Trawsfynydd may
have lost its talented poet, but he still lives on in the form of a statue…
Just 12 minutes from Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd, north Wales, Trawsfynydd
is a village situated amongst some of the most splendid countryside Wales
has to offer. Being only 12 miles from the rural Welsh town of Dolgellau
and 14 miles from the coastal town of Harlech, there is plenty to see
and do both in and around Trawsfynydd. Many pass the village by while
travelling from north to south wales on the busy A470, but pause a while
and pay a visit to this little village on the banks of Llyn Trawsfynydd.
Village centre
Blink and you might just miss Trawsfynydd village centre. The village
is to be found via a short detour off the main highway that leaves Trawsfynydd
a peaceful backwater. With two grocery stores, a butcher, baker (no candlestick
maker), a post office and a newsagent the shopping is adequate for restocking
the larder on a self catering holiday but its not exactly Oxford Street.
But then you don't visit North Wales for the shopping. And hey! there
are two friendly public houses to choose from.
Attractions.
Fishing
One of the huge advantages to Trawsfynydd is the man made lake reservoir
which lies on the edge of the village. Not only is it a prime spot for
enjoyable and breathtaking walks, but it is also the perfect place for
whiling away your afternoon fishing. Being Wales’s third largest
lake and covering over 13 acres of land, Trawsfynydd Lake is home to
trout, rainbow and perch. You can fish between the hours of 8am (if you’re
an early bird) to one hour after sunset and fishing boats are also available
for hire if you really want to ‘push the boat out’ with
your angling experience.
Walking
The Trawsfynydd lakeside walk takes you round one of the most beautiful
lakes in Wales with fantastic views of the Moelwyn and Arenig Mountains.
But what makes it particularly special is the open countryside and the
natural broadleaf woodlands around the lake. There are oak, birch, and
hazel trees in abundance .... More >
Llechwedd Slate Caverns
Travel 8 miles to Blaenau Ffestiniog to experience the wonderful attraction
of the Llechwedd Slate Caverns. Re-enacting the life of the Victorian
miner, visitors have a number of areas of the mine to explore. Take the
Deep Mine tour with your ‘ghost’ guide Sion Dolgarregddu,
who will guide you down to the depths of the mine where you will wind
your way through pitch black tunnels and incredible caverns. Don’t
forget to pay attention to the underground lake either, a fascinating
sight to see!
The Llechwedd Slate Caverns is open all year round excluding Christmas
Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Many events are held at the
mine throughout the year, including an annual visit from Santa. On a
personal note, I couldn’t understand at five years old why Santa
was living underground in Blaenau Ffestiniog and not in the snow at the
North Pole, but it certainly gave a twist on the old Santa story.
History
Trawsfynydd is most likely to have been given its name by the Romans.
The Roman residents would have called it Trans Mons, meaning over the
mountains, an apt name given that Trawsfynydd is surrounded by incredible
Welsh mountains. Of course, most of the Roman remains can be found at
nearby Tomen y Mur, as can the Norman motte and bailey castle.
During the Second World War, the War Office
used a site near Trawsfynydd for training exercises. This was greeted by several
protests and many local people were in disagreement to the War Office’s
decision
I
n the 20th Century the town developed around the now redundant Nuclear
Power Station situated on the northern edge of the Trawsfynydd reservoir.
The power station was the source for considerable employment for several
decades and is still providing employment during the many years of
de-commissioning.
Tomen y Mur
Tomen-y-Mur is a Roman military settlement set on a mountain shoulder
overlooking the Trawsfynydd basin. It was established in the late first
century and occupied into the second century if not later. The site
continued to be important into the early medieval period and the fort
defences may have been refortified, possibly when Norman armies encamped
here in the late eleventh-early twelfth century. The 'Tomen', the great
castle mound, was probably raised in the twelfth or thirteenth century
and may have been associated with a llys or princely court. This historic
settlement close to the village must be visited by anyone with a passion
for ancient history. Believed to have been built by the Normans, this
perfectly rounded motte was certainly very popular, having been occupied
by both the Norman kings and the princes of Gwynedd. This was despite
the fact that it was in an isolated and rather dismal location. The
ruins of the walls which would have once surrounded the motte and the
bailey below can still be seen, giving a fascinating insight into how
the settlement would have once looked. Today however, it is sheep and
not soldiers that roam the bailey area below the motte.
Hedd Wyn (Trawsfynydd's most famous son)
Ellis Humphrey Evans was born on 13th January 1887, the oldest of eleven
children belonging to Evan and Mary Evans. He grew up in the Penlan area
of Trawsfynydd, working as a shepherd on the farm that his family owned;
however, unlike his father, farming was not Ellis’s main hobby.
