Menai Bridge: Bridge History and Walks along the Menai Strait

Menai Bridge is an exciting destination for anyone who wants to combine impressive engineering history with walks, views and a distinctive waterscape. The Menai Strait separates Anglesey from the mainland of North Wales. From the Anglesey side, there are views of the mountain ranges of Snowdonia and Carneddau, while the strait itself encompasses marine reefs, sandy beaches and sea cliffs. As a marine special protection area, it shapes the character of the surrounding area.

The Famous Bridges and Their History

The Menai Suspension Bridge by Thomas Telford is at the centre, having opened in 1826. It was the world's first iron suspension bridge. The Britannia Bridge was added in 1850 and is now the main road and rail connection to and from Anglesey. Anyone interested in how these structures came into being can visit the Menai Bridges Exhibition. It tells the story of the two famous bridges, their engineers and the craftsmen who built them. Artefacts from the original bridges are also on display there.

When visiting the exhibition, you should take the seasonal opening times into account: from April to October, it is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 5 pm. The Thomas Telford Centre of Menai Heritage is located on Mona Road in Menai Bridge, 300 metres from the Anglesey end of the Suspension Bridge.

Walks with Different Focal Points

The guided walks organised by Menai Heritage explore the Menai Suspension Bridge, the Britannia Bridge with its lion sculptures and the historic waterfront of Menai Bridge. From the town centre, the base of the Menai Suspension Bridge can be reached on foot in a short time. This short walk is a useful point of reference when planning your trip.

Another historic route is the Belgium Promenade. It was built by Flemish refugees from the First World War between 1914 and 1916 and leads south-west from the base of the Menai Suspension Bridge to a causeway. This connects Church Island and the old Church of St Tysilio with the shore. A short circular walk around the churchyard of the Church of St Tysilio offers views of the Menai Strait.

For longer days of walking, there is a walking programme from Menai Bridge to Caernarfon. The individual sections range from 2 miles or 3 kilometres to 11 miles or 18 kilometres. This range makes it possible to distinguish between shorter and longer stages when planning your trip, without scheduling the entire route for a single day.

Gardens, Waterscape and Trip Planning

Between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris on the Isle of Anglesey lie the historic Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens. They extend across just under ten acres and comprise three areas: the large „Walled Garden“, the „Valley Garden“ with waterfalls and the „Upper Woodland Garden“. The gardens are undergoing continuous restoration. This makes the site a quieter, horticulturally focused addition to the history of the bridges.

When choosing a holiday apartment, you can therefore consider which focus should define your trip: the exhibition and the bridges, walks along the historic waterfront, longer sections of the walking programme or views of the Menai Strait. For getting there, it is also important to know that Menai Bridge can be reached from Bangor, the main railway station on the Holyhead line, by bus routes 62, X4, 42, 43, 47 and 57. Anyone wishing to combine different interests in one trip will find a mixture of culture, landscape and active exploration here.

Discover More Places

If you would like to view other destinations from this selection in addition to Menai Bridge, here are the direct links: Amlwch, Moelfre, Pentraeth, Llangoed, Llandegfan, Llanbadrig, Newborough and Holyhead.

To the overarching travel overview: Isle Of Anglesey.