Amlwch, a market-town, a parish, and a port in Anglesey. The town stands on a small bay, 17 miles NW of Beaumaris, and is at the terminus of the L. & N.W.R. It was a fishing hamlet of only six houses in 1766, but it speedily acquired bulk and importance by the working of the mines in the Parys Mountain. The neighbourhood contains very fine coast scenery, and commands some noble views, the coast of the Isle of Man and the mountains of the Cambrian range being visible on clear days. The harbour was cut out of slate rock, is protected by a breakwater, and has capacity for thirty vessels of 200 tons burden. A fixed light is on the north pier, 26 feet high, visible at the distance of 8 miles, and a number of rocks or small islets, one of them serving as a seamark, lie off the entrance. A coastguard station has been built on an eminence on the coast, commanding a sweeping view of the Irish Sea. A small steamer plies occasionally to Liverpool and Holyhead. The town has a post office (R.S.O.), a parish church, and a chapel of ease, six dissenting chapels, several good schools, two political clubs, and a scientific and literary institution. The parish church is a large and handsome edifice, built by the Parys Mine Company at a cost of £4000. Many of the inhabitants are miners, ship-carpenters, and sailors. There are manufactures of tobacco, and brewing and malting are carried on. Shipbuilding is also extensively carried on. Chemical works for the manufacture of sulphuric acid and artificial manures were established here 50 years ago, and are in a very flourishing condition. Markets are held on Saturdays. Amlwch was formerly a parliamentary borough united in the franchise with Beaumaris, Llangefni, and Holyhead, but in 1885 its representation was merged in that of the county.
The Parys Mountain, 480 feet high, is situated 2 miles S of the town. The Romans are believed to have obtained copper ore on it, and various vestiges of ancient workings have been observed, and some very ancient stone utensils found. Trials in quest of ore began to be made in 1761, and resulted in splendid discoveries in 1768. Rich lodes were found at a depth of only 7 feet from the surface, and two great mines, called the Parys mine and the Mona mine, were worked most productively, chiefly in the manner of quarries, till 1800. The Mona mine then became unprofitable, and the Parys fell off greatly; but in 1811, by means of sinking and improved management, they again became valuable. The ore is chiefly a sulphate of copper, and the bed of it in the Mona mine was 300 feet broad, and in some parts 72 feet thick. A lead ore, yielding from 60 to 1000 pounds of lead and 57 ounces of silver per ton, occurs occasionally in a stratum of yellow saponaceous clay above the copper ore. The produce of copper at the richest period of the workings was worth £300,000 a year. The deepest shaft sunk is about 200 fathoms.
The parish of Amlwch includes the borough of Amlwch, the chapelry of Llanwenllwyfo, and most of the town and chapelry of LIanerchymedd. It also includes Bull Bay, a fishing hamlet about 1 mile out of the town, which is rapidly becoming a favourite sea-side resort. A number of commodious houses were recently built here, and it has a large and well-appointed hotel. A chapel for the convenience of visitors and the inhabitants was erected in 1893. The Lifeboat Institution, too, has one of its boats stationed here. Area of parish, 9271 acres; population of civil parish, 4443; of ecclesiastical, 3212. The living of Amlwch is a vicarage in the diocese of Bangor; value, £296. Patron, the Bishop of Bangor. The vicarage of LIanerchymedd is separate.