He had a strong passion for poetry and under the bardic name Hedd Wyn,
he would constantly write his own poems and submit them to local competitions
and the national Eisteddfod (an annual Welsh arts, literature and music
festival). By 1917 Hedd Wyn had won four Eisteddfod chairs for his poetry.
In 1917, Ellis was forced to join up with the Royal Welsh Armed Forces.
Amid the horrific conditions of the war, Ellis managed to compose a poem
named ‘Yr Arwr’ (The Hero) and submitted it to the National
Eisteddfod, this time under the name ‘Fleur de Lis’.
In the September of that year, the National
Eisteddfod was held at Birkenhead near Liverpool. When it was announced that ‘Yr
Arwr’ had won the Bardic Chair, silence fell over the audience and it
was announced that Ellis Humphrey Evans had been tragically killed, like many
others, during the battle of Paaschendale on August 31st 1917. The Bardic Chair
was draped with a black cloth and now sits in the old home of Hedd Wyn, ‘Yr
Ysgwrn’ in Trawsfynydd. Ellis Evans himself is buried in Artillery Wood
Cemetery following the Armistice of 1918 and his grave can still be visited.
However, there is a bronze statue of the Hedd Wyn standing in Trawsfynydd square
today, commemorating the life of this brilliant and talented poet.
Surrounding towns and villages
Dolgellau
This beautiful town set in the peace and tranquillity of mid Wales is
well worth a visit while in the area. With 
several
small, independent shops, you will find plenty of gifts and souvenirs
to take home with you. The town is accessed via ‘Y
Bont Fawr’ (the
Big Bridge) which crosses over the river Wnion (not Onion), and was
a popular place to hang witches during the witch trials of the sixteenth
century. Dolgellau was also one of the main places for the growth of
the Quaker movement in 1667 and one such Quaker, Rowland Ellis, lived
here in Dolgellau before emigrating to Pennsylvania and founding the
Bryn Mawr college at the University of Pennsylvania.
Rowland Ellis is one of the protagonists of the Welsh
novel ‘Y Stafell Ddirgel’, and visitors who are well acquainted
with the story can take a personal tour around Dolgellau, visiting the various
places which appear in the novel.
Portmeirion
Portmeirion attracts hundreds every year, and it’s not hard to
see why. Located along the estuary of the river Dwyryd, Portmeirion mixes
Italian, Welsh and baroque-style architecture to create the fascinating
village it is today. A tollgate sits at the entrance to this tourist
village, which is open 9:30pm-5:30pm every day, and admission costs £7.00
for an adult ticket and ₤3.50 for a child (up to 16 years), whilst
under 5s go free.
Beddgelert
This peaceful village holds an internationally famous legend, which is
probably one of the reasons why hundreds of visitors flock to Beddgelert
each year. As the legend goes, Llywelyn, Prince of Wales during the
13th century, had a greyhound named Gelert, who his most loyal and
faithful companion. When 
Llywelyn returned one day from a hunt, he
found Gelert with blood dripping from his fangs, and running to his
son’s blood spattered nursery, he found the cradle overturned
and his son nowhere to be seen. Furious, Llywelyn sunk a sword into
Gelert’s side, killing him. As he did so he heard a small cry,
finding his son safe and unharmed underneath the cradle. Suddenly he
noticed a wolf’s body lying in the corner of the room, slain
by Gelert. Realising what had happened, Llywelyn broke down in tears.
He had Gelert buried on the bank of the Glaslyn river, hence the name
of the village, Beddgelert meaning ‘Gelert’s Grave’ in
Welsh. Gelert’s grave can still be visited today, as can the
ruins of Llywelyn’s palace.
Bala
Although small, the tranquil market town of Bala, just 24 minutes from
Trawsfynydd, still has plenty of attractions on offer, and none other
than Bala Lake (known in Welsh as Llyn Tegid), the largest natural
lake in Wales. Visitors come from far and wide to use the lake for
windsurfing, fishing, canoeing, sailing and many other water sports.
If you’re not a huge fan of water sports, try taking a walk around
the lake, particularly on sunny days when the views are spectacular.
Nearby is the Get Wet Activity Centre,
where you can take a high ropes course and engage in some enjoyable paint balling.
The centre even welcomes stag and hen parties—just don’t bring
them on the eve of the wedding as they might get stuck on the ropes and not
make it in time to the wedding itself.
Accommodation
Accommodation in Trawsfynydd includes self-catering cottages, a comfortable
hostel, and hotels in the surrounding villages of Maentwrog,
Llangrug and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
With all the activities and attractions right on your doorstep, you
will be spoilt for choice when you visit Trawsfynydd—what’s
more, you might even start writing a few poems. Just don’t expect
a bronze statue…
