Penmon, 4 miles north of Beaumaris at the eastern extremity of the island, is Anglesey at its most numinous. An early Celtic monastery was established here in the 6th century by St Seiriol; the basin of the holy well, tucked behind the current church, is thought to date from that time.
Vikings looted and burned the original church in AD 971. The current simple stone church has elements from shortly after that time, including two 10th-century Celtic crosses, a font from around the turn of the millennia, and some wonderful decorated Romanesque arches from around 1160.
In the 13th century an Augustinian Priory took over the site, which survived until 1536 when it was dissolved. After this the buildings fell into ruins, with the exception of the church, which was converted into a parish church and remains in use 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 their eggs, would enter through the cupola and roost in the 930 holes.
The extortionate car-parking charge includes access to a toll road leading to Penmon Point, where there's a cafe and fantastic views of the lighthouse, Puffin Island and the Great Orme.
