A tiny UK village hidden away in Wales is famous for having the longest name in the UK and one of the longest in the world – but there’s more to the village than having an almost unpronouncable name. In fact, the Welsh village’s name is so incredible that residents who come into contact with visitors are bound to be asked one simple question: “Can you say it for us?”.
The Anglesey village holds the European record for the longest place name, while Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch also comes in second place for the entire world.
The English translation is unsurprisingly a bit extensive, reading: “St. Mary’s Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave”. Most people think the name is a bit much, and it turns out it’s not actually what the locals call it.
Most road signs and maps simply read “Llanfair PG”, much to the dismay of keen tourists seeking a great picture for Instagram.
However, hardcore travellers will be pleased to know that if they go to the souvenir shop next to the train station and bring their passport, they could get it stamped with the village name.
You may be confused why a souvenir shop is in an Anglesey village of just 3,000 people, but the name was actually a PR stunt to encourage visitors and bring in some cash. The village was originally known simply as Llanfairpwllgwyngyll (“St Mary’s church in the hollow of the white hazel”), but in the 1880s the local authorities drummed up an ingenious strategy to bring in the tourist buses.
The powers that be added the nearby hamlet of Llantysilio Gogogoch (“the church of St Tysilio of the red cave”) and the chwyrn drobwll (“rapid whirlpool”) between them. The new name is now the stuff of Internet legend, and went viral when a Channel 4 newsreader fluently pronounced the 58-character village name live on TV.
The village consists of the upper side, which mainly has older residences, and the lower side, which has newer commercial buildings and the train station. The village is fairly quiet, but has some lovely eateries, including the Marquis Restaurant and the Penrhos Arms. The railway station’s platform sign is probably the biggest attraction in the village.
The village is also where Hollywood actor Taron Egerton grew up. A clip of the Kingsman actor saying the village name went viral in 2016, stuning the American audience.
Meanwhile, the longest place name in the world belongs to a village in Thailand, whose name has 163 letters: Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnopparatrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathitsakkattiyavisanukamprasit.