A new modern visitor centre has been opened at Holyhead’s award-winning Breakwater Country Park as part of an all-Wales scheme to create and improve key visitor facilities.

The new centre forms part of a wider investment programme to improve the visitor appeal and experience in Holyhead, which is seeing a record number of cruise ship visits in 2023 with more planned in 2024.

As well as catering for visitors, the facility will be able to host events and educational visits and will also be used by the local authority’s Countryside and AONB staff. The scheme has also funded an upgrade of the nearby North Wales Wildlife Trust kiosk.

As he officially opened the new facility, Leisure, Tourism and Maritime portfolio holder, Councillor Neville Evans said:

“This is a truly excellent facility that will support the aims outlined in our Destination Management Plan and AONB Management Plan.”

He added, “I’d like to thank all those who have been involved in planning, delivering and funding this impressive building, as well as, improving other facilities.”

In addition to the investments at Breakwater Park, the scheme has involved improvements to various smaller attractions and facilities on Holy Island.

These include improvements to the South Stack Lookout, Elin’s Tower, Ffynnon y Wrach, new visitor wayfinding signage, imagery in the town and ferry terminal, upgraded visitor conveniences and a new viewing platform at the Roman Fort.

Holyhead Town Council has supported the plans and will be involved in maintaining many of the installations.

Welcoming the completion of the scheme, Dawn Bowden MS, Welsh Government Deputy Minister for Arts, Sport, and Tourism explained:

“This investment forms part of our all-Wales Tourism Attractor Destination Programme across eleven locations in Wales. Tourism has a key role to play in supporting the local economy in locations such as Holyhead.”

She added, “I am very pleased to see the increasing number of cruise ships visiting this year and was delighted to have the opportunity to welcome the Queen Victoria as the ship visited Holyhead for the first time this month. I’m sure that the new centre will prove to be popular with international and domestic visitors to the area.”

The overall £2.8m investment package which included multiple projects was mainly funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) via the Welsh Government, with match funding from several sources including the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Welsh Government.

Noted for Editors

A record 50 cruise ship visits are due to call at Holyhead during 2023 with 65 already scheduled to call during 2024 – see www.holyheadport.co.uk/pages/cruise

Breakwater Country Park was originally opened in 1990 on the site of an old quarry which supplied stone for the 2.39km (1.5 mile) long Holyhead Outer Harbour Breakwater.

More information about Holyhead Breakwater Country Park can be found here: Holyhead Breakwater Country Park (gov.wales)