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56-551: Blaenau Ffestiniog ( Welsh pronunciation: [ˈbleɨ̯naɨ̯ fɛstˈɪnjɔg] ) is a town in Gwynedd , Wales . Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire , it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns . It reached a population of 12,000 at the peak development of the slate industry, but fell with the decline in demand for slate. The population of

112-441: A city is, the length of a ribbon corridor can pose financial concerns for utility companies as they serve buildings. Density is preferable for utility grids, thereby risking poor access for far-away buildings. Construction of a new home or building within a ribbon development may severely disrupt the flow of vehicles along the road because there are no feeder streets for construction vehicles to station on. Traffic may be forced into

168-623: A key aim for the United Kingdom's post-war planning system was to implement a presumption and convention that rendered new ribbon developments undesirable. Urban sprawl / suburbanization of large areas led to the introduction of green belt policies, new towns , planned suburbs and garden cities . Following the Industrial Revolution , ribbon development became prevalent along railway lines, predominantly in Russia ,

224-666: A lease on Gelli Farm for their quarry. In 1800, William Turner and William Casson from the Lake District bought the lease and expanded production. Turner also owned Dorothea quarry in the Nantlle Valley , adjacent to Cilgwyn. In 1819, quarrying began on slopes at Allt-fawr near Rhiwbryfdir Farm, on land owned by the Oakeley family from Tan y Bwlch . Within a decade, three slate quarries were operating on Allt-fawr. These amalgamated to form Oakeley Quarry , which became

280-619: A series of downhill mountain biking trails by Antur Stiniog . A kilometre-long zip-wire has been erected at Llechwedd Slate Caverns , which is popular with thrill-seekers. If plans go ahead, Blaenau Ffestiniog will have the UK's first vélo-rail , which is popular in France. Many artists come to Blaenau Ffestiniog for the landscape around it, perhaps inspired by the harshness of the slate tips. They include Kyffin Williams and David Nash . During

336-586: A singular lane or subjected to an alternating pattern. Because most ribbon developments exist in rural areas outside of cities, properties can disturb or obstruct the natural landscapes along the road may be constructed along an overlook, removing the public's ability to enjoy the landscape in favor of a single property owner. Elongated ribbon developments also pose challenges for municipal governments as they partition out rural areas for townships and schools. Rather than development in small towns where schools and other public amenities reside, certain locations within

392-594: A transportation route as part of a city's expansion into the frontier. They also lead to dispersion of functions, as the need for pockets of dense development that rely on each other becomes less important. Ribbon development has long been viewed as a special problem in the Republic of Ireland , where " one-off houses " proliferate on rural roads. This causes difficulties in the efficient supply of water, sewerage , broadband , electricity, telephones and public transport . In 1998, Frank McDonald contrasted development in

448-660: A watershed between the River Lledr flowing north as a tributary of the River Conwy and the River Dwyryd flowing west. Ysgol y Moelwyn is the main secondary school, covering Blaenau, Manod, Tanygrisiau, Llan Ffestiniog, Trawsfynydd, Gellilydan, Maentwrog and stretching into the Vale of Ffestiniog and Dolwyddelan . It had 309 pupils in 2016. Some pupils travel to neighbouring towns. There are five primary schools in

504-506: Is Caernarfon . The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey . Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km ) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has

560-647: Is twinned with Rawson in Argentina. Gwynedd Gwynedd ( Welsh: [ˈɡwɨnɛð] ) is a county in the north-west of Wales . It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy , Denbighshire , and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre

616-437: Is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai , both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai . Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh . According to the 2021 census , 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh, while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in

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672-489: Is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park , which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter. Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of

728-400: Is increased traffic congestion , as an increased number of people moves along the narrow urban corridor while development continues at the lengthening end of the corridor. Urban consolidation and smart city growth are often solutions that encourage growth towards a more compact urban form. Ribbon development can also be compared with a linear village – a village that grows linearly along

784-416: Is not restricted to construction along road or rail corridors, as it can also occur along ridge lines, canals and coastlines , the last of which occurs especially as people seeking seachange lifestyles build their houses for an optimal view. The resulting towns and cities are often difficult to service efficiently due to their remoteness and lack of density. Often, the first problem noticed by residents

