Blaenau Ffestiniog is a small
townA town is a type of settlement ranging from a few hundred to several thousand inhabitants, although it may be applied loosely even to huge metropolitan areas; the precise meaning varies between countries and is not always a matter of legal definition...
in
GwyneddGwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although one of the biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
,
north-westNorth Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales, bordered to the south by Mid Wales and to the east by England.It comprises the island of Anglesey, the Llŷn peninsula and the Snowdonia mountain range, together with the catchments of the Rivers Conwy, Clwyd and Dee with the River Dyfi...
WalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
. It has a
populationIn biology, a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular species; in sociology, a collection of human beings. Individuals within a population share a factor may be reduced by statistical means, but such a generalization may be too vague to imply anything...
of 4,830 according to the
United Kingdom Census 2001A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census....
.
History
Blaenau Ffestiniog hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1898. It was formerly part of the ancient county of
MerionethshireMerionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, and a former administrative county.The administrative county of Merioneth, created under the Local Government Act 1888, was abolished under the Local Government Act 1972 on April 1, 1974...
. Locals divide Blaenau Ffestiniog into "parts" - among these are Tanygrisau and Manod. In this sense Blaenau Ffestiniog is sometimes used to refer only to the centre of town.
Pronunciation
The English pronunciation of Blaenau Ffestiniog suggested by the
BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names is , but the first word is pronounced by local
WelshWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic spoken natively in Wales, in England by some along the Welsh border and in the Welsh immigrant colony in the Chubut Valley in Argentine Patagonia....
speakers.
Geography
Located in the
mountainA mountain is a large landform that stretches above the surrounding land in a limited area usually in the form of a peak. A mountain is generally steeper than a hill. The adjective montane is used to describe mountainous areas and things associated with them...
s of
SnowdoniaSnowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
, the town was once a centre of the Welsh
slate miningThe slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarvon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
industry. This industry declined during the early 20th century. The town's economy is now largely dependent on
tourismTourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel to and stay in places outside their usual environment for more than twenty-four hours and not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other...
. Although the town is in the centre of the Snowdonia National Park, the boundaries of the Park are specifically arranged to omit the town with its substantial slate waste heaps from the Park.
The hills around Blaenau Ffestiniog form the watershed between the
River LledrThe River Lledr is a river in North Wales and the second major tributary of the River Conwy.The Lledr has its source on the eastern slopes of Ysgafell Wen, which lies between Moel Siabod and Cnicht...
flowing to the north (a tributary of the
River ConwyThe River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long...
) and the
River DwyrydThe Afon Dwyryd is a river in Gwynedd, North Wales, which flows principally westwards draining to the sea into Tremadog Bay south of Porthmadog....
flowing to the west.
Education
Ysgol y Moelwyn is the main
secondary schoolSecondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education, takes place. It follows on from elementary or primary education....
in the area, covering Blaenau, Manod, Tanygrisiau, Llan Ffestiniog, Trawsfynydd, Gellilydan, and even stretching into the Vale of Ffestiniog. There are five primary schools in the area, many are due for closure or mergers with other schools.
Transport
The main access route to Blaenau Ffestiniog is via the
A470 roadThe A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
which runs from the north to the south of Wales. The A497, which runs West to East, feeds the
Llŷn PeninsulaThe Llŷn Peninsula extends into the Irish Sea from north west Wales, southwest of the island of Anglesey. It is part of the modern county and historic region of Gwynedd. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root — Laighin in modern Irish — as the word Leinster...
into the A487 (which runs from Bangor through Caernarfon and into Porthmadog, which in turn connects with the north-south A470. Immediately to the north of the town the A470 climbs steeply to the
Crimea PassThe Crimea Pass is a mountain pass in north Wales, on the A470 road between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Dolwyddelan.At its highest point, it is above sea level, and is sometimes closed in winter because of snow...
and meets the A5 at
Betws-y-CoedBetws-y-Coed is a village in the Conwy valley in the county borough of Conwy, north-west Wales. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - ie. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
.
At various times the town has been the terminus for four independent railway lines, each with its own station or stations:
- the Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd in Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
- the Festiniog and Blaenau Railway
The Festiniog & Blaenau Railway was a narrow gauge railway built in 1868 to connect the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog with the slate quarries around Tanymanod and the smaller town of Llan Ffestiniog. At Blaenau Ffestiniog it made a direct connected with the Ffestiniog Railway with which it was closely...
- the Conwy Valley Line
The Conwy Valley Line is a railway line in north Wales. It runs from Llandudno via Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and was originally part of the London and North Western Railway, being opened in stages to 1879. The primary purpose of the line was to carry slate from the Ffestiniog...
of the London and North Western RailwayThe London and North Western Railway was a railway company of the United Kingdom which existed between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three railway companies - the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway. During the late...
, and
- the Bala Ffestiniog Line
The Bala and Ffestiniog Railway was a standard-gauge railway backed by the Great Western Railway railway in North Wales which connected Bala with Blaenau Ffestiniog.- History :...
of the Great Western RailwayThe Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835, and ran its first trains three years later...
.
Today
Blaenau Ffestiniog railway stationBlaenau Ffestiniog railway station serves the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, and is the passenger terminus of the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction. Arriva Trains Wales operate through services to Llandudno Junction and Llandudno...
on the site of the former Great Western station serves as a combined station for the Ffestiniog Railway and the Conwy Valley line, their previous stations being no longer in use.
