Stanley embankment is a wave feature formed in a tunnel through an embankment joining The Isle of Anglesey and Holy Island, a great surfing wave appears at the exit of the Stanley Embankment Tunnel the Inland Sea Side (south side), as seen on the PeakUK “id10tic” series of videos. Most moves can be performed here in either direction.

Parking is a problem at Stanley (see the notes below) but you can park in the car park on the West side of the embankment paddling through the tunnel if not too much water is flowing. If the waters too big the stopper will eat you. Tides above 9.0 Metres are the best and ideally 9.2 to 9.4 M between 2 1/2 hours before and 3 hours after high tide Holyhead. This stretch of water also works in the other direction but the wave is monstrous and dangerous so stay well clear. For high water at Holy head subtract 48 mins from Liverpool high water tide times.

The embankment is British Rail property, you should not trespass. Parking is best done on the west end of the embankment in the large car park found on the left hand side. Do not paddle through the tunnel when the flow is high as a stopper forms in the entrance to the tunnel.

Car Parking:

a) Don’t park on the access road to the Level Crossing.

b) Don’t fill the bus stop layby; traffic cops are up & down the A5 constantly.

c) There’s a row of cottages just before you reach the embankment (coming from Valley) the last of which is derelict. There’s a seemingly attractive parking spot for 4-6 cars next to it. Believe the “no-parking” daubs – paddlers have parked there in the past and have had there tyres deflated whilst paddling.

d) ATS depot. Mixed reactions here. When asked sometimes they’ll let you park in their huge compound, sometimes not. If not, we’ve never had any problems parking on the pavement (it’s wide enough for 2 cars side-by-side) at either side of ATS’s entrance. Don’t assume that if the chain’s off when you park it will be off when you want to leave.

e) Alternatively, park at the Holyhead end in the Cafe/Wildlife carpark, launch on the sea side & paddle thro’ the tunnel. Don’t do this too long after a big Spring has started to run else you’ll get a good kicking in the pourover stopper that forms just inside the seaward end of the tunnel. The only snag with this plan is you really have to wait for the tide to turn again before you can paddle back – unless you up to the level crossing, cross the A5, put in on the seaward side and paddle the length of the embankment, again.