840-487: Is probably "territory of Ffestin" (Ffestin being a personal name) or could possibly mean "defensive place". The English pronunciation of Blaenau Ffestiniog suggested by the BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names is / ˈ b l aɪ n aɪ f ɛ s ˈ t ɪ n j ɒ ɡ / , but the first word is pronounced [ˈbleɨna] in the area, reflecting features of the local Welsh dialect. Before

896-560: Is protected by the Llŷn AONB . Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake ( Llyn Tegid ). The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales , which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from

952-470: The 2011 census . It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales. The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5 and 15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011. The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001, from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though

1008-575: The Ffestiniog Railway and the Llechwedd Slate Caverns , a former slate mine open to visitors. Llechwedd is often placed among Wales's top five visitor attractions. Near Blaenau Ffestiniog there are miles of mountain landscape with derelict quarries, rivers, various lakes and walking routes. Several mountain biking trails have been created, some suitable for competitions. Bikes are available for hire. The town centre has recently been regenerated, as funding from organisations, grants and

1064-542: The Kingdom of England until Edward I 's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech , which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site . During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in

1120-576: The Local Government Act 1972 . It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire , and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd ); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire : Llanrwst , Llansanffraid Glan Conwy , Eglwysbach , Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan. The county was divided into five districts : Aberconwy , Arfon , Dwyfor , Meirionnydd and Anglesey . The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished

1176-733: The United Kingdom , and the United States . However, the investment required to build railway stations , the ensuing attractiveness of easy rail access, and need for accompanying roads often led to new small settlements outside of the center city. Ribbon developments yielded attractive home locations on isolated roads as increasing motor car ownership meant that houses could be sold easily even if they were remote from workplaces and urban centres . Developers were pleased to not have to construct additional roads, thereby saving money and plot space. Ribbon developments also filled spaces at

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1232-570: The United Kingdom , and the United States . The deliberate promotion of Metro-land along London's Metropolitan Railway serves as a strong example of this form of development. Similar examples can be found from Long Island (where Frederick W Dunton bought much real estate to encourage New Yorkers to settle along the Long Island Rail Road lines), Boston and across the American Midwest . Ribbon development

1288-521: The Welsh Government of £4.5 million are spent. A new bus station has been built along with new viewing areas for neighbouring mountain ranges. Several slate structures have been built with poetry engraved on them. These are about 40 ft tall and intended to respond visually to the slate hills and mountains. Poetry and local sayings have also been engraved on slate bands set in pavements in the town centre. Various walkways have been installed, and

1344-406: The community , including the nearby village Llan Ffestiniog , was 4,875 at the 2011 census: the fourth most populous in Gwynedd after Bangor , Caernarfon and Llandeiniolen . The population not including Llan is now only about 4,000. The meaning of Blaenau Ffestiniog is "uplands of Ffestiniog". The Welsh word blaenau is the plural of blaen "upland, remote region". Ffestiniog here

1400-462: The 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough . The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire , as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions,

1456-530: The 1980s and 1990s, such as Llwybr Llaethog and Anweledig , and more recent bands such as Gai Toms , Frizbee and Gwibdaith Hen Frân . The local alternative-music training school Gwallgofiaid has over a dozen bands at its centre at the Old Police Station in Park Square, served by five rehearsal rooms, a 24-track studio and Cwrt performance space. In birth date order: Blaenau Ffestiniog

1512-654: The A470 climbs steeply to the Crimea Pass and meets the A5 at Betws-y-Coed , giving access to Llangollen , Wrexham and Shrewsbury in the east and Bangor and Holyhead in the west. Town bus services are mainly provided by Arriva Buses Wales and Llew Jones, with routes to Porthmadog, Dolgellau and to Llandudno via Betws-y-Coed and Llanrwst . Town circular services via Tanygrisiau are operated hourly on weekdays by John's Coaches. Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station , on

1568-523: The Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council . As a unitary authority , the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees . The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy . In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd

