Welsh pagan group's fury as giant Ferris wheel placed next to stone circle

A pagan has voiced her disapproval over the placement of a Ferris wheel near a stone circle. The group had considered holding a ceremony at the Eisteddfod circle in Beaumaris, Anglesey, which is designed based on their pagan or druid traditions.

However, they have now decided against it, citing an incident last year where teenagers on the Ferris wheel allegedly jeered and threw cans at a similar pagan group, reports North Wales Live. Beaumaris Town Council defended the location of the wheel, stating that moving it further from the seafront would bring it closer to residential areas, and highlighting that the attraction draws in visitors.

Wynter Jones, from Prestatyn Pagan Moot Group, expressed her admiration for the stone circle's picturesque location, but was disappointed to find the Ferris wheel situated right next to it. She contacted Beaumaris Town Council to question why they had placed the "massive and intimidating Ferris wheel right slap bang on top of the Eisteddfod Stone circle in Beaumaris".

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Despite her request to relocate the wheel being denied, and being informed she would need public liability insurance for any ceremony, Ms Wynter's group plans to hold their ceremony at an undisclosed alternative location. However, Kate Johnson, Pagan Federation Regional Co-ordinator, believes pagans must adapt to the modern world and stated she has never encountered issues with "modern" attractions like a Ferris wheel.

She said: "We have live music when we meet at Bailey Hill in Mold. We are pagans in a modern world. We are not living in ancient times or the Dark Ages. We are living today and we need to adapt."

She also highlighted that there are other pagan sites on Anglesey, aside from the Eisteddford stone circle on Beaumaris seafront, such as Bryn Celli Ddu burial ground near Llanddaniel Fab. In a call for understanding, she added: "We need to adapt but at the same time the world needs to accept diversity whether it's the LGBT+ community or the pagan community."

Beaumaris Town Council defended its decision to place the Ferris wheel near the stone circle. A spokesperson said: "The Ferris wheel is on town council land.

"It is a temporary structure which has been coming to the area for ten years. Isle of Anglesey County Council are very supportive of it. If it was elsewhere here it would have been in front of a residential area."

They also refuted claims that teenagers on the wheel had previously shown disrespect towards pagans using the stone circle, and questioned why a pagan from Prestatyn is so "opinionated" about matters on Anglesey when there could be other sites in her area in Denbighshire suitable for pagan activities. A sign in Beaumaris reads: "The stone circle in Beaumaris is a symbol of the age of the Druids in Anglesey.

"It stands as a reminder that the Anglesey Eisteddfod (Eisteddfod Mon) was held in this area in the summer of 1996." Beaumaris Town Council is set to hold a Proclamation ceremony on Saturday, May 11, officially accepting the invitation to host the Anglesey Eisteddfod Mon to Beaumaris in 2025.

Meanwhile, North Wales Pagan Fest is scheduled for Saturday, June 8, 2024, at Halkyn Castle Wood in Flintshire. The event promises druidry, meditation, children's activities and a fairy trail. Tickets can be purchased through their Facebook page.