Here at Bingo Scanner, we enjoy sharing interesting facts about bingo with you. For example, due to the popularity of bingo, the game has been featured in different scenes in many popular movies. Another interesting fact about bingo is that there are plenty of celebrities who enjoy playing bingo or hosting virtual bingo parties.
Moreover, on our Bingo Scanner blog, we enjoy sharing other interesting facts and landmarks from the UK. For example, we've shared tea traditions and fun facts, Big Ben fun facts, Guide on London's Shard building, etc.
But, have you ever heard about the Welsh town that has the longest name in the world?
Llanfairpwll
Have you ever been to Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch? Yes, even if it looks like someone fell asleep on their keyboard, this is actually the name of a place in Wales, United Kingdom! It is 58 letters long but people called it Llanfairpwll or Llanfair PG for short. Crazy, right?
Having one of the longest names in the world, the Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is unmistakable, which is exactly what the person who named it wanted to achieve.
This tiny town placed on the island of Anglesey in Wales has gained its popularity due to its name, which is actually a description of the town’s location.
Namely, the name of this town means “St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the fierce whirlpool of St Tysilio of the red cave” in Welsh.
In addition, Llanfairpwll is placed in the Guinness Book of Records for being the place with the longest name in the UK. Its name was invented in the 1860s by a local tailor who wanted to make the town famous for having a railway station with the longest name. There, the population is about 3,000, 70% of which speak Welsh.
How did Llanfairpwll get its name?
The story about this interesting name of the town in Wales starts in August 1848, where the first rail station was opened, as the temporary terminal of the new railway from Holyhead. People in the town lived from the construction works on the Britannia Bridge. Once the bridge was finished in May 1850, there was no need for the trains to stop at Llanfairpwll.
For that reason, a local tailor thought of ways that will attract passengers to stop at the town’s station and visit the place. He came up with the idea of calling the town with an interesting and the longest name.
To make the name of the town the longest, he called it a description of the town’s location. The railway company liked the idea and displayed the new name on the station. And that’s how we got Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!
Places to visit at Llanfairpwll
Even if it’s a small place, the town attracts many tourists every year due to its unusual name. However, there are a couple of places that you might want to see when visiting Llanfairpwll.
The Railway Station
Of course, the first thing to see in this place is the railway station with the longest name! The station was constructed in 1845 on the railway between Holyhead and Chester.
It opened three years later when two locomotives were shipped to Holyhead. It then stayed open until the Britannia Bridge was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, the bridge was rebuilt and Llanfairpwll reopened its railway station in 1973.
James Pringle Weavers Shop
The James Pringle Weavers Shop is located next to the old station house in the town and is one of the main tourist attractions there.
The shop offers a great range of knitwear and clothing at reasonable prices, as well as a selection of Welsh crafts, souvenirs and gifts. In addition, the class steam locomotives the Railway Queen and Michael that were built in Waler can be found in the shop.
The Britannia Bridge
The Britannia Bridge, called ‘Pont Britannia’ in Welsh, is a bridge across the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales.
The purpose of building this bridge was to form a link of the Chester and Holyhead Railway's route, allowing trains to travel between London and the port of Holyhead, while facilitating a sea link to Dublin, Ireland.
The bridge was destroyed by a fire in May 1970 but was rebuilt. Today, tourists enjoy visiting it because it is connected to the origin of the name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.
Did you know that there is a town in the UK with such an unusual name? Now you know, and if you’ve liked the story about it as much as we do, make sure to put it on your bucket list.
Start Playing Online Bingo Today
Here at Bingo Scanner, regardless of providing you with the most popular bingo sites, bonuses, and promotions, we love sharing interesting facts and stories that revolve around the UK culture, one of which is this town’s funny name.
In case you have some other story that you want to share with us, feel free to let us know. And if you enjoy this article, stick with us while we go through the most popular aspects that make Britain so Great!
As you know, one of the most popular things for which the UK is popular is bingo. If you are a Bingo fan, make sure to check the new bingo sites here at Bingo Scanner!
Our online bingo sites provide daily, weekly or monthly bingo rooms and some offer incredible jackpots. In addition, there are free bingo rooms so you have the chance to win something without depositing your money.
