Llanfairfechan

infobox UK place
country = Wales
welsh_name= Llanfairfechan
constituency_welsh_assembly= Aberconwy
official_name= Llanfairfechan
latitude= 53.253000000
longitude= -3.973000000
unitary_wales= Conwy
map_type=
lieutenancy_wales= Clwyd
constituency_westminster= Conwy, but Aberconwy at 2009/10 election
post_town= LLANFAIRFECHAN
postcode_district = LL33
postcode_area= LL
dial_code= 01248
os_grid_reference= SH685745
population= 3,755 (2001 census)

Llanfairfechan is a town in the county borough of Conwy, Wales, lying on the north coast and the A55 road between Penmaenmawr and Bangor. It was transferred from the preserved county of Gwynedd to that of Conwy in 1996 and, prior to 1974, lay in Caernarfonshire. It is known as a seaside resort and has a population of around 3,500 people. It has a railway station on the North Wales Coast Line. For electoral purposes, the community of Llanfairfechan consists of two electoral wards, Bryn and Lafan.

Morfa Madryn, the saltmarsh area immediately west of the town on the shore of Traeth Lafan, is a local authority-managed nature reserve of outstanding beauty and a favourite haunt of bird watchers. The site is home to cormorants & shags. The rare Little Egret can also be spotted.

Llanfairfechan is also home to Bryn y Neuadd, a learning disability hospital (currently subject to a comprehensive resettlement programme - due for completion in 2008), a mental health unit (Carreg Fawr) and a medium-secure unit (Tŷ Llywelyn). The site is one of several being considered for a new Maximum Security Prison in North Wales, planned for 2009.

Translated from Welsh into English, Llanfairfechan means "The Little (or Lesser) Church of St. Mary".

Welsh Language

According to the 2001 census, 50.4% of the population of the town can speak the Welsh language. This is far above the national average of 20.8%. The age group with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers is the 10-14 year olds, where exactly 70% can speak the language fluently.Llanfairfechan also has two bilingual schools (English and Welsh)and the two schools in question are Ysgol (school) Babanod and Ysgol Pant-Y-Rhedyn. They are for pre-school to year 2 and year 3 to year 6 respectively.

External links

* [http://www.llanfairfechan.org.uk/ www.llanfairfechan.org.uk]
* [http://www.geocities.com/stmaryschurch_llanfairfechan www.geocities.com/stmaryschurch_llanfairfechan St Mary's Church]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3488640 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Llanfairfechan and surrounding area]