South Stack is an island situated just off Holy Island

Holy Island, Anglesey

Holy Island Cybi') is an island on the western side of the larger Isle of Anglesey, North Wales, from which it is separated by a narrow, winding channel. It is called "Holy" because of the high concentration of standing stones, burial chambers and other religious sites on the small island. The...

 on the North West coast of Anglesey

Anglesey

Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...

. It is famous as the location of one of Wales

Wales

Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...

' most spectacular lighthouses.

South Stack Lighthouse

The South Stack Lighthouse has warned passing ships of the treacherous rocks below since its completion in 1809. The 28 m (91 ft) lighthouse was designed by Daniel Alexander and the main light is visible to passing vessels for 28 miles, and was designed to allow safe passage for ships on the treacherous Dublin - Holyhead

Holyhead

Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....

 - Liverpool

Liverpool

Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...

 sea route. It provides the first beacon along the northern coast of Anglesey for east-bound ships. It is followed by lighthouses, fog horns and other markers at North Stack

North Stack

North Stack is a small island situated just off Holy Island on the north-west coast of Anglesey.North Stack can also refer to the headland opposite the island...

, Holyhead breakwater

Breakwater (structure)

Breakwaters are structures constructed on coasts as part of coastal defence or to protect an anchorage from the effects of weather and longshore drift.-Purposes of breakwaters:...

, The Skerries, the Mice and at the north-east tip of the island Trwyn-Du. The lighthouse is operated remotely by Trinity House

Trinity House

The Corporation of Trinity House of Deptford Strond is the official General Lighthouse Authority for England, Wales and other British territorial waters...

. It has been visited by the team at Most Haunted

Most Haunted

Most Haunted is a British paranormal documentary reality television series. The series was first shown on 25 May 2002 and ended on 21 July 2010. It was broadcast on Living and presented by Yvette Fielding. The programme was based on investigating purported paranormal activity...

.

Visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse and tour the engine room and exhibition area. The lighthouse is open seasonally.

Access

Until 1828 when an iron suspension bridge

Suspension bridge

A suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...

 was built, the only means of crossing the deep water channel on to the island was in a basket which was suspended on a hemp cable. The suspension bridge was replaced in 1964, but by 1983 the bridge had to be closed to the public, due to safety reasons. A new aluminium bridge was built and the lighthouse was reopened for public visits in 1997. Thousands of people flock to the lighthouse every year, thanks to the continued public transport service from Holyhead

Holyhead

Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....

's town centre.

There are over 400 stone steps down to the footbridge (and not, as local legend suggests, 365), and the descent and ascent provide an opportunity to see some of the 4,000 nesting birds that line the cliffs during the breeding season. The cliffs are part of the RSPB South Stack Cliffs

RSPB South Stack Cliffs

South Stack Cliffs RSPB reserve is a nature reserve, run by the RSPB, on Holy Island on the North West coast of Anglesey, Wales. The reserve is on sea cliffs facing the islet of South Stack, and is crossed by the Anglesey Coastal Path....

 bird reserve, based at Ellin's Tower.

The Anglesey Coastal Path

Anglesey Coastal Path

The Anglesey Coastal Path is a long-distance footpath around the island of Anglesey in North Wales....

 passes South Stack. The Cybi Circular Walk http://www.anglesey.gov.uk/doc.asp?cat=4049 includes South Stack. The short walk is 4 miles long and takes around 2 hours to complete. Travelling from the Breakwater Country Park, other sites along the way are the North Stack Fog Signal station, Caer y Tŵr

Caer y Tŵr

Caer y Twr was a Roman-era hillfort atop the summit of the Holyhead Mountain in Anglesey, Wales. The hillfort, which is situated among rocky outcrops, is ideally placed for defence and likely served as a watchtower and possibly as a signal tower...

, Holyhead Mountain

Holyhead Mountain

Holyhead Mountain is the highest hill on Holy Island, Anglesey, and the highest in the county of Anglesey, north Wales. It lies about three kilometres west of the town of Holyhead, and slopes steeply down to the Irish Sea on two sides...

 and Tŷ Mawr Hut Circles.

Siren cover shot

The cover photo for Roxy Music

Roxy Music

Roxy Music was a British art rock band formed in 1971 by Bryan Ferry, who became the group's lead vocalist and chief songwriter, and bassist Graham Simpson. The other members are Phil Manzanera , Andy Mackay and Paul Thompson . Former members include Brian Eno , and Eddie Jobson...

's Siren

Siren (Roxy Music album)

Siren is the fifth album by British rock band Roxy Music, released in 1975 .In 2003, the album was ranked number 371 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time...

album was taken directly below the central span of the bridge on a slope on the south side, by Graham Hughes in August 1975. He worked from sketches produced by Antony Price

Antony Price

Antony Price is a London fashion designer who is best known for glamorous evening wear and suits, and for the seventies icon of the cap sleeve t-shirt...

, with the eventual concept featuring model Jerry Hall

Jerry Hall

Jerry Faye Hall is an American model and actress, also known for her long-term relationship with Mick Jagger, with whom she had four children.-Early life:...

 striking various poses. The idea for the location was Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry

Bryan Ferry, CBE is an English singer, musician, and songwriter. Ferry came to public prominence in the early 1970s as lead vocalist and principal songwriter with the band Roxy Music, who enjoyed a highly successful career with three number one albums and ten singles entering the top ten charts in...

's, after he saw a TV documentary about lava flows and rock formations in Anglesey

Anglesey

Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...

, in which South Stack was heavily featured.

Les Gardiens des Enfers

In 2010 a French comic, entitled Les Gardiens des Enfers (The Guardians of Hell), was published. Its story is mainly set in South Stack lighthouse in 1859. The cover and the first pages can be seen on the publisher's website.

External links

• South Stack Lighthouse - Trinity House