1624-553: The Ffestiniog Railway closed. In August 1945 the secluded farmhouse of Bwlch Ocyn at Manod, belonging to Clough Williams-Ellis , became the home for three years of the writer Arthur Koestler and his wife Mamaine. While there, Koestler became a close friend of his fellow writer George Orwell . The remaining quarries served by the Rhiwbach Tramway closed in the 1950s and 1960s. Oakeley closed in 1970, with

1680-427: The Oakeley and Llechwedd quarries. As early as 1801, new roads were built specifically for the quarries. By 1851, there were 3,460 people living in the new town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. During the 1860s and 1870s the boom in the slate industry fed the nascent town of Blaenau Ffestiniog. It gained its first church and first school and saw much ribbon development along its roads. The Old Market Hall , which also served as

1736-1080: The Republic with that in Northern Ireland : " Enniskillen [ in Northern Ireland ] is well defined with clear boundaries to the town and well-laid-out shopping streets. Letterkenny , [ in the Republic ] by contrast, appears as just one long street with bungalow development trailing off over all the surrounding hills." The houses (ofter disparaged as " McMansions ") are also criticised for spoiling countryside scenery: Monaghan County Council in 2013 declared that "The Council will resist development that would create or extend ribbon development." Tipperary County Council and many other councils have adopted similar policies. Recently, in places such as Flanders, Belgium, regional zoning policy has resulted in ribbon development patterns. Various spatial policies embedded in these plans help predict where ribbon developments may occur and at what rate. Due to

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1792-625: The Second World War, the National Gallery stored art treasures in one of the mines in the town, to protect them from damage or destruction. The large steel gates are still standing preserving the paintings that remain in the caverns. Blaenau Ffestiniog has a strong musical tradition from quarrying days, ranging from the Caban, male voice choirs and brass bands , to Jazz/Dance bands like "The New Majestics", popular rock bands of

1848-544: The Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six. There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England. The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy

1904-524: The area. Most Blaenau Ffestiniog people habitually speak Welsh. At the 2011 census, 78.6 per cent over the age of three said they could speak it, as against 80.9 per cent at the 2001 census. The latest inspection reports of the town's primary schools, Ysgol Maenofferen and Ysgol Y Manod, both in 2016, put the proportion of pupils speaking Welsh at home at 87 and 85 per cent. At the town's secondary school, Ysgol y Moelwyn, 82 per cent of pupils came from Welsh-speaking homes in 2014, making its Welsh-speaking intake

1960-399: The armed forces and production fell. There was a short post-war boom, but the long-term trend was towards mass-produced tiles and cheaper slate sourced from Spain . Oakeley Quarry took over Cwmorthin, Votty & Bowydd and Diphwys Casson, while Llechwedd acquired Maenofferen. Despite this consolidation, the decline continued. The Second World War brought a further loss of workforce. In 1946,

2016-561: The highest among secondary schools in the former county of Meirionnydd and fourth highest among those in Gwynedd . The main access to Blaenau Ffestiniog is the A470 road north to Llandudno and south to Dolgellau and beyond. The A496 runs south to the coastal resorts of Harlech and Barmouth and connects with the A487 towards Porthmadog and the Llŷn Peninsula . Just north of the town,

2072-455: The highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language . The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. The county contains much of Snowdonia ( Eryri ), a national park which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon ( Yr Wyddfa ; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which

2128-420: The interstice between urban areas, and resultingly appealed to potential buyers needing to access one or more of these locations. The extent of this development practice around roads led to several problems becoming more intense. Ribbon developments were ultimately recognized as an inefficient use of resources, requiring bypass roads to be built, and often served as a precursor to untrammelled urban sprawl . Thus

2184-452: The largest underground slate mine in the world. Quarrying grew fast in the earlier 19th century. Notable quarries opened at Llechwedd , Maenofferen and Votty & Bowydd , while Turner and Casson's Diphwys Casson flourished. Further off, Cwmorthin and Wrysgan quarries were dug to the south of the town, while at the head of Cwm Penmachno to the north-east, a series of quarries started at Rhiwbach , Cwt y Bugail and Blaen y Cwm . To