Tourism
Blaenau Ffestiniog boasts several major
tourist attractionA tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
s, including the
Ffestiniog RailwayThe Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd in Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
, and also the
Llechwedd Slate CavernsLlechwedd Slate Caverns is a visitor attraction in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales. Visitors can travel on the Miners' Tramway or descend into the Deep Mine, via a funicular railway, to explore the former Llechwedd slate quarry and learn how slate was extracted and processed and about the lives...
, a former slate mine open to visitors. Llechwedd is regularly listed as one of Wales' top 5 visitor attractions.
Music
Blaenau Ffestiniog has strong roots and tradition with music from the Quarrying boom days with the Caban, Male voice choirs and
brass bandA brass band is a musical group generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles which include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
s, to the Jazz / Dance bands like ‘The New Majestics’ to the popular-rock bands of the 80-90’s such as
Llwybr LlaethogLlwybr Llaethog are an experimental Welsh language band that effectively mix such varied musical genres as rap, dub, reggae, hip hop, and punk in their music....
and
AnweledigAnweledig are a band from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales; their style is a mixture of funk, reggae, ska and rock. The band consists of Ceri Cunnington , Gai Toms , Iwan 'Oz' Jones , Rhys Roberts , Alwyn Evans , Joe Buckley , Edwin Humphries , Barri Gwilliam , and Arwel Davies .The band became popular in...
, to most recent bands such as Gai Toms, Frizbee and Gwybdaith Hen Fran. Further to this local Alternative Music training Company Gwallgofiaid now has 12 + bands under its umbrella based at their Center 'Cell' at the Old Police Station in Park Square. The Centre has 5 rehearsal rooms, a 24 track studio and Cwrt performance space, but recently the center has been put under threat of closure because of lack of funding.
Notable residents
- David Nash
David Nash is a British sculptor based in Blaenau FfestiniogNash is a sculptor who has worked worldwide with wood, trees and the natural environment for thirty-five years....
, artist
- John Cowper Powys
John Cowper Powys was a British writer, lecturer, and philosopher.-Biography:Powys was born in Shirley, Derbyshire, the son of a Victorian clergyman whose ancestors had estates on the Welsh borders. His mother was descended from the poet William Cowper, hence his middle name...
, novelist.
- Llwybr Llaethog
Llwybr Llaethog are an experimental Welsh language band that effectively mix such varied musical genres as rap, dub, reggae, hip hop, and punk in their music....
, musical group.
- Glyn Wise, contestant and runner up on Big Brother 7
Big Brother 7 in 2006 was the seventh series of the United Kingdom reality television series Big Brother. It aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, from 18 May 2006 to 18 August 2006, a total of 93 days....
.
- Anweledig
Anweledig are a band from Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales; their style is a mixture of funk, reggae, ska and rock. The band consists of Ceri Cunnington , Gai Toms , Iwan 'Oz' Jones , Rhys Roberts , Alwyn Evans , Joe Buckley , Edwin Humphries , Barri Gwilliam , and Arwel Davies .The band became popular in...
, musical group. :cy:Anweledig
- Gwyn Thomas
Professor Gwyn Thomas , is a Welsh poet, academic and a former National Poet for Wales.Raised in Tanygrisiau and Blaenau Ffestiniog, Thomas was educated at Ysgol Sir Ffestiniog, University of Wales, Bangor and Jesus College, Oxford; Prof Thomas is presently Emeritus Professor of Welsh at the...
, WelshWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom, bordered by England to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It is also an elective region of the European Union...
poetA poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, academic and the present National Poet for WalesThe post of National Poet of Wales was established in May 2005 by Academi – the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Writers. The post is supported by the Arts Council of Wales’ Lottery fund....
.
- Dave Felgate
David Felgate is a charismatic former Welsh football goalkeeper. Due to his stature, many supporters affectionately nicknamed him "the fat goalie". Felgate had a long professional career from 1978 to 1995, making a total of 612 Football League appearances...
, footballer.
See also
- Llan Ffestiniog
Llan Ffestiniog, also known as Ffestiniog or simply Llan is a small village in Gwynedd , north Wales, lying south of Blaenau Ffestiniog....
- Tanygrisiau
Tanygrisiau is a village in the upper end of the Vale of Ffestiniog in the county of Gwynedd, north-west Wales . It can be found along the southern side of the Moelwyn mountain range and dates to around 1750...
- Llechwedd quarry
Llechwedd quarry is a major slate quarry in the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, north Wales. At its peak in 1884 it produced 23,788 tons of finished slate per year and had 513 employees. It continues to produce slate on a limited scale and is the location of the Llechwedd Slate Caverns tourist...
- Oakeley Quarry
Oakeley Quarry is a slate mine in the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, north Wales.- History :Oakeley Quarry originated in 1818 when Samuel Holland leased a small quarry at Rhiwbryfdir farm. This venture was successful and was sold in 1825 to the Welsh Slate Company. Holland then opened a new quarry at...
- Maenofferen Quarry
Maenofferen Quarry is a major slate quarry in the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, north Wales and one of the major users of the Ffestiniog Railway. It continues to produce crushed slate on a limited scale under the ownership of the nearby Llechwedd quarry....
External links