock of all sizes, contained in a fine-grained deformed matrix. The mélange typically con ...

with more than 200 years of study', the

International Union of Geological Sciences The International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) is an international non-governmental organization devoted to global cooperation in the field of geology. As of 2023, it represents more than 1 million geoscientists around the world. About Fo ...

(IUGS) included the 'Ynys Llanddwyn late Neoproterozoic-Cambrian Mélange' in its assemblage of 100 'geological heritage sites' around the world in a listing published in October 2022. The organisation defines an IUGS Geological Heritage Site as 'a key place with geological elements and/or processes of international scientific relevance, used as a reference, and/or with a substantial contribution to the development of geological sciences through history.'

Saint Dwynwen

The island is rich in legends, in particular in its association with

Dwynwen Saint Dwynwen (; ), sometimes known as Dwyn or Donwen, is the Welsh patron saint of lovers. She is celebrated throughout Wales on 25 January. History and legend The original tale of Dwynwen has become mixed with elements of folklore and Celt ...

. The name Llanddwyn means "The church of St. Dwynwen". Dwynwen is the Welsh patron saint of lovers, making her the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine. Her Saint's day is 25 January and is often celebrated by the Welsh with cards and flowers. The island bears the ruined remains of St Dwynwen's Church (). Unusually for churches in that region it has a

cruciform A cruciform is a physical manifestation resembling a common cross or Christian cross. These include architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described as having a cruciform ...

floorplan. Archaeologists examined the ruins of St Dwynwen's in 2011 and again in 2021. The 2021 dig discovered traces of even older buildings below the ruins.

Visitors and footpaths

Newborough National Nature Reserve & Forest, of which Ynys Llanddwyn is part, received 478,204 visitors in 2018. There are more than of footpaths crossing Ynys Llanddwyn and Newborough Warren, including the

Anglesey Coastal Path The Anglesey Coastal Path (formally the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path, ) is a long-distance footpath around the island of Anglesey () in North Wales. The route is part of the Wales Coast Path. Description The path mainly follows the coast. ...

, and it is a very popular place to visit. The island provides a worth-while goal after the mile-long walk along the beach from the nearest car park. Ynys Llanddwyn, with the neighbouring beach, has been awarded

Blue Flag beach The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) that a beach, marina, or sustainable boating tourism operator meets its standards. The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE, which is a Not-for-profit organi ...

status in recognition of the cleanliness of the sea and the beaches.

Time line

*1873 – Construction of lighthouse on Ynys Llanddwyn. *1903 – Closure of the lifeboat station on Ynys Llanddwyn. *1911 –

RSPB The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a Charitable_organization#United_Kingdom, charitable organisation registered in Charity Commission for England and Wales, England and Wales and in Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, ...

establishes its first reserve in Wales at Ynys Llanddwyn Bird charity born 100 years ago at Llanddwyn Island
BBC, 10 January 2011 *3 December 1920 – Five crew members from the

Rhoscolyn Rhoscolyn is a village and community located on Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales. It is just over five miles south of Holyhead and is the most southerly settlement on the island. The name Rhoscolyn is said to mean "The Moor" ''(Rhos)'' of The Column ...

lifeboat are lost off Llanddwyn, Anglesey.

In film

*In 2004, Ynys Llanddwyn was used as a filming location in

Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...

's romantic thriller '' Half Light''. Tŵr Mawr was used as a lighthouse which plays a key role in the film. CGI was used to create the effect of a real light on top of the lighthouse. *

Bryn Terfel Bryn Terfel Jones (; born 9 November 1965), is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially primarily associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly '' Figaro'', '' Leporello'' and ''Don Giovanni,'' but he has subsequ ...

filmed his video for Cavatina (arranged by Chris Hazell) on Ynys Llanddwyn "a very beautiful romantic place" ''(Bryn on BBC Breakfast)'' *In 2009, a scene for the Hollywood blockbuster '' Clash of the Titans'' was filmed at Llanddwyn. * BBC Wales show ‘’ The 1900 Island’’ was filmed on the island; the show was broadcast nationally in 2019.

Photos

File:ThelargelighthouseandcrossatLlanddwyn.jpg, Tŵr Mawr lighthouse and cross at Llanddwyn. File:Stdwynwen'sChurchLlanddwyn.JPG, St Dwynwen's Church File:PilotscottagesonLlanddwyn.jpg, Pilots' cottages File:LlanddwynIsland1.JPG, Beach File:LlanddwynIsland2.JPG, Beach File:LlanddwynIsland3.JPG, View towards the mainland File:Ynys Llanddwyn from Newborough Beach - low tide.jpg, Ynys Llanddwyn from Newborough Beach at low tide File:Cannon at Ynys Llanddwyn.jpg, Cannon

References

*Hague, D., B., Lighthouses of Wales Their Architecture and Archaeology (

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; ; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectural and historic environment of Wales. ...

, edited by Hughes, S., 1994)

External links

''Half Light'' Filming Locations
History of Llanddwyn Island.
Llanddwyn by Janet WoodA walk on Llanddwyn and a few photosBird charity born 100 years ago at Llanddwyn IslandAerial Video of Llanddwyn Island
{{Islands of Anglesey Islands of Anglesey Tidal islands of Wales Rhosyr