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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Anglesey
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(Ynys Môn in Welsh, 70,000 in 1991)
Island off the northwest tip of the Welsh mainland, the largest in England and Wales (715sq.km/256sq.m). It was until 1974 a separate *county but is now part of Gwynedd. The island's prehistoric importance is seen in Wales's best burial chamber, *Bryn Celli Ddu. In later centuries it was a natural port of call both for Celtic monks from Ireland and for their *Viking persecutors. The eventual Norman-English domination of this furthest outpost of Wales was powerfully demonstrated in the castle of *Beaumaris. In modern times the island's main importance has come from Holyhead, on *Holy Island off the west coast, as an embarkation point for Dublin. It was the opening up of this route which made necessary the two magnificent 19C bridges over the *Menai Strait.
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