Ynys Gored Goch
| Ynys Gored Goch | |
 Ynys Gored Goch at low tide | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SH544712 |
| Area: | ¼ acre - 3½ acres |
| Highest point: | 30 feet |
| Data | |
Ynys Gored Goch (also known as Whitebait Island) is a small island of the coast of the Isle of Anglesey, lying in the Menai Strait which divides Anglesey from Caernarfonshire. The island is found in the stretch of the strait called "the Swellies" between Thomas Telford's Menai Suspension Bridge and Robert Stephenson's Britannia Bridge.
The island's name, Ynys Gored Goch, means "Red Weir Island".
Most of the island is occupied by a single house and several outbuildings. Access is only by boat.
History
The earliest known document relating to the island dates from 1590 when the island is listed as belonging to the Diocese of Bangor which leased it for £3 and a barrel of herrings a year [1] as the island was used as a fishing trap. During high tides fish would swim into the traps set near the island. The catch would then be collected at the subsequent low tide.
After 1888 when the house was sold into private hands, the whitebait (herring) were still caught here and visitors would often travel to the island to taste the fish.[2]
Location
The tidal flow in the Menai Strait around the island is so severe at times that large overfalls and whirlpools develop. This prevents crossings to and from the island for several hours during each tidal cycle. Due to the large tidal range of the Menai Straits the size of the island varies between 0.25 acres and 3.7 acres.
The height of the sea is known to exceed 33 feet during high with spring tides which makes it appears that the building are on two separate islands. When this occurs, the flooding happens. Occasional storm surges have even increased water levels up to 36' 9".
Ynys Gored Goch once had a common tern colony although breeding pairs have not been seen on the island recently.
The island's location makes it a popular theme in photographs of the Menai Straits and its bridges.
References
- Senogles, David "A History of the parish of Llandysilio" (2001), The Vicar and Wardens of the parish of Llantysilio
Outside links
- Valley Stream site - containing an aerial view