AMLWCH

The harbour at Amlwch owes its existence to copper, being close to the site of what was, in the 18th and 19th centuries, the largest open cast copper mine in the world, although there was mining here as far back as Roman times.  The harbour was once a busy port, with shipments going out to Liverpool and the Isle Of Man.  According to legend, the town was deliberately built in such a way as to be concealed from Viking attacks.  The eerie landscape of Parys Mountain serves as a reminder of these times, when at peak activity the Parys Mountain Copper Company employed 1,500 people from Amlwch.  The company was responsible for the construction of the town's Church of St Eleth, which was built in 1800.  It even issued its own coins with the company's initials on one side and a druid's head on the other - examples of the coins are on display at the National Museum in Cardiff.  In the 1900s Welsh copper mining fell victim to competition from Africa and America leaving Parys Mountain as a relic from the past.  The Copper Kingdom Centre, focused on the Parys Mountain mine, tells the story of the town's mining past. There is a 2-mile path through the ruined mine landscape taking in the ruins of an engine house.  The present-day Amlwch has no beach, but still retains the attractive small harbour from the copper days.  

Map of the area. 

Amlwch Port From The Headland - geograph.org.uk - 1436555. Photo by Whatlep, via Wikimedia Commons.