The Fish Trap Island of the Menai Strait
The Island of Gorad Goch is situated in the Menai Strait between the Menai Suspension Bridge and the Britannia Bridge. The name literally translated means ‘the island of red weirs’. The Welsh word for weirs, corad, is thought to have derived from the Latin ‘gurgites’ and corrupted by ancient Britons to ‘gorgit’ or ‘coret’ before taking its present form.
The remains of these weirs can be found along the shore of the Menai Straits, but the best examples are found on Gorad Goch itself. The exact date of construction of the remaining weirs on Gorad Goch are not known but are estimated to be around 1824 when a fish smoking chamber was also built on the island. The system works as the weirs are built near eddy currents and therefore water is sucked into the weirs, leaving fish trapped.
