Church Island

Church Island, also called Llandysilio Island, lies in the Menai Strait beside Anglesey, joined to the mainland by a short tidal causeway that can only be crossed on foot. The island’s main landmark is St Tysilio’s Church, a 15th-century building with a graveyard and a grade-II war memorial designed by Harold Hughes. The Anglesey Coastal Path runs past the causeway head, and the nearby Swellies stretch of water is known for its strong tides. The island has long been tied to Saint Tysilio, son of a 7th-century king of Powys, who arrived around AD 630 to live as a hermit before moving on. The present church stands on the site of an earlier structure, and the graveyard holds several notable figures including the poet Cynan and historian John Edward Lloyd. Primroses cover the ground in spring, and oystercatchers, curlews and little egrets feed along the shore. Visitors walk the causeway to reach the church and its quiet graveyard, where yew and other trees frame the war memorial. The woodland path from the A545 car park leads through leafy cover before opening onto views of the strait. The island’s small size and sheltered setting make it a peaceful place to stand beside the rushing waters of the Swellies.