ANGLESEY

EVERY day, hundreds of thousands of motorists pass through North Wales along the 87-mile-long A55. But the North Wales Expressway is a lot more than just a boring old road that carries drivers from Chester to Holyhead.

It is a carriageway of culture, taking tourists past castles and mountains, through areas of outstanding natural beauty and historic tunnels.

And on a clear day, views can even stretch as far as Liverpool and Cheshire.

Here are some things you should look out for next time you’re passing through our part of North Wales. Anglesey Aluminium Chimney This huge mothballed chimney, part of the Anglesey Aluminium factory, can be spotted between Junctions two and three on the A55.

The chimney sits on a 213-acre site, which will soon accommodate new technology in biomass, wind power and waste products following a massive £1bn development.

Once up and running, the plant will be capable of generating 299MW of electricity – enough to power around 300,000 homes. Where: Between J2 and J3 Marquess of Anglesey’s Column This historic 27-metre column - visible when crossing the Menai Strait between junctions eight and nine - was erected in 1816 to commemorate the Battle of Waterloo.

The monument was finally completed in 1860 when the brass statue of Henry William Paget, Earl of Uxbridge and first Marquess of Anglesey, who lived at nearby Plas Newydd, was added.

He was second-in-command to Wellington at Waterloo, where he lost his right leg but survived the battle and died in 1854.

You can climb its 115 steps to the top for panoramic views over the island. Where: Between J8 and J9 Views of Snowdonia

When driving along the A55 in Llangefni on a clear day, you will catch sight of Wales’ highest peak.

Mount Snowdon, the most popular tourist attraction in North Wales, welcomes more than half a million walkers every year who trek to the summit to take in what has officially been named the best view in the UK. Where: Between J7 and J9 St Mary’s Church, Llanfairpwll St Mary’s Church sits in Llanfairpwll, just a short distance to the west of the Britannia Bridge. It is visible once you drive onto the island across the Britannia Bridge.

The Grade II-listed building was built in 1853 to serve the village in the Diocese of Bangor.

A memorial to the workers who died in the Britannia Bridge’s construction between 1846 and 1850 lies near to St Mary’s. Where: Between J8 and J9 Britannia Bridge This vital transport link, constructed from 1846 to 1850, was built by Robert Stephenson as a railway bridge for the Chester and Holyhead Railway.

Today, it carries thousands of motorists and hundreds of railway passengers every day who make their way to and from Anglesey.

In 1970 the bridge almost collapsed as a result of a disastrous fire. It was later strengthened with the addition of steel arches beneath the bridge which allowed a road deck to be added in the late 1970s, providing Anglesey with a second road link.

You will cross the bridge between Junction eight and nine. Where: Between J8 and J9 Menai Suspension Bridge Up until 1826, the only direct route to the mainland from Anglesey and the primary means of access to and from the island was by crossing the Menai Strait on a ferry.

But Thomas Telford changed all that when he designed the iconic 176.5m bridge, which now connects Anglesey with mainland Wales.

You can spot the landmark when crossing the Britannia Bridge.

The Grade I listed building, named one of the most dramatic bridges in the UK, was promoted to UNESCO as a candidate World Heritage Site in February 2005. Where: Between J8 and J9 Ynys Tysilio/Church Island Ynys Tysilio, a tiny little island in the Menai Strait is named after a sixth century Welsh saint and on it, sits St Tysilio’s church, constructed in the 15th century.

The island can be spotted when crossing the Britannia Bridge and is reached by crossing a small causeway from Belgian Promenade.

At the highest point of the island lies a memorial to local soldiers who died during the First and Second World War.

This is also the best place on the tiny island to take in the views over the Menai Strait. Where: Between J8 and J9 Gwynedd Penrhyn Castle Penrhyn Castle, a 19th-century fortification designed by Thomas Hopper sits between Snowdonia and the Menai Strait.

It is visible when passing the small village of Llandygai, between Bangor and Tal-yBont.

During the 1840s, the castle was owned by the Douglas-Peannnt family, owners of the Penrhyn Quarry at Bethesda.

Its reservoir, built in the early 1840s, is one of many hidden treasures in the castle and is seldom open to the public or even National Trust staff, who now care for the property. Where: Between J11 and J12 International Rescue Training Wales

The International Rescue Training Centre Wales is a training hub for search and rescue dogs for the emergency services and specialist training centre for mountain rescue teams, police forces, the military, and forensic scientists.

It sits in the small village of Abergwyngregyn and is visible from J14 of the A55.

Where: J14 Centre