Menai Bridge – Bridges, History and Hotels

Menai Bridge offers a clear focus when choosing a place to stay: the history of the bridges over the Menai Strait and routes that offer different views of the surrounding area. You can explore the history of their construction, plan a guided tour or take a short walk. For longer hikes, there are also sections of a walking programme from Menai Bridge to Caernarfon.

Bridge history and exhibition

Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge opened in 1826 and was the world’s first iron suspension bridge. The Britannia Bridge opened in 1850 and is now the main road and rail link to and from Anglesey. These two structures, with their different dates and distinct roles in today’s transport network, are central to the town’s history.

The Menai Bridges Exhibition tells the story of both famous bridges, their engineers and the craftsmen who built them. Visitors can also see artefacts from the original bridges there. The exhibition thus connects the structures with the people and work behind their construction. Those interested in the history of technology will find a dedicated point of interest here, while the bridges themselves connect the story to the town and its landscape.

Guided tours and walking routes

Menai Heritage’s guided tours explore the Menai Suspension Bridge, the Britannia Bridge with its lion sculptures, and the historic waterfront of Menai Bridge. They must be arranged in advance; ask Menai Heritage about current availability. Menai Heritage’s Thomas Telford Centre is on Mona Road, 300 metres from the Anglesey end of the Suspension Bridge. From the town centre, it is a short walk to the base of the Menai Suspension Bridge.

For longer walks, the walking programme from Menai Bridge to Caernarfon can be completed in stages ranging from 2 miles (3 kilometres) to 11 miles (18 kilometres). This range of distances means the programme offers stages of different lengths, without requiring you to cover one overall distance.

A separate short walk follows the Belgium Promenade southwest from the base of the Menai Suspension Bridge to a causeway. It links Church Island and the old Church of St Tysilio with the shore. The promenade was built between 1914 and 1916 by Flemish refugees of the First World War. A short walk around the graveyard of the Church of St Tysilio also offers views of the Menai Strait.

The Menai Strait and its surroundings

The Menai Strait separates Anglesey from the North Wales mainland. Its landscape includes sea reefs, sandy beaches and sea cliffs; from the Anglesey side, there are views of the Snowdonia and Carneddau mountain ranges. At the point known as the Swellies, tidal currents are very strong, with powerful currents and whirlpools. It can be very dangerous.

Between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris on the Isle of Anglesey are the historic Plas Cadnant Hidden Gardens. They cover 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 ongoing restoration. Their three distinctly named areas give a visit to the gardens a focus of its own alongside the bridges and routes along the strait.

Plan your journey

Menai Bridge can be reached from Bangor by bus routes 62, X4, 42, 43, 47 and 57; Bangor is the main station on the Holyhead line. It is worth checking current bus timetables before travelling. The Britannia Bridge is the main road and rail link to and from Anglesey. This allows you to factor the different modes of transport into your travel plans.

Discover more destinations: Trearddur, Llangoed, Cemaes Bay, Benllech, Llangefni, Moelfre, Llanerchymedd, Newborough

For the main travel overview: Isle Of Anglesey.