Welsh Town with the Longest Name…

Many of us have enjoyed the pronunciation of this small village in Wales, probably at the expense of one of our friends. It’s known all over the UK for being the place with the longest-sounding name in the English language (although this is now disputed). However, most of us haven’t actually been there – this really is one to cross off the bucket list, or your stack, simply for its name alone!

The name of the town, in English, roughly translates to ‘The Church of St Mary in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the church of St Tysilio near a red cave. The name was coined by a local tailor who wanted to attract visitors to the village, and the absurd idea has certainly brought attention, but unfortunately not in real life, as most of the attention is garnered online simply as a humorous talking point.

So why not go and pay a visit to the village for real? Llanfairpwll (its shortened name) has an interesting history to see and is quite charming. Admire the gothic architecture of St.Mary’s church that was built in 1853, or relax in the lovely gardens of Plas Newydd House south-west of the village and see the stunning views of Snowdonia, or the Marquess of Anglesey’s Column, an 89-feet tower dedicated to Henry William Paget. The most important stop to make is, of course, the town’s train station with the name at the entrance, with gift shops nearby where you can commemorate your visit with various items with the town’s name adorned on them.

• Llanfairpwll railway station is a request stop on the Holyhead line, which means you need to ask the conductor to stop at the station.
• You can also get there by car along the A55.