Historical background
This area includes those parts mostly settled in the mid-to-late nineteenth century around Lon Wen, Llyn Brics, Stryd Llywelyn and Gallt Ednyfed to the east of the harbour, a ribbon development along Ffordd Llaneilian, and nineteenth century dwellings along Stryd y Glorian. The Francis map of 1828 shows this area being built up. It also encompasses post-War housing developments including the Craig y Don estate, constructed in the 1950s on the site of the smelting works.
Key historic landscape characteristics
Mixed settlement with some historic structures and street-pattern
This is the area of the Porth Amlwch settlement that lies outside the Conservation Area. It contains number of structures from the early nineteenth century but the impact is dissipated by the extensive use of pebbledash and plastic windows and doors, as well as by the construction of late twentieth century structures along the street scape.
The older part of the settlement is based around winding lane-ways to the east of the port. Some of the dwellings are very firmly in the vernacular tradition and have something of the character of a settlement that is almost entirely spontaneous, with houses being built with back doors facing the street (e.g. SH4522 9325). However, these mingle with much more substantial late nineteenth century middle-class houses such as Ael y Bryn (SH 4523 9316). Llaneilian Road is a ribbon development where late nineteenth century middle class houses predominate, set back from the road behind front gardens. The two impressive chapels that are situated in this character area are both to be found here, Capel Carmel at SH 4508 9306, now out of use and in poor condition but is a fine halo arch chapel of the 1860s, believed to have been designed by Thomas Thomas of Glandore, Swansea; Peniel is an exercise in ‘Arts and Crafts classical’ by Richard Davies of Bangor dating from 1898-1900 (SH 4519 9312).
The Craig y Don housing estate is situated on the site of the former copper smelters, and forms a tight group of attractive semi-detached dwellings with distinctively coloured tile roofs (SH 4472 9323).
