38-655: Gwydir Forest , also spelled Gwydyr , is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle , which owned this area. Natural Resources Wales uses the alternative spelling (i.e. Gwydyr Forest, Coedwig Gwydyr). Certainly as early as 1536, Leland wrote: "Gwydir lieth two bowshots above
76-632: A certain amount of natural tree growth on these hills thousands of years ago. More recently, records from the 18th century refer to the rafting of timber down the River Conwy . In the 19th century, use was made of the quay at Trefriw for the shipment of timber to the coast. In 1778, referring to Carreg-y-Gwalch, just above Gwydir Uchaf, Thomas Pennant was told that "the noblest oaks in all Wales grew on this rock within living memory." The forest occupies an undulating plateau, reaching to between 700 and 1,000 feet (210 and 300 m) above sea level, which
114-560: A certain amount of shallow mining was undertaken by the Romans—the Roman road of Sarn Helen passed through the forest. The principal mines were those of: These lie in the central part of the forest around the area known as Nant Bwlch-yr-haearn. Parc Mine was the largest and most successful of these mines. It opened in 1855 as the Gwydyr Park Consols and was worked intermittently up to the 1940s. By World War II it
152-532: A number of which follow waymarked routes. This popularity has further increased in recent years after the construction of the Marin Trail (named after the mountain bike manufacturer ), a competition-standard mountain bike route, which is approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) long with 860 metres (2,820 ft) of climbing in all. Whilst the forest has to be accessible to forest workers' vehicles (there are over 100 miles (160 km) of roads and tracks in
190-421: A supposed Colonel Hugh Wynn who is alleged to have moved to Virginia and raised a family. However, with no clear heir, Sir John bequeathed the entire Wynnstay estate to Jane Thelwall, great-granddaughter of the first baronet and wife of Sir William Williams, 2nd Baronet (c. 1665 – 20 October 1740). Sir John Wynn and Sir William Williams were the two largest landowners in north Wales at that time and together
228-468: Is Llanrwst. According to the 2001 census 39.7% of the population of the county borough have "one or more skills" in Welsh . In 2021 census 25.9% reported being able to speak Welsh, which ranks Conwy 5th out of 22 principal areas in Wales. The amount of Welsh spoken in the county borough greatly varies from location to location, with generally the least being spoken on the coastal fringe, in which English
266-576: Is divided by the valleys of the rivers Llugwy , Lledr , and Machno , all of which are tributaries of the River Conwy . Despite being a forest, much of it is not dark and enclosed, and it offers fine views over these valleys, with further views to the mountains of the Glyderau , the Carneddau and the Snowdon massif itself. The forested areas occupy the steep slopes and poorer soils of the plateau,
304-529: Is mainly spoken. Examples of the percentage of people age 3+ speaking Welsh by electoral ward, as of the 2011 census : The county borough was formed on 1 April 1996 by merging the districts of Aberconwy and Colwyn . It was originally named Aberconwy and Colwyn , but its council renamed the district a day later, on 2 April 1996, to Conwy . Conwy is represented in the UK Parliament by Labour Party politicians Gill German and Claire Hughes since
342-531: Is much less populous, and the only town is Llanrwst (3,323). The geography of Conwy is shaped by the River Conwy , which forms a wide valley down the western half of the county, bordered by the Denbigh Moors to the east and the mountains of Snowdonia National Park to the west. The River Elwy , a tributary of the Clwyd , drains the eastern half of the moors. The Conwy forms a wide estuary as it reaches
380-403: Is nothing compared to the labyrinth of tunnels below the surface, which run to many miles in length. Predominantly lead and zinc were mined, and the heyday of metal mining in the forest was between 1850 and 1919, although mining on a small scale began in the early 17th century. Indeed, whilst evidence is difficult to find following centuries of subsequent mining work, it is more than likely that
418-509: The 1708 British general election and the 1710 British general election . He retired at the 1713 British general election Wynn lived into his nineties, mainly residing in London, but died without issue in 1719. On his death the Wynn baronetcy became extinct and the ancient House of Aberffraw (which claimed direct descent from Rhodri Mawr ap Merfyn in the late 9th century and through him to
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#1732791027900456-640: The 2024 election . This election implemented new boundaries, making Conwy County Borough be in the Bangor Aberconwy and Clwyd North UK Parliament constituencies. In the Senedd , it is represented by Conservative Party politicians Janet Finch-Saunders and Darren Millar . Conwy County Borough Council was granted a coat of arms by the College of Arms in 2001. The new arms recall those of both Aberconwy and Colwyn Borough Councils. The main part of
494-600: The Forestry Act of 1919, Gwydir Forest was established by the Forestry Commission in 1921, after much of the land was acquired from Lord Ancaster , whose family had inherited the Wynn estate. The First World War had highlighted a shortage in wood production, and left the area with little natural woodland. Many of the early planters and forestry workers had no experience of forestry, being formerly employed in
