The Dingle, Anglesey
The Dingle (Welsh: Nant y Pandy) is a nature reserve found just to the north of Llangefni, in the midst of Anglesey. The River Cefni flows through it.
Dingle is a mere description, a common English-language placename for a steep, wooded valley. The name describes it well, and it bears all the tradition of an ancient name invented for Victorian tourists in the nineteenth century. The original Welsh name, still used by locals, is Nant y Pandy ("Fulling Mill Glen"), as there used to be a wool processing plant in the valley.
The park is naturally divided into two parts, the wooded southern half and the northern half which is in a clearing. The main entrance is by St Cyngar’s Church where there is a car park.
The reserve is 25 acres in area and is bisected by the River Cefni. It was formed, so geologists believe, by glaciers during the last Ice Age carving the soft rock of the area. It gained its current name in the 1830s[1] and was designated as a Local Nature reserve in 1995, although there has been a blanket tree preservation order in place since 1971.
In 2003 the reserve was granted £122,000 for major improvements including better disabled access and boardwalks. Money has been spent on unnatural tree sculptures too.[2] The Dingle was awarded the UK MAB Urban Wildlife Award For Excellence in 2004 thanks to this work[3]. The new boardwalks mean visitors can make their way all the way north to Llyn Cefni, travelling parallel to the disused tracks of the Anglesey Central Railway.
