The Romans called Anglesey Mona and saw it as the stronghold of the druids — and the island wears its deep past openly. Ynys Môn has one of the densest concentrations of prehistoric monuments anywhere in Britain: passage tombs older than the pyramids, lone standing stones in farmers’ fields, and a remarkably complete ancient village. Most are free, unstaffed, and gloriously uncrowded. Here are the ones to seek out.
Bryn Celli Ddu — the solstice tomb
The island’s most famous monument, and rightly so. Bryn Celli Ddu (‘the mound in the dark grove’) is a Neolithic passage tomb dating to around 3000 BC, built over an older henge. On the summer solstice, the rising sun shines straight down the entrance passage to light the chamber within — an alignment that has worked for 5,000 years. You can walk inside. It’s free, in farmland near Llanddaniel Fab, and deserves a guide of its own — see Bryn Celli Ddu visiting guide.
Lligwy Burial Chamber
Near Moelfre on the east coast, Lligwy Burial Chamber is unforgettable for one reason: its capstone. A single slab of limestone weighing around 25 tonnes sits low over a chamber dug into the rock, propped on stubby uprights. When it was excavated, the remains of some 30 people were found inside. It’s free, a short walk from the road, and takes ten minutes to see.
Din Lligwy — the ancient village
A field away from the burial chamber, Din Lligwy is a walled settlement of Romano-British date — a defended farmstead of stone roundhouses and rectangular buildings, the walls still standing waist- to head-high. It’s one of the most complete sites of its kind you can wander freely in Britain, reached by a short walk across fields, and pairs perfectly with the burial chamber and the nearby ruined chapel of Hen Capel Lligwy.
Standing stones and other sites
Anglesey is dotted with lone Bronze Age standing stones — you’ll spot them in fields as you drive. Penrhos Feilw, a pair of stones near Trearddur Bay on Holy Island, and the tall stone at Llanfechell are among the most striking. The island also has the Barclodiad y Gawres passage tomb on the west coast near Aberffraw, notable for its decorated stones.
How to make a day of it
The sites cluster usefully. The east-coast group — Lligwy Burial Chamber, Din Lligwy, and Hen Capel Lligwy — sit within a short walk of each other near Moelfre, so pair them with things to do in Moelfre and lunch at Ann’s Pantry. Bryn Celli Ddu sits near the Menai Bridge end of the island, easy to combine with Llanfairpwll and the Menai bridges.
Visiting responsibly
- Most sites are free and open access, often across working farmland — close gates, keep dogs on a lead, and stick to paths.
- Wear shoes you don’t mind getting muddy; field approaches can be wet.
- Don’t climb on the monuments. These are some of the oldest human-made structures in Britain.
Older than Stonehenge in places, free, and quiet — Anglesey’s ancient sites are one of the island’s great underrated days out.