40-603: Tanygrisiau is a village and area within Blaenau Ffestiniog in the upper end of the Vale of Ffestiniog in the county of Gwynedd , north-west Wales ( 52°59′12″N 3°57′25″W / 52.98667°N 3.95694°W / 52.98667; -3.95694 ). It can be found along the southern side of the Moelwyn mountain range and dates to around 1750. It joins onto the semi-urban area of Blaenau Ffestiniog , and
80-648: A doughnut-shaped area excluded from the National Park. Exclusion from the park was also intended to attract new industries to the area. Blaenau Ffestiniog 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
120-467: 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 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
160-621: 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
200-661: 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
240-457: Is twinned with Rawson in Argentina. Llan Ffestiniog Llan Ffestiniog , also known as Ffestiniog or simply Llan , is a village in Gwynedd (formerly in the county of Merionethshire ), Wales , about 2 miles south of Blaenau Ffestiniog . Llan Ffestiniog is the older of the two communities, with its church and other buildings predating most of Blaenau Ffestiniog. The population
280-500: Is "uplands of Ffestiniog". The Welsh word blaenau is the plural of blaen "upland, remote region". Ffestiniog here 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
320-559: Is a waterfall on the Afon Cwmorthin and below the falls, and powered by a different water source, is a very small hydro-electric power station . The closure of the slate mines during the late 1970s led to massive depopulation of the area from which it has only recently (2005) begun to recover. Tanygrisiau has close links with the regiment of the Royal Welch Fusiliers . Welsh is the predominant language of
360-484: Is a headstone inlaid in the slate floor, part of which is under the second stairway, believed to have been constructed in the late 19th century. Part of Meirion House was once a small drover's bank , known as Banc y Ddafad Ddu ("The Bank of the Black Sheep"). In the early 19th century, it was a draper's shop. In the early 20th century, it became a guest house, with the original visitors book dating back to 1909. It
400-405: Is derived from the county of Meirionydd , and the core of the building is thought to date back to 1411. Several annexes were added over the years, with a business established in 1726. It has nevertheless retained much of its original character, including the original pitch pine and oak beams and lath and plaster ceiling, slate floors and inglenook fireplace with inset cast iron double oven. There
440-559: Is in the community of Ffestiniog ; located between 650 feet (200 m) and 750 feet (230 m) above sea level. it is in the electoral ward of Bowydd and Rhiw which had a 2011 census population of 1878. The village itself has a population of around 350. The Moelwyns protect the village from much of the wind from northerly gales in the winter and give the village a pleasant southerly aspect with relatively mild weather considering its location high in Snowdonia . However rainfall in
SECTION 10
#1732775714265480-592: Is now held at the National Library of Wales Elizabeth Gaskell , the Victorian era writer whose novels and short stories were a critique of the era's inequality in industrial cities and of its attitudes towards women, was fond of Ffestiniog. Mr and Mrs Gaskell visited the village and spent some time there on their wedding tour. On another, later visit in 1844, it was at the inn there that their young son William caught scarlet fever , from which he died. It
520-413: Is on the Ffestiniog Railway , a narrow gauge railway built to carry slate from the mines down to the sea at Porthmadog where it was shipped all around the world, mostly for use in roofing. The nearby Ffestiniog power station , the high Stwlan Dam and Llyn Ystradau, colloquially known as Tanygrisiau Reservoir, are part of a pumped storage hydroelectricity installation. Much nearer the railway station
560-576: 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
600-522: 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
640-530: 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
680-654: 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
720-600: The Cwt y Bugail quarry, which was used to house the nation's art galleries' treasures. The houses next door were built on the site of Abbey Arms, an old coaching inn , which once had its own stables. Notable persons who live, or have lived, in Llan Ffestiniog include actor, author and comedian Mici Plwm, journalist and TV presenter Mared Parry. The cartoonist Mal Humphreys, otherwise known as Mumph, who worked for many Welsh and UK broadcasters and publications. His life's work
760-555: 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
800-512: 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 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
840-625: 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
SECTION 20
#1732775714265880-540: The area and the medium of instruction in all local schools. The village is a starting point for walks into the Moelwyns, especially if the intention is to climb Moelwyn itself. Care should be taken as there are numerous mine shafts in the area. As a result of the slate mining, when the Snowdonia National Park was created, Tanygrisiau, Manod and Blaenau Ffestiniog were left outside, thus creating
920-525: 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
960-399: 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,
1000-402: The first word is pronounced [ˈbleɨna] in the area, reflecting features of the local Welsh dialect. Before 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
1040-561: 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,
1080-564: The land was owned by large estates. Blaenau Ffestiniog town arose to support workers in the local slate mines. At its peak, it 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
1120-467: 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
1160-593: 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
1200-535: 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 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
1240-513: 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
Tanygrisiau - Misplaced Pages Continue
1280-537: 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
1320-759: 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
1360-492: The upper end of the Ffestiniog valley can be very high all year around. Tanygrisiau, or more properly 'Tan y grisiau', is Welsh for "below the steps", referring to the stepped cliffs above the village. Tanygrisiau was famous for its slate mining , producing a high quality black slate that was used across the world. The major quarries above the village were Cwmorthin , Wrysgan and Conglog . Tanygrisiau railway station
1400-453: Was at Rhiwbryfdir, for 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
1440-562: Was closed to passenger services on 2 January 1960. There are several bus services running. The area is connected with Blodeuwedd , Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Gronw Pebr , all characters in the Four Branches of the Mabinogi . An old rock on the bank of Afon Cynfal , to the south of the village, is called Gronw's Slate . It has a small hole through it, and it is believed that this was the rock that Gronw grasped to defend himself against
1480-630: Was given as 864 in the 2011 census. Attractions near the village include the Rhaeadr Cynfal waterfalls and the remains of the Tomen-y-Mur Roman fort and amphitheatre . A decommissioned nuclear power station lies south of the village, at Trawsfynydd . Situated in the square opposite the Pengwern Arms, is the oldest dwelling and established business in the area, Meirion House, a Grade II* listed building. Its name
1520-552: Was probably at or near Diphwys Casson Quarry . Led by Methusalem Jones, eight Cilgwyn partners took 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
1560-518: Was to turn her thoughts from her bereavement that she took her husband's advice and began to write her first novel, Mary Barton . George Borrow wrote briefly about Ffestiniog and its church-side pub , the Pengwern , in his travelogue Wild Wales . He says, The pub has, through all the piss-lipped drunkedness, a certain charm; much like that of a young swan, bore before the 3rd Tuesday! Ffestiniog railway station opened on 30 May 1868. It
1600-478: Was used extensively by cyclists, and was at one time the official quarters of the National Cyclists Union (NCU). In the visitors book there is an entry referencing the ghost of "Elizabeth". The house was owned by Thomas John Wynn, 5th Baron Newborough until 1925, when it was sold to Robert Thomas Williams. During World War II, officials from the National Gallery stayed there, whilst working at
#264735