Please note. The period of validity of the National Network timetables has
changed.
Any times and travel details given apply only for the currency of the
timetable valid from December 10th 2011 to May 13 2012.
Monday to Friday
From Holyhead, trains leave at 4.25am, 5.32am (non-stop between Shrewsbury
and Newport); 6.29am, 8.05am, 10.33am, 12.38pm, 2.32pm and 4.36pm. There are
slightly changed timings on Saturday, and the non-stop service does not run.
From Cardiff, trains run at 5.10am, then two-hourly at 21 minutes past
the hour between 7.21am and 5.21pm, 6.18pm and 7.34pm.
There are slightly changed timings on Saturday.
Sundays The only direct services to/from Holyhead run from Cardiff at
1.13pm.
From Holyhead trains run at 10.20am and 4.25pm.
Italicised station names are request stops. Figures after station names show the
approximate journey times from Holyhead, with journey times from Chester in
brackets.
Holyhead (115 minutes) is reached via the 1,250-yard long Stanley Embankment
which joins Anglesey to Holy Island - on which Holyhead stands.
The station adjoins the Irish Ferry to Dun Laoghaire, on the outskirts of Dublin. Holy
Island boasts some spectacular cliff scenery, an ideal location for the Roman fortress of
Caergybi around which the town developed, and from which it takes its Welsh name. In the
town, parts of the medieval church date from the 13th century, but is built on the
foundations of a monastery founded in 550 by St Cybi. Restored in the late 1870s, it
features the work of pre-Raphaelites Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris. There are
spectacular views and an Iron Age fort at the top of Holyhead Mountain to the north of the
town.
Valley 9 mins (102)
Close by is the Royal Air Force station and the broad expanse of Cwmyran Bay.
Rhosneigr 11 mins (96)
A quiet holiday village, with caravan site and a sandy bay enclosed by rocky headlands.
South of the village is another bay, Traeth Llydaw, backed by sand dunes and the lake of
Llyn Maelog.
Ty Croes 15 mins (93)
Serves a small village set in undulating countryside dotted with remote farms and hamlets.
Bodorgan 19 mins (89)
Bodorgan House dates from the late 18th century.
Llanfairpwll 39 mins (79)
Boasts the longest station name on Britain's national railway network: in full it is
Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyndrobwllllantisiliogogogoch;
which translates into English as: The church of St Mary in the hollow of the white hazel
close to a swirling whirlpool and the church of St Teilo near a red cave.
Of course, it wasn't always thus, but was created in the middle of the 19th century by
combining the names of two villages - Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and Llantysiliogogogoch - for
the bemusement of tourists. The station is now privately owned, but the original platform
nameplate is preserved in Penrhyn Castle. A half-mile east of the station is a statue of
Admiral Nelson and on the headland 600 yards south of that is the Anglesey Column,
commemorating the Marquis of Anglesey, who fought with the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo.
When a cannon ball deprived the Marquis of one of his legs, Wellington is reputed to have
said: "By God, you have lost your leg!" which brought the matter-of-fact reply:
"By God, so I have."
Bangor 69mins 73)
A university city facing Anglesey across the Menai Strait, its history as a religious site
can be traced back to the fifth century. Over the ensuing centuries, battles and uprisings
have taken their toll, and the present cathedral dates from the twelfth century, most of
what can be seen results from a number of restorations and rebuildings between 1866 and
1971. It contains a number of important relics and documents, including the Mostyn Christ,
a 16th-century wooden statue showing Jesus bound and wearing a crown of thorns, seated on a rock.
In the grounds of the Bishop's Palace is the Bible Garden, filled with the plants, shrubs
and trees which are mentioned in the holy book. In the upper part of the town, the
University (right) was formed as part of the University of Wales in 1884, though the
present buildings date from 1911. Theatre Gwynedd is part of the University complex, where
plays in Welsh and English are staged. North of the city centre, the pier stretches far
out into the Menai Strait, half way to Anglesey.
Conwy 60 mins (57)
Three bridges
cross the Conway estuary: Telford's Suspension Bridge, Stephenson's Tubular
Railway Bridge with its castellations at either end, and the newer road bridge
carrying the A55. On the far shore, the train is dwarfed by the battlements of
Edward the First's Conway Castle and, rather less so, by the medieval walls
which have enclosed the town since the end of the 13th century. The town claims
the oldest house in Britain, and also the smallest - the latter, a former
fisherman's cottage, has a six-ft frontage, is ten-ft high and measures just
over 8ft from front to back. Aberconway House dates from the 15th century, while
Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan palace of 1580 houses the Royal Cambrian Academy of
Art.
