Explore ancient tombs and villages

Anglesey has Wales’ greatest concentration of ancient sites. Here are some of the must do’s:

Barclodiad y Gawres tomb above Porth Trecastell is the largest Neolithic tomb in Wales. This atmospheric tomb was constructed at the same time as the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge and built as a grave for the local community. Now only accessible on open days or by making an appointment  it is worth making the effort to explore inside to see the passageway, cross-shaped chamber, etched zigzags and spiral patterns. Such megalithic art is also found at Bryn Celli Ddu, one of the best-preserved passage tombs in Wales, set within its own stone circle. Free entrance is through a tall stone slit to find the pillar within the octagonal chamber, and the carved pattern stone beyond. Druids greet the summer solstice when shafts of light shine directly down the tomb’s passageway to illuminate the chamber within. Just inland from Moelfre there is a three-in-one opportunity to visit Neolithic, medieval and Roman ruins all within a few hundred metres of each other. First up, the ruins of the twelfth-century Old Lligwy Chapel on a lonely hillside overlooking Lligwy Bay with views across to the Isle of Man on a clear day. Further to the south-west the ruins of Din Lligwy walled village is a Romano-British site, the stone foundations of which make for a wonderfully atmospheric spot surrounded by woods. Close by a Neolithic burial chamber offers further interest.