Gwynedd
Located on the north
western side of Wales, Gwynedd is a perfect place to visit. It is mostly
located within Snowdonia National Park, and the Snowdonia mountain ranges
and Cambrian Coastline. It offers visitors a wide range of attractions
from activity programmes to inspirational cultural and historical places
to visit.
Porthmadog
A harbour town situated
on the Glaslyn Estuary, Porthmadog is rich in maritime history and is an
excellent base for touring the surrounding area. It has a number craft
shops and restaurants. The town was named after W.A. Maddocks whose
ambitious "Cob" embankment scheme led to the town's name, which translates
as "Madog's Port". In times gone by, it was a vital, busy shipping port
for the international slate trade, brought down from Blaenau Ffestiniog.
The maritime history depicts its proud past.
Ffestiniog Railway.
A 21km trek through
meadows, woodlands, lakes and waterfalls within Snowdonia National Park.
It was in 1832 that an Act of Parliament allowed the construction of the
railway from Porthmadog to near Ffestiniog and opened to freight traffic
on April 20th 1836. Powered by horses initially, the first steam
locomotives were put in use of October 23rd 1863 at a cost of £1000 for
each of the two engines. Passenger services started in 1865 and carried
over 100,000 passengers per year were for the first three years along with
100,000 tons of slate. In the 1880's the slate industry was in decline,
exasperated by the building of the slate wharf at Delaney by the London
North Western Rail Company. By 1900 the company already relied on tourists
to make up the income.
Portmeirion.
The unique and famous
Italianate village built by the architect Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. The
village is reduced in scale, like a diorama, giving the impression of
large size in a moderate space. It became famous as the set for the
television series The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan, who was Number
6. Portmeirion is halfway between Porthmadog and Penrhyndeudraeth and
located on a rugged cliff top on its own private peninsula overlooking
Cardigan Bay and is surrounded by subtropical woodlands and miles of sandy
beaches. The walks are well worth the visit.
Blackrock
Located on the outskirts of Porthmadog, the beach at Blackrock Sands
stretches for miles and is a haven for beach games and resting. T. E
Lawrence, of Lawrence of Arabia fame lived nearby and the 14th century
poet Shelley is reputed to have regularly visited.
Criccieth
This coastal resort
offers superb views of Tremadog Bay, sandy beaches, fine restaurants and
good accommodation.
Criccieth
Castle, built by
Llewelyn the Great in the l3th Century dominates the skyline and hosts an
exhibition reliving Gerald of Wales' journey through Wales. Today the town
attracts watersports enthusiasts. It is home to the famous Cadwaladers ice
cream first produced in the 1920's.
Pwllheli
Pwllheli "salt water
pool" is an old market town at the entrance to the Llyn Peninsula which
received the Borough Charter over 600 years ago by the Black Prince.
It is an ideal base for touring the Llyn Peninsula and the town's Marian y
De beach has obtained a European Blue Flag Award. The town is full of
character with its narrow streets, shops and cafes. Every Wednesday the
open-air market is held on Y Maes. Hafan Pwllheli Marina. The marina is
reputed as being one of Britain's finest marinas and sailing centres and a
‘European Centre of Excellence’ in Sailing, and the venue to a number of
National and International sailing and water sports events. There is also
a local leisure centre, which can be used when the weather is not so good.
Pennarth Fawr is a medieval stone house with a superb wooden interior. The
National Trust's Plas yn Rhiw a 17 / 19th Century Welsh manor house set in
ornamental gardens, is well worth a visit as is Plas Glyn y Weddw art
gallery, a Victorian gothic mansion which hosts exhibitions and has
excellent landscaped gardens
History tells us that in early Christian times the Llyn Peninsula was a
land of saints and pilgrims, hill forts, holy wells and small churches of
which the remains can often be seen. The area is soaked in early Celtic
religious history and up to 20,000 Saints are allegedly buried on Ynys
Enlli or Bardsey meaning the "Island of Strong Currents".