Llandudno Junction 60 mins (56)
As its name suggests, the station serves as an interchange for visitors to the resorts of
Deganwy and Llandudno proper, both stations on the route through the
Conwy Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Colwyn Bay 68 mins (44)
A busy seaside resort in its own right, a three-mile promenade links Colwyn Bay with the
resort of Rhos-on-Sea. Its sheltered location and mild climate, makes it a year-round
attraction, equally popular in the winter months.
Abergele and Pensarn (not served by Cardiff to/from Holyhead trains)
The station is in Pensarn which is mostly residential, but does provide access to the
beach. Abergele, its larger near-neighbour, is a short distance to the west. An extensive
caravan park separates the railway from the beach, while the town also boasts an eighteen
hole golf course.
Soon after leaving the station, from the train can be glimpsed disused Gwrych Castle, a
castellated mansion a mile inland, which was built in the early nineteenth century. With
18 towers, battlements and bastions set against wooded limestone outcrops of rock, its
gothic virtuosity challenges many Edwardian castles for dramatic power.
Rhyl 78 mins (33)
Though Prestatyn may disagree, Rhyl considers itself the premier
holiday resort of the North Wales coast, with sandy beaches, the 260-ft Skytower
(pictured left), Ocean
Beach Amusement Park, and the Sun Centre, an indoor all-weather leisure facility in the
style of a tropical lagoon, replete with palm trees and surf.
Prestatyn 84 mins (28)
Like Rhyl, its rival just along the coast, Prestatyn vies to attract the most visitors to
its resort. Latest attraction is the Ffrith Beach Pleasure Gardens. There is also the Nova Centre with a selection of
water-based entertainments which is open all year round. Sport is catered for at the North
Wales Bowling Centre, and the golf courses which separate Prestatyn and Rhyl.
Flint 97 mins (14)
In the town square, the 'Tudor' town hall dates from only 1840. Flint Castle was the first
in Wales to be built by Edward the First and is located behind the main street on a site
overlooking the estuary of the River Dee - a view that includes more than its fair share
of factories and industrial estates. The most famous feature of the castle is the circular
donjon, based on the Constance Tower in Brittany.
Shotton (not served by Cardiff to/from Holyhead trains)
Only a tinplate works and light industry remains of the extensive Shotton Steel works. The
Deeside Ice Rink is in nearby Queensferry. 13th century Ewloe Castle and Wepre Park are
close by, where nature trails through the woodland and ranger activities are among the
attractions on offer. A short walk to the High Level station gives access to the Wrexham-Bidston Line.
Chester
115 minutes
To the Romans, the fortress of Deva, and there is a reminder of that phase of its history
in the wall which encloses the city. The two mile walk along the Roman wall is a must and
also takes
in relics of later eras: Viking, Norman, the Middle Ages, the English Civil War, and the
Industrial Revolution.
There is the largest Roman Amphitheatre ever uncovered in Britain with space for
7,000 spectators. In 'The Rows' are found half-timbered shops which date back to
the Middle ages, while the ornate clock, erected in 1897 in Eastgate (pictured
atop the Roman Wall) is said to be the most photographed timepiece after Big Ben
in London. Parts of the Cathedral date back to 1092, while the museum of
broadcasting is of somewhat more recent vintage. There are boat trips along the
Dee, a Zoo, and horse racing at the historic Roodee. Throughout the year, there
are various festivals to cater for all tastes, including film, boating,
transport, youth, music, and the Civil war Spectacular held in August.
This is an extract from the page on Arriva Trains Wales.
To access the main site select either the North Wales, The Marches,
and Chepstow-Swansea section, the Heart of Wales, Swansea and
West Wales section, or the full version which combines the
two.
Select this link to return to the Gazetteer of Stations or Route Sections page.
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Copyright © 1996/7/8/9/2000/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12 by Deryck Lewis.
All rights reserved.
Page created July 14 1996; Redesigned March 29 1999; Updated January 14 2012
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at
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