Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

The train station. Agilob on Flickr (Creative Commons)

With one of the longest names of any place in the United Kingdom the Welsh village of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is unmistakable, which is exactly what the people who named the community wanted.

The tiny village on the isle of Anglesey is now known as Llanfairpwll (or Llanfair PG for short) has existed in some form or another since the Neolithic Era, but it did not gain its unique name until the 1880s. The island community was originally known simply as “Llanfairpwll,” but thanks to an enterprising local tailor with an ear for the absurd, the name was extended to its current length in order to make the village an attraction.

The name, which is printed on the village’s absurdly long train station sign translates from the Welsh as, “St. Mary’s Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave.” However even in translation, very few people outside of the long-suffering tourist agents in the village consider the significance of the name.

While the name Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is a mouthful, it is no longer the longest place name in the world as the tailor who came up with it had intended.

Know Before You Go

The address should take you to the train station where the world famous sign is. Located near the train station is an outlet store where you can purchase an assortment of ephemera with the name of the town. There is also a post box located inside that will postmark your cards or letters with the town name.