Place-names unbundled: Menai Bridge

Logo of Welsh Place Name SocietyLink to Welsh translation

Place-names unbundled: Menai Bridge

Like many Welsh towns, Menai Bridge has two names (English and Welsh), but here there’s also more than one name for many of the local features, highlighting the bilingual nature of the community, different historical connections and the changing uses of local landmarks.

In the 1970s, the urban district council adopted a bilingual policy for the street names. It ensured that older Welsh street names were properly represented, and coined some new ones to reflect recent usage.

Follow our tour of QR-code sites around the town to find how each place-name unpacks a nugget of local history. You’ll also find handy audio guides, for pronunciation of some of the Welsh names, and help to identify and understand the names of distant landmarks.

The tour and information are provided by HistoryPoints and the Welsh Place-Name Society, which promotes awareness of the place-names of Wales and aims to protect them.

Click here to see a map of the locations where you’ll find the QR codes.

To start the tour, simply scan any of the QR codes at locations on the circuit with a smartphone or tablet, or use the list below to join the tour online. Use the “Next” button at the foot of each page to find the next place on the tour. Eventually you’ll return to your starting point.

Car park by A5 near Menai Suspension Bridge
Foot of Menai Suspension Bridge
East end of town
Uxbridge Square