2240-465: The loss of many local jobs. It re-opened in 1974 on a much smaller scale and was reworked until 2010. Maenofferen and Llechwedd continued, but Maenofferen finally closed in 1998. Llechwedd is still a working quarry, working the David Jones part of Maenofferen (level two-and-a-half). As the slate industry shrank, so did the population of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which fell to 4,875 in 2011. Tourism became

2296-464: The main road being flanked by homes or commercial establishments, stoppages in traffic may frequently occur as a result of deliveries or vehicles entering or exiting driveways. This can pose danger for other vehicles that may not see entering traffic, especially if the road is bordered by garages. Residents may also choose to walk alongside the road, an activity made more dangerous by fast-moving traffic. For as simple as linear construction emanating from

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2352-979: The name and the Irish Féni , an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían , 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed , at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c.  AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name

2408-425: The number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy. The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries. Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county. The education sector

2464-436: The proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%. The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh. Ribbon development Normally the first ribbons are focused on roads . Following the Industrial Revolution , ribbon development became prevalent along railway lines, predominantly in Russia ,

2520-593: The site of the former Great Western station, is used by the Ffestiniog Railway and the Conwy Valley Line , their previous stations being no longer in use. The Conwy Valley line runs to the North Wales coast at Llandudno Junction , with links to Chester , Holyhead and Manchester. At various times the town has been the terminus for four independent railway lines, each with its own station or stations: Blaenau Ffestiniog's tourist attractions include

2576-411: The slate industry grew, present-day Blaenau Ffestiniog was a farming region, with scattered farms working the uplands below the cliffs of Dolgaregddu and Nyth-y-Gigfran. A few of the historic farmhouses survive at Cwm Bowydd, Neuadd Ddu, Gelli, Pen y Bryn and Cefn Bychan. Much of the land was owned by large estates. Blaenau Ffestiniog town arose to support workers in the local slate mines. At its peak, it

2632-399: The south-east another cluster worked the slopes of Manod Mawr . The workforce for these was drawn initially from nearby towns and villages such as Ffestiniog and Maentwrog . Before the arrival of railways, travel to the quarries was difficult and workers' houses were built nearby. These typically grew up round existing farms and roads between them. An early settlement was at Rhiwbryfdir, for

2688-510: The town hall, was completed in 1864. By 1881, its population had reached 11,274. The slate boom gave way to a sharp decline. The 1890s saw several quarries lose money for the first time, and several fail entirely, including Cwmorthin and Nyth-y-Gigfran. Blaenau Ffestiniog hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1898. The slate industry recovered only partly from the recession of the 1890s. The First World War sent many quarrymen into

2744-485: The town is in the centre of the Snowdonia National Park , the boundaries exclude it and its substantial slate-waste heaps. Blaenau Ffestiniog has one of the highest rainfalls in Wales. It has several reservoirs, one of which supplies the Ffestiniog Hydro Power Station. Stwlan Dam lies between two of the mountains in the area, Moelwyn Bach and Moelwyn Mawr . The mountains round the town form

2800-758: The town's largest employer, with the development of Gloddfa Ganol in the Oakeley quarry and the Slate Caverns at Llechwedd quarry. The revived Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd remain popular attractions, as does the Antur Stiniog downhill mountain-biking centre, and more recently the Zip World Titan zip-line site, which includes the Bounce Below slate-mine activity centre. Some local villages, notably Tanygrisiau and Manod , are sometimes taken to be parts of Blaenau Ffestiniog. Although

2856-529: The world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire . In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine , meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between

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2912-507: Was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd. A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary

2968-407: Was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough , and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of

3024-630: Was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police . The Snowdonia National Park

3080-528: Was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974. Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England . The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under

3136-533: Was the largest in Merioneth. In 1765, two men from the long-established Cilgwyn quarry near Nantlle began quarrying in Ceunant y Diphwys to the north-east of the present town. The valley had long been known for slate beds worked on a small scale. The original quarry has been wiped out by subsequent mining, but it was probably at or near Diphwys Casson Quarry . Led by Methusalem Jones, eight Cilgwyn partners took

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