CHAP. VI f. HOLTHEAD HARBOUR. 209 



at Conway and Menai also presented serious obstacles 

 to travelling by that route ; and hence the port of Liver- 

 pool, and Park Grate on the Dee near Chester, continued 

 to be the principal places of embarkation for persons 

 proceeding to Ireland, until the beginning of the present 

 century. When the Act of Union was passed, the 

 Government determined to bring the two countries into 

 closer communication with each other ; first by means of 

 convenient roads through North Wales, and next by 

 capacious harbours at Holyhead on the one coast and at 

 Kingstown on the other. In the year 1802 Mr. Rennie 

 was requested to report upon the subject, and he pro- 

 ceeded to Wales for the purpose of examining the 

 Conway and Menai ferries, and the capabilities of Holy- 

 head as a port. It was on that occasion that he 

 recommended the construction of the permanent fixed 

 bridges across both Straits after the plans which we 

 have above referred to ; but nothing was done towards 

 carrying out his suggestions, and the whole question 

 slept until the year 1809, when he was requested by 

 the Government to prepare plans of a harbour at Holy- 

 head, as the first step towards the desired improvement ; 

 and his design having been approved, the works were 

 begun in the following year. 



The form of the harbour of Holyhead has been 

 determined, in a great measure, by the cliffs which 

 there overhang the sea, and on the verge of which 

 stand the ancient church and cemetery of the place. 

 The works designed by Mr. Rennie consisted of a pier 

 1150 feet long, extending in a direction nearly due east 

 from the inner side of Salt Island, which is separated 

 by a narrow channel from the main island of Holyhead. 

 The pier terminated at a depth of about 14 feet at low 

 water of spring tides. At 80 feet distant from the 

 extremity of the main pier there was a jetty 60 feet 

 long, carried out at right angles to its inner face, 

 to check any swell which might come round the 



VOL. II. P 



