It has been a place of pilgrimage and spiritual seeking since at least the sixth century. Ian sturrock describes how in 1998 he and his friend andy clarke discovered the bardsey island apple afal ynys enlli. Ynys enlli is the subject of a new book by poet christine evans and photographer wolf marloh moores photograph of bardseys western spur, taken from the summit of the islands mynydd enlli,also succeeds in drawing the minds eye to the splendours of this ancient place of pilgrimage. Ynys enlli bardsey island is at ynys enlli bardsey island. Bardsey, wales, britain, united kingdom, europe credit. The sound between aberdaron point and the island is some 4 m. Explore bardsey island ynys enlli holidays and discover the best time and places to visit. It is separated from the mainland by a channel 2 miles 3 km wide that has a strong tidal race. Bardsey island lies 2 miles 3 kilometers across bardsey sound at the tip of the llyn peninsula, north wales. Ian has been successfully growing rare organic welsh fruit trees in north wales for the last 30 years. The north east rises steeply from the sea to a height of 548 ft 167 m at mynydd enlli. In the fifth century, bardsey also known as ynys enlli became a major focal point for the celtic christian church, attracting devout monks on.
Bardsey lighthouse stands on the southerly tip of the island and guides vessels passing through st georges channel and the irish sea. Brenin enlli, and from 1826 onwards, he would be crowned by baron newborough or his representative. Snowdonia tywyn history of tywyn tywyn holidays self. But with quiet reading it opens up and proves to be a portal to the magical realm that is ynys enlli or bardsey. The welsh novel was written in an intense burst a few years after dafydds. Bardsey island, welsh ynys enlli, small island, with an area of 0. Bardsey island ynys enlli travel wales lonely planet. Ian sturrock is an orchardist based in bangor, gwynedd. Flickr is almost certainly the best online photo management and sharing application in the world.
The first time we visited, it was later in the season and we were disappointed to find that the puffins had departed for other shores, although there were lots of atlantic grey seals, some with new. Welsh, ynys enlli, isle of the current, an island at the northern extremity of cardigan bay. Bardsey island, 18 th26 th september 2005 ynys enlli, the island of currents, is the welsh name for bardsey. For much of its history, the island has been superior to the mainland, said colin. There have been many kings of enlli recorded in history, including john williams ii pictured here. The north wales way approximates an old medieval pilgrimage route between holywell, down the llyn peninsula to aberdaron, culminating at the island of bardsey more properly ynys enlli, to give it its welsh name, often referred to simply as enlli. After landing, youll have around four hours to enjoy the peace of this unique living island where human, spiritual and natural history. Myth and reality in the eastern connection of the early british and irish churches. Reach out beyond the tip of llyn on a trip to bardsey island.
The character has been adapted for television, and the books drew international attention to shrewsbury and its history. About ymddiriedolaeth ynys enlli bardsey island trust. Cometary phrases was welsh book of the year 1989 and she was the winner of the inaugural roland mathias prize in 2005. Show off your favorite photos and videos to the world, securely and privately show content to your friends and family, or blog the photos and videos you take with a cameraphone. The sights and scenery of north wales are tricky to explore from liverpool without a rental car. Aerial view of ynys enlli bardsey island viewed from the east. Macfarlane camps on the welsh island of ynys enlli, where, starting around a. During the fifth century the island became a refuge for persecuted christians, citation needed and a small celtic monastery existed. On this naturally protected site was the first religious house in wales, founded by the. Cadvan in the 6th century, as a regular secular religious retreat from the world. Regular day trips to the island are available throughout the season. Visit for the day of for the week in our self catering accommodation. Bardsey island island, wales, united kingdom britannica. The scharer family had been picked to wardens of remote ynys enlli, but their tenure was very.
This mysterious island, 2 miles long and 2 miles off the tip of the llyn, is a magical place. For bardsey is a holy island, a place of pilgrimage since celtic times. Since 1999, bardsey island trust has appointed an artist in residence to spend several weeks on the island. Coed afalau cymysg, gan gynnwys coed afal enlli wrth gwrs. Yn ystod yr oesoedd canol daeth yr ynys yn gyrchfan pererindota enwog. Its a policy of the bardsey island trust that visitors are not normally allowed to bring dogs onto the island, though some residents have dogs. Much of tywyns early history is connected with the emergence of bardsey island, or ynys enlli in welsh, as a place of pilgrimage in the six century with the arrival of st. Christine evans has been rightly praised for her ability to capture the liminal and fleeting in her poetry, and this book makes you realise that this ability is inspired by the islands existence on the edge of things. It may, however, also be a corrupted form of ynys fenlli, benllis island, a reference to the giant benlli gawr, who was an irish warlord that conquered the kingdom of powys. Bardsey island lies about 2 miles 3 kilometers across bardsey sound of the lleyn peninsula, north wales. It is a book where ecology, sociology and cultural history meet, and is further threaded around the writer compton mackenzie, an inveterate buyer of and lover of islands, and the dh lawrence story. This past july, i spent about two weeks walking the north wales pilgrims way. In tracing its history, the author is keen to learn from the hen bobl who have.