532-960: The Watstay Estate through his marriage to Jane Evans (daughter of Eyton Evans of Watstay), which he renamed the Wynnstay Estate. He also, allegedly, won the manor of Stanwardine in Shropshire from Thomas Corbett in a snail race . He succeeded his cousin Sir Richard Wynn, 4th Baronet as a baronet in 1674 but did not inherit the Gwydyr Estate , which passed to his predecessor's daughter Mary (later wife of Robert Bertie, 1st Duke of Ancaster and Kesteven ). Wynn served as High Sheriff of Denbighshire for 1671–3, as High Sheriff of Caernarvonshire for 1674-75 and as High Sheriff of Merionethshire for 1675–1676. He
570-492: The River Conwy. It is a pretty place." The forest broadly encircles the village of Betws-y-Coed , and much of its midsection lies within the parish. It reaches northwards to the village of Trefriw , and southwards to the village of Penmachno . It covers an area of over 72.5 square kilometres (28.0 sq mi), including 49 square kilometres (19 sq mi) of productive woodland. Certainly there would have been
608-464: The area's poor, shallow soils, but recent years have seen the increased planting of native broadleaf species such as Welsh Oak , beech and ash . This has largely been done for aesthetic reasons, i.e. to produce variety and to reduce the hard lines produced by conifers. However, commercial reasons will always dictate the need for faster-growing conifers. These have a plant-harvest cycle of between 20 and 40 years (depending on type), whereas oak requires
646-471: The best of the soil being in the agricultural valley bottoms. Rainfall in the forest varies from under 50 inches (1,300 mm) to over 80 inches (2,000 mm) p.a. The forest is home to numerous lakes, all of which are reachable by footpaths, and nearly all of which were created to serve the mines of the Forest. In order of size, these include: There are also a number of smaller, unnamed lakes. Following
684-516: The best part of a century. The forest still gives direct employment to 75 people, and creates local work for many others. It is estimated that the forest is growing at a rate of 125 tons a day, and is naturally being harvested at much the same rate. At times rights of way in the forest may be closed or restricted where forestry work is being undertaken. This property was built by Sir John Wynn in 1604. The land owned by Natural Resources Wales in Snowdonia National Park amounts to just over 12%, and of
722-518: The borough. Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet (1628 – 11 January 1719) was a Welsh landowner and Tory politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons between 1679 and 1713. He was among the largest landowners in Wales. Wynn was the only son of Henry Wynn of Rhiwgoch, Merioneth, and was educated at the Inner Temple , 1646. He inherited
760-589: The coast, which has by wide, sandy beaches and the limestone headlands of the Great Orme and the Little Orme . The highest peak within the county is Carnedd Llewelyn , at 1,064 metres (3,491 ft), which is on the boundary with Gwynedd and is the third-highest summit in Wales. Around Betws-y-Coed is the Gwydir Forest , which is mainly given over to plantations . There are several reservoirs in
798-488: The designation of a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). In February 2001, a lesser horseshoe bat ( Rhinolophus hipposideros ) was found hibernating in a disused mine in the forest, the furthest north in the UK that this species had been found. The bat had been ringed as a juvenile in 1999 in the Forest of Dean. Despite a lack of photographic evidence, there have been over 100 reported sightings of pine martens in north Wales in
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#1732791027900836-526: The designation of part of the forest as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This very specialised group of plants are known as metallophytes , being found only around old metal workings. They are able to extract minerals from the rock that would kill other species. Principal species found on the Gwydir mine sites are pennycress and forked spleenwort . The capping of the mine shafts for safety reasons has resulted in an ideal environment for bats, and
874-418: The east. The largest settlement is Colwyn Bay , and Conwy is the administrative centre. Conwy has an area of 1,126 square kilometres (435 sq mi) and a population of 114,290 in 2022, making it sparsely populated. The population is concentrated along the coast, along which are several seaside resorts and the county's largest towns: Colwyn Bay (34,284), Llandudno (20,701), and Conwy (14,753). Inland
912-401: The first Welsh language translation of the book, which originated in the area, while the oak circlet recalls that an oak tree formed the main charge in the arms of Colwyn Borough Council, and its predecessor the municipal borough of Colwyn Bay. The motto adopted is Tegwch i Bawb , meaning "Fairness to All". The Conwy Valley Line , from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, runs through
950-604: The forest's mines, and many anecdotes from this era can be found in the book Tales from the Gwydyr Woods . Millions of seedlings were grown in the Diosgydd nursery, and the first areas planted were those that previously had some coverage. Most of the original plantations have now been felled and replanted as part of the forestry cycle. The majority of the forest is conifer ( Sitka spruce , Douglas fir , Japanese larch , Norway spruce and Scots pine ), relatively suited to
