After the tearoom pleasantness of Beaumaris, Penmon, 4 miles north, provides a glimpse of Anglesey's long spiritual significance. An early Celtic monastery was established here in the 6th century by St Seiriol; burnt in AD 971, its last relic is the basin of the holy well, tucked behind the current simple stone church. The earliest extant parts of that church include two 10th-century Celtic crosses, a font from around the turn of the 2nd millennium and some wonderful 12th-century Romanesque arches.
The Augustinian priory that took over the site in the 13th century survived until dissolution in 1536. The buildings then fell into ruin, with the exception of the church, which is still used as a parish church to this day. Once the monks were turfed out, the land was taken over by Beaumaris' leading family, the Bulkeleys, who, in 1600, built the gigantic dovecote that stands nearby. Pigeons, used for their meat and eggs, would enter through the cupola and roost in the 930 holes.
The car-parking charge includes access to a toll road leading to Penmon Point, where there's a cafe (open 10am to 4pm daily March to October, to 6pm during the summer holidays) and fantastic views of the lighthouse, Puffin Island and the Great Orme.
