19231

 

II  

Designated  

19/01/1998  

19/01/1998  

Stanley Embankment  

 

Isle of Anglesey  

Valley  

 

Valley  

228165  

379993  

 

Spanning the strait between the main island, N of Valley, and Holyhead Island.  

Transport  

 

Following the Act of Union in 1801 a programme to improve the roads between the two capital cities of London and Dublin was initiated. In 1811 Thomas Telford was commissioned to undertake a survey of the roads between London and Holyhead and in 1817 began work on the northern stretch of the road at Shrewsbury. The Stanley Embankment, designed by Telford, was built to carry the new road across the strait to Holyhead Island. Built by Gill and Hodges, construction work began in 1815 and was completed in 1822. Further construction work took place in the late 1840's to allow the railway to be carried across the embankment, the first trains running between Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and Holyhead in the summer of 1849.  

A large embankment built on a natural terrace across the strait, faced with stone and with modern rubble walling either side to protect against storm damage. The embankment is 1189m (1,300 yds) in length, 4.87m (16ft) high, the base is 34.75m (114ft) wide tapering to a width of 10.36m (34ft) at the top. The embankment carries the A5(T) road carriage along its eastern side and the main Euston to Holyhead railway to the west, a tall rubble masonry wall dividing the two and a smaller rubble masonry wall along the east side of the A5(T).  

 

Listed as good example of Telford's structural design work for the A5. A road and rail embankment demonstrating considerable engineering expertise and of immense local importance for its connection with Telford's A5 and the railway providing the route between London and Dublin.