988-408: The forest), it is not open to private vehicles except on designated Open Days. However, there are a number of forest car parks and most of these have picnic sites. The forest was used as a special stage in the 2013 Wales Rally GB . Today the forest is dotted with the remains of former metal mines: old engine houses, waste tips, reservoirs, and the surface remains of the pits themselves. This, however,
1026-485: The four forest areas, the Gwydir Forest is probably the most popular based on visitor numbers. In 1937, Gwydir was designated a National Forest Park, and since 1993 the heartland of the forest has been accorded the special status of Forest Park. Promotion as an attraction has been an integral part of this designation. The forest is very accessible by wide tracks, old miners' paths, and long-established forest walks,
1064-515: The land area of the county borough lies in the Snowdonia National Park , and the council appoint three of the 18 members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority. Its total area is 1,126 km (435 sq mi), making it slightly larger than Hong Kong . The eastern part includes the larger section of Denbigh Moors . The vast majority of the population live on the coast; the only settlement of any size inland
1102-768: The land by the then Forestry Commission, efforts were made to make former mine workings safe, and before increased public access further extensive works were carried out by the National Park Authority, with funding from the Welsh Development Agency and support from the Conservation Council (now the Countryside Council for Wales , the Welsh Mines Society , and Gwynedd Archaeological Trust . Given
1140-408: The last decade, and pine marten DNA was recovered from a dropping found in Gwydir Forest in 1996. 53°07′34″N 3°49′41″W / 53.126°N 3.828°W / 53.126; -3.828 Conwy county borough Conwy County Borough ( Welsh : Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy ) is a county borough in the north of Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south and Denbighshire to
1178-436: The legendary line of Brutus ) was left without known male issue. Had Thomas Jones ( Twm Siôn Cati ) really been the illegitimate son of John "Wynn" ap Maredudd (as claimed by Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet in his family history), his children would have been next in line, illegitimate sons having the same rights of inheritance as legitimate ones under ancient Welsh law. There are also several claims that "lost" relatives such as
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1216-489: The opportunities that the wealth of tunnels below the mines offers, it is hoped that future identification of safe areas will allow the re-opening of some areas for limited access. Much has been written about the mines, most notably a series of seven books called Mines of the Gwydyr Forest . The piles of rock waste on the former mine sites have proved to be ideal breeding grounds for rare plants, and have resulted in
1254-568: The reputed arms of Nefydd Hardd, associated with the Nant Conwy area. In front of each spear is a golden garb or wheatsheaf, for the rural areas of the county borough. Above the shield, placed on the steel helm usual in British civic arms, is the crest . This takes the form of the Welsh red dragon supporting a Bible , rising from a wreath of oak leaves and acorns. The Bible is to commemorate
1292-616: The shield depicts blue and silver waves for the river from which the county borough takes its name, and also recalls the gold and blue wavy field of Colwyn's arms. On top of the waves is placed a symbolic red tower, representing Conwy Castle . The chief or upper third of the shield is coloured green, the main colour in Aberconwy's arms. In the centre of the chief is a severed head from the heraldry of Marchudd ap Cynan, Lord of Abergele and Rhos. On either side are two black spears embrued , or having drops of blood on their points. These come from
1330-615: The unclassified road that runs from Gwydir Castle (on the B5106 road ) via Nant Bwlch-yr-haearn to the Ugly House on the A5. Mention has already been made of the numerous lakes in the forest, and indeed in this central area they were all, almost without exception, created or enlarged to provide reservoirs for the mine workings. In most cases water was run from these via leats, which turned water-wheels to power machinery on site. On acquisition of
1368-578: The valleys, the largest of which is Llyn Brenig , which has an area of 3.7 square kilometres (1.4 sq mi) and extends into Denbighshire. The River Conwy , after which the county borough is named, lies wholly within the area: rising in Snowdonia and flowing through Llanrwst and Trefriw en route to the Irish Sea by Conwy . The river here marks the border between the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Denbighshire . One third of
1406-421: Was Custos Rotulorum of Merionethshire for 1678–1688, 1690–96 and 1700–1711. Wynn was returned as Member of Parliament for Merioneth in 1679. He was returned again in 1685 and held the seat until 1695. At the 1698 English general election he was returned as MP for Caernarvon Boroughs . At the 1705 English general election he was returned unopposed as MP for Caernarvonshire . He was returned unopposed at
1444-490: Was the only mine to be still working. It reopened in 1950, and it produced more lead and zinc ore between 1953 and 1957 than the whole of the Llanrwst area in the century from 1848. Despite some subsequent modernisation it closed down in c. 1960 . The first four of the mines listed above have been linked by the "Miners Trail", a circular route marked with information boards. Their remains can also easily be seen from
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