Llangefni and the surrounding area from the air
Llangefni
Llangefni is the main administrative centre of Anglesey. The
population of Llangefni is about 4,500 and is the second largest
settlement on the island. About 84% of the population speak Welsh
fluently, with the highest percentage of speakers being in the 10-14
age group where 95% speak Welsh.
Llangefni is the principal commercial and farming town on the island -
the larger town of Holyhead being a port town and somewhat separate
from the agricultural, cultural and linguistical nature of the rest of
the island - and in the past hosted the largest cattle market on the
Island.
The town lies at the centre of the island on the River Cefni, after
which it is named, and is home to the Oriel Ynys Môn museum, detailing
the history of Anglesey and housing the legacy collection of world-
famous local artists Charles Tunnicliffe and Sir Kyffin Williams. In
the west of the town is a large secondary school, Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni
(Llangefni Comprehensive School), and in the north a Victorian church,
St Cyngar's, set in a wooded riverside location known as The Dingle.
The church provided the former name of the town, Llangyngar. The
Dingle now has a well-made boardwalk nature trail, and is popular with
families.
There is a relatively large industrial estate housing a variety of
business types. The town had a station on the Anglesey Central Railway
line which opened in 1864. It closed in 1964 with the closure of the
line although goods trains continued to pass through the town until
1993. Although no longer used, the tracks remain in place, and there
are advanced plans to reopen the line for tourism.
Llangefni hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1957, 1983, and in 1999
gave its name to the Eisteddfod held at the nearby village of
Llanbedrgoch. It also hosted the Urdd Eisteddfod in 1994.
