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The Menai Strait (Afon Menai) is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about 14 miles (23 km) long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. In places the strait narrows to little more than 200 metres. The differential tides at the two ends of the strait cause very strong currents to flow in both directions through the strait at different times, creating dangerous conditions. At low, slack tide, it is possible to cross the strait at Lafan Sands, northeast of Bangor, but this is not advisable without good local knowledge.

The strait is bridged in two places - the main A5 road ( Watling Street) is carried over the strait by Thomas Telford's elegant iron suspension bridge, the first of its kind, opened in January 1826. Adjacent to this is Robert Stephenson's 1850 Britannia Bridge. Originally this carried rail traffic in two wrought iron rectangular box spans, but after a disastrous fire in 1970, which left only the limestone pillars remaining, it was rebuilt as a steel box girder bridge.

Places bordering the strait include:

Beaumaris
Bangor
CaernarfonCaernarfon (the original Welsh spelling is now normally used in preference over the Anglicised form, "Caernarvon" or "Carnarvon") is a small town in north-west Wales, best known for its great stone castle, the handiwork of Edward I of England and conseque
ConwyConwy (formerly called Conway by the English) is a town in north Wales, facing Llandudno over the River Conwy. It gives its name to the county borough of Conwy. Conwy Conwy Conwy is one of Europe's finest examples of a medieval walled town. The magnificen
Dinorwic
Menai BridgeMenai Bridge ( Welsh: Porthaethwy is a town on Anglesey, Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford. Attractions in Menai Bridge include the 14th-century Church of St Tysilio, and a butter

Just north of the rail bridge on Anglesey is the famously named Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysiliogogogochLlanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch St Mary's Church in the Hollow of the White Hazel near a Rapid Whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the Red Cave , a village on the island of Anglesey in Wales is the longest official plac.

Straits of Europe Anglesey Geography of Wales

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Topics: Menai Strait, Menai Bridge, Menai Suspension Bridge...

Menai StraitThe Menai Strait Afon Menai is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about 14 miles (23 km) long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. In places the strait narrows to little more than 200 metres. The differential tides at t	Menai BridgeMenai Bridge ( Welsh: Porthaethwy is a town on Anglesey, Wales. It overlooks the Menai Strait and lies by the Menai Suspension Bridge, built in 1826 by Thomas Telford. Attractions in Menai Bridge include the 14th-century Church of St Tysilio, and a butter	Menai Suspension BridgeThe Menai Suspension Bridge is a suspension bridge between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Prior to the bridge's completion in 1826 the island had no connection to the mainland, and all movement to and from Anglesey was by ferry. However
Menai, New South WalesMenai is a suburb of Sydney, Australia, in the local municipality of Sutherland Shire. It is not, as many people first guess, an Aboriginal name, but is named after the region of northern Wales in Great Britain. The adjacent suburb of Bangor is also named	MenaiMenai is the name or part of the name of the following places: Menai, New South Wales in Australia The Menai Strait and town of Menai Bridge in Wales.

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