Anglesey bows are modern laminated longbows, made from a number of plantation grown woods, including Ash, Bamboo, American Red Elm and Ipê. (A hardwood grown in Brazil, often used in decking.)

Anglesey pattern bows are made for shooting.  They'll look OK from a distance at a re-enactment, and most of them are beautiful, but those considerations are never allowed to compromise their ability to propel arrows accurately at a target.

Tried and tested

If something is going to go wrong with a bow, it will probably happen in the first few dozen arrows shot. So we shoot in each bow for at least five dozen arrows, and some of the arrows are lighter than you will be using, which puts more strain on the bow. This exposes any weaknesses of wood or glue, so you can have confidence in the survivors.

Know what you're buying.

At Anglesey Bow we try to give you all the information you need in choosing a bow. Each bow has a data sheet which you can access through the bows in stock link.

After each bow has been shot in, it is photographed in four states: unstrung, strung, and at half and full draw. These pictures are made into a composite like the one on the right so you can see how the bow behaves as it is bent.

Close-ups of the grip and nocks are also arranged into a composite like the one below.

The draw weight at a range of draw lengths is measured, and the results are presented as a graph.

The speed of arrows of a range of weights is measured, and the speed of 400 grain and 500 grain arrows is reported.

Any blemishes or defects are also noted on the data sheet.

Anglesey bows feature lightly moulded wooden handles that allow the bow to be shot comfortably both left or right handed using either a traditional upright longbow grip or the 45º grip that most other types of target archers prefer.  But if you prefer a traditional plain grip, we can easily sand it down.

All our bows are made to comply with GNAS regulations, including having horn nocks, and a minimum depth:width ratio of more than 5:8, so they can be shot at target competitions: which is pretty much what we're all about here at Anglesey Bow.

Our nocks are undecorated and rounded, which makes it much easier to string the bow by hand. Most of the top nocks have a secondary nock for those who wish to use a stringer.

Normally we use two-looped Dacron strings, rather than traditional tied-on strings. This limits the adjustment possible on the bracing height, but also prevents unwanted “adjustments” taking place during shooting!