Cwm Penmachno is a former quarry settlement at the head of the Penmachno valley in North Wales

North Wales

North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...

. The slate quarry was formerly linked by narrow-gauge railway to the Ffestiniog railway

Ffestiniog Railway

The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....

 at Blaenau Ffestiniog

Blaenau Ffestiniog

Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It has a population of 5,000, including Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the third largest town in Gwynedd, behind Caernarfon & Porthmadog. Although the population reached 12,000 at the peak of the slate industry, the population fell due to...

. The slopes around the village provide streams which are the source of the river Machno

River Machno

The River Machno is a river in Snowdonia, North Wales. It is the first major tributary of the River Conwy, which it joins south of Betws-y-coed, just past the impressive Penmachno Falls....

, which flows past the larger village of Penmachno

Penmachno

Penmachno is a village in the isolated upland valley of Cwm Penmachno, 4 miles south of Betws-y-Coed in the county of Conwy, north Wales.It is renowned as the home of Bishop William Morgan , who lived at Tŷ Mawr, Y Wybrnant, near the village. He was one of the leading scholars of his day, