Foryd Bridge, Rhyl

May 23, 2017

Menai pilot wails


The pilots of Penmon, Anglesey, saved many lives in Victorian times but by the early 20th century they were regarded by some as being part of a money-making racket. Every ...

ship sailing the length of the Menai Strait had to pay for a pilot's services three times over, as the Strait was divided into three pilotages. No captain, however familiar with the waters, could refuse to take the pilots on board because of 1854 legislation designed primarily for the Royal Navy. Today the Penmon pilots' cottages are landmarks which complement the distinctive lighthouse at Trwyn Du - all erected after a disastrous shipwreck in 1831. For more about the buildings and pilots, use your smartphone to scan the HistoryPoints QR codes on the wall of the Pilot House Cafe or on the Wales Coast Path waymarker at Trwyn Du. Or click here