Stanley Embankment

Cadw's description

Location

Spanning the strait between the main island, N of Valley, and Holyhead Island.

History

Following the Act of Union in 1801 a programme to improve the roads between the two capital cities of London and Dublin was initiated. In 1811 Thomas Telford was commissioned to undertake a survey of the roads between London and Holyhead and in 1817 began work on the northern stretch of the road at Shrewsbury. The Stanley Embankment, designed by Telford, was built to carry the new road across the strait to Holyhead Island. Built by Gill and Hodges, construction work began in 1815 and was completed in 1822. Further construction work took place in the late 1840's to allow the railway to be carried across the embankment, the first trains running between Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and Holyhead in the summer of 1849.

Exterior

A large embankment built on a natural terrace across the strait, faced with stone and with modern rubble walling either side to protect against storm damage. The embankment is 1,300yds (1189m) in length, 16ft (4.87m) high, the base is 114ft (34.75m) wide tapering to a width of 34ft (10.36m) at the top. The embankment carries the A5(T) road carriage along its eastern side and the main Euston to Holyhead railway to the west, a tall rubble masonry wall dividing the two and a smaller rubble masonry wall along the east side of the A5(T).

Reason for designation

Listed as good example of Telford's structural design work for the A5. A road and rail embankment demonstrating considerable engineering skill and of immense local importance for its connection with Telford's A5 and the railway providing the route between London and Dublin.