Beaumaris

Beaumaris (, Literal translation: beautiful marsh) is a small town on the island of Anglesey of the Menai Strait.

History
The town itself began  in 1295 when Edward I of England started to build Beaumaris Castle. This was one of several castle along  the North Wales coast  - others include Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech . Many of the builders of the castle were from France.

The castle was built on a marsh by the village of Llanfaes. The French builders called the marsh beaux marais which means "beautiful marsh". This is how the town got its name.  The people who lived village in Llanfaes were removed  to a new village in the west of Anglesey to make way for the castle. This village was called Newborough and it still exists today.


Architecture
Notable buildings in the town include the castle, a courthouse built in 1614, St Mary's parish church, and the town gaol.

Beaumaris has a pier which was opened in 1846. The pier was  enlarged to 570 feet after storm damage in 1872.  Beaumaris Pier is still a busy base for yachts and other boats.

 References

 Other websites 

 Beaumaris Photo Gallery
 Beaumaris Official Website 
 Beaumaris Gaol
 photos of Beaumaris and surrounding area on geograph
 Beaumaris Lifeboat station 

Category:Towns in Anglesey