Benllech

infobox UK place
country = Wales
welsh_name=
official_name= Benllech
latitude= 53.3216
longitude= -4.2257
unitary_wales= Anglesey
lieutenancy_wales= Gwynedd
constituency_westminster= Ynys Môn
constituency_welsh_assembly=
post_town= TYN-Y-GONGL
postcode_district= LL74
postcode_area= LL
dial_code= 01248
os_grid_reference= SH518828
population= 2,340 (2001 UK census)

Benllech is a small town (population 2,340) on the island of Anglesey in North Wales. The popularity of its beach makes Benllech – on the A5025, the main road around Anglesey – one of the most visited places on the island.

The name Benllech is perhaps a mutated form of "penllech", literally "head slab", i.e. "capstone". [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/whatsinaname/sites/placenametool/?q=Benllech&search.x=0&search.y=0 BBC Wales: What's in a name?] ] or possibly meaning 'on slate', shortened from the Welsh term 'ar ben llech'.

Although there are too many tourists, it remains a popular beach holiday destination on Anglesey. The beach is a good size without being bleakly huge, shelves at a decent but not alarming rate and has an abundance of clean yellow sand. The Anglesey Coastal Path passes through. Every summer the beach plays host to the Christian group "The Beach Team", who run a programme of children's events and family evenings, with the main focus being evangelism work amongst the holidaymaking families.

There are several hotels, a campsite/caravan site (and many more in the environs) and plenty of bed and breakfasts. There are no major chain stores in the village, although there are plenty of other shops which are pretty varied. It has everything visitors and residents need and the community is relatively healthy with a primary school, plenty of community events, GP practice, library, post office etc. There was once a railway station close to the village which was the terminus of the Red Wharf Bay branch line.

Benllech is also known locally for being a popular place to retire to - its sprawling bungalow estates are populated to some extent by couples who retire here after many years of family holidays. This makes Benllech feel culturally less Welsh and more English than some of the nearby villages such as Brynteg, Llanbedrgoch and Marianglas, and Lancashire and Mancunian accents are nearly as frequently heard as Welsh in the village shops. Despite the influx of English people into the area, 63% of Amlwch can speak Welsh fluently.

Notable residents

*The poet Goronwy Owen (1723-1769) was a native of the parish of Llanfair Mathafarn Eithaf, which includes most of modern Benllech. The village hall was named in his honour.

References

External links

* [http://www.virtualmidlands.co.uk/demos/benlech.htm 360 Panoramic View Of Cliffs On Coastal Walk At Benllech]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3570081 photos of Benllech and surrounding area on geograph]
*oscoor gbx|SH518828