The Wynn Collection: Belan Fort: a Maritime Fortress and Its Collection

Belan Fort commands the southern entrance to the Menai Straits. As well as being of strategic significance, it was also the home of the extraordinary Wynn family collection, a unique assemblage of objects ranging from the 'Crown' of Bardsey and nineteenth-century tinned foods to a twelve-knot steam launch and a selection of cannon. The collection reflects the family's activities in the military and maritime fields over the last two hundred and fifty years and is one of the most important private maritime collections in the United Kingdom.This fully illustrated catalogue, full of anecdotes and curiosities, is the first in-depth presentation of the collection, which amounts to over three hundred pieces and was acquired from the Wynn family by Merseyside Maritime Museum in 1986. Michael Stammers provides detailed notes and commentary upon the collection, along with over sixty illustrations of key pieces and extensive introductory chapters outlining the history of both the Wynn family and Fort Belan.In addition to being the first catalogue of this extraordinary family's collection, this book is also an important contribution to Welsh history in an under-researched field and will appeal to all those interested in maritime history and the history of North Wales.