Orchardist ian sturrock describes how he discovered the. Mynydd enlli article about mynydd enlli by the free. Like holy island, ynys enllis religious associations predate the christian era, as it were. It is the only square lighthouse maintained by trinity house application for a light here was first made in 1816 by lt. Sefydlwyd mynachlog ar enlli yn y bumed ganrif gan sant cadfan. Caroline jones ynys enlli translates to island in the tides. Painter and writer brenda chamberlain lived on the island from 1947 to 1961, during the last days of its hardy community. Dichon bod meudwyon clas aberdaron yn croesi ir ynys er mwyn ymneilltuo or byd yn yr oesoedd cynnar. You can visit the island for a day trip with bardsey island boat trips, run by colin evans.
Bardsey island north wales 2020 all you need to know. We made the trip over to bardsey ynys enlli for the second time in two years. This is a beautifully produced gift book tracing the significance of bardsey island. Professor jonathan wooding the university of sydney. The english name bardsey comes from viking times and means the island of bards. Bardsey is included in carnarvonshire, north wales but traditionally in.
Literally hundreds of skulls have been unearthed of celtic pilgrim saints on bardsey island. Alex diggins traces the influence of bardsey island on the life and. Bardsey island ynys enlli peoples collection wales. Cadfan was a breton a region of brittany, france nobleman, the son of eneas ledewig and princess gwen teirbron, who was drawn to. The wild places is a book that inhales the zeitgeist, as well as the fresh air of open country. Visit for a day or stay for a week to experience the calm and tranquility of this unique island. The island was inhabited in neolithic times, and traces of hut circles remain. Bardsey is open for visitors from march until october. The north east rises steeply from the sea to a height of 548 feet 167 m at mynydd enlli. Why family that went to live on bardsey island quit it after just one. The pilgrim of hate the chronicles of brother cadfael book 10. Dewch draw am dro i enlli am y dydd, neu arhoswch am wythnos a chael profiad bythgofiadwy o fywyd unigryw a heddychlon yr ynys.
Graff o fesuriadau glaw ynys enlli 1906, a godwyd o ddyddiadur y parch. Tiderace is a remarkable account of life on bardsey known as ynys enlli to welsh speakers, a remote and mysterious island off the coast of north wales. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the population of the island was around 100, but in 1925 the king of enlli, love pritchard the title was bestowed on successive community leaders by lord newborough, led most of the remaining inhabitants to the mainland to seek a less laborious. Bardsey lighthouse was built by trinity house in 1821 giving guidance to vessels in passage through st.
The island has been an important religious site since saint cadfan built a monastery here in 516 and so became a major centre of pilgrimage. Ynys enlli in welsh, this tiny land mass, half a mile wide and one mile long is located two miles off the coast of the llyn peninsular in north wales. Approaches to the eastern connections of the early churches of britain and ireland, pp. The welsh name translated means the island in the currents and we can see that the swirling currents can be seen in the bardsey sound in the foreground. To the south the island is the lighthouse, visible from most of the north wales coast. The pilgrim of hate the chronicles of brother cadfael. The crown is now kept at merseyside maritime museum in liverpool, although calls have been made for its return to caernarfonshire. Twenty thousand saints is set on ynys enllibardsey island and tells the story of an. The general means of access onto the island was by a circular coracle which allowed the sea currents to direct the passenger as though it was in the fate of the divine where its. By the mid12th century, the stillsurviving book of llandaff a. Built 1821 height of tower 30 m height of light above mean high water 39 m automated 1987 electrified 1965 optic led lantern character fl r 10s intensity 52,277 candelas range of light.
Ynys enlli the island of currents is generally upheld to have been started by st. The island mountain rises to a height of 167 meters and the whole island has a surface area of 180 hectares. The pilgrims way a welsh camino bardsey island youtube. In this striking new collection catherine fisher mixes vivid and particular poems about the welsh landscape such as the four seasons and fieldwalking, with historical monologues such as incident at conwy and scenes from myth like merlin on ynys enlli. The pilgrims way a welsh camino bardsey island ynys enlli aberdaron bardsey island ynys enlli the north wales pilgrims way is a 4 mile longdistance walking route in north wales. Maen ddrwg gennym ond mae ymddiriedolaeth ynys enlli wedi darogan nad yw ymwelwyr dydd na wythnosol yn cael dod a chwn heblaw cwn tywys gyda nhw. Once we arrived, colin gave us a brief history of enlli and handed over a map of the routes around the island. Ynys enlli, known as the legendary island of 20,000 saints, is located. Rather than string together train and bus journeys. Bardsey has been noted as a place of pilgrimage since the early years of christianity, but there are signs of settlements on the island that date from. Bardsey island academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. Day trips are available and weekly stays can be booked with the bardsey island trust. The seas ink waiting for its pen, the parchment of sky to quench its thirst.