Pwllheli harbour has a long history - wines from the Continent were
imported through here and the coast was a haven for smugglers and pirates.
As recently as the last century it was one of the main fishing and
ship-building centres in North Wales with nearly 30 ships in production at
the same time. The arrival of railways in Pwllheli allowed it to develop
further as a centre of social and political life, business and tourism.
Llanystumdwy is the home of "Highgate", the childhood home of David Lloyd
George, the famous Liberal Statesman who later became Prime Minister. A
Victorian schoolroom museum is dedicated to his life and his grave can be
found by the River Dwyfor. The memorial gates by his grave were a gift
from Pwllheli in 1952 and carry the elephant and castle which figure in
the town's coat of arms.
Beddgelert
This mountain village is situated beside the River's Glaslyn and Colwyn in
the heart of the Snowdonia National Park in the midst of Snowdonia's
magnificent walking country.
The name Beddgelert, meaning Gelert's grave, is famed for the legend of
Gelert the dog that was left by Prince Llywelyn to guard his child. The
poor dog covered in blood was killed by his master before he realised that
the heroic hound had in fact saved the child from the wolf. Visit the site
of Gelert's grave and Llywelyn's cottage.
Beddgelert over the years has won a number of National accolades for its
admirable environmental programme to enhance the village - Wales in Bloom.
Britain in Bloom and in 1997 won the Gold Award for villages in the
ENTENTE FLORALE, the prestigious Europe in Bloom competition.
The village is also linked with the Rupert the Bear stories, as Alfred
Bestall wrote and illustrated some of the stories whilst he lived in
Beddgelert.
You can experience the copper mining industry by visiting Sygun Copper
Mine, an 18th/19th century mining workings with its winding tunnels
containing Stalactites and Stalagmites and colourful caverns. Take an
underground tour and learn the geology of Snowdonia and how copper ore was
extracted.
Castles
Wales abounds with magnificent castles. Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech are
all World Heritage Sites and definitely worth a visit. The sheer power and
presence of Wales' most famous castle, Caernarfon Castle, is still awesome
in today’s world. When first built in the 13th century, it must have
presented an invincible image to the people it dominated.
In 1969, HRH Prince Charles, became Prince of Wales at his investiture in
Caernarfon Castle.
At Conwy, the mighty 13th Century castle dominates the estuary and you can
walk the ancient town walls which gives a flavour of the might of this
ancient monument.
Activity holidays in Wales
Wales provides stiff
competition for other venues in terms of the number and range of
activities taking place within such a localised area. For an adventure and
activity holiday with wide open spaces and breathtaking scenery then
Snowdonia, Llyn Peninsula and the Cambrian Coast are worth considering.
The activities include walking, cycling, climbing, pony trekking, surfing,
water skiing, canoeing, quad biking, clay pigeon shooting, or abseiling.
There are six designated routes to the summit of Snowdon and a variety of
walking routes to Cader Idris, Snowdonia is the ideal place for both
serious climbers and keen walkers.
Llanberis is an excellent base from which to explore Snowdonia and
there is a network of attractive walks suitable for all the family. For
stunning walks through scenic gorges and by rushing rivers, start off at
Betws-y-Coed.
The Welsh Language and Culture
Welsh is the first language of over a million people, and in the area of
Snowdonia, the Llyn Peninsula and the Cambrian Coast around 70% of the
population are Welsh speakers. Welsh is one of the oldest living languages
in Europe and shares its roots with Breton, Gaelic and Cornish. The sense
of community is very strong and Snowdonia's appeal springs from its unique
heritage, culture and language, which touches on everyday life, giving
this area a truly distinctive character.
Bala
Bala is an historic town
close to Llyn Tegid - the largest natural lake in Wales. It Welsh name of
‘Gwyl y Gwyniad’ was named after the Ice Age old fish that still lurks
within its very deep waters. |
