Abergynolwyn

Abergynolwyn (English: Mouth of the River with a Whirlpool) is a village in southern Gwynedd, Wales, located at the confluence of the Nant Gwernol and the Afon Dysynni.[1] The population of the community which is named after the village of Llanfihangel-y-Pennant was 339 at the 2011 census.

Abergynolwyn
Abergynolwyn
Abergynolwyn is located in Gwynedd
Abergynolwyn
Abergynolwyn
Location within Gwynedd
OS grid referenceSH679070
Community
Principal area
Preserved county
CountryWales
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Post townTYWYN
Postcode districtLL36
Dialling code01654
PoliceNorth Wales
FireNorth Wales
AmbulanceWelsh
UK Parliament
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament

History
Abergynolwyn around 1880, showing the village incline

Historically, the village was part of Merionethshire and its main industry was slate quarrying. The village was founded in the 1860s to house workers at the nearby Bryn Eglwys quarry. The quarry brought in migrant workers from other areas of Wales and at one time the village had an Anglican church and three nonconformist chapels. The slate was shipped to the coast on the Talyllyn Railway. A decline in the demand for Welsh slate caused reductions in the workforce, and the quarry finally closed in 1948. Today farming, forestry and tourism are the major local industries.[2]

Talyllyn Railway
Main article: Talyllyn Railway

The village pub, the Railway Inn, is named after the Talyllyn Railway whose narrow gauge branch once reached into the heart of the village down an incline from a ledge on the hillside above. The railway now terminates at Nant Gwernol station above the village, although for many years the terminus was at Abergynolwyn Station outside the village.[3]

Local attractions

Llyn Mwyngil (Tal-y-llyn Lake), just upstream from Abergynolwyn is an unspoilt lake created when a massive landslide blocked the valley long ago.[4] Hiking trails to the summit of Cadair Idris start from here. The Iron Age fort on Craig yr Aderyn shows that the area was strategically important in prehistoric times. In 1221, the mediaeval Welsh castle of Castell y Bere near Llanfihangel-y-pennant was built by Llewellyn the Great, occupied by the Welsh and later besieged by forces under Edward I of England in 1282.[2]

References
  1. "Landranger 124: Dolgellau and surrounding area", 1.25 inch map, Ordnance Survey
  2. Taylor, Scott. "Abergynolwyn: Past and present". Archived from the original on 7 April 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  3. "Things to Do". Talyllyn Railway. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  4. Stephens, Nicholas (1990). Natural Landscapes of Britain from the Air. CUP Archive. pp. 64–65. ISBN 978-0-521-32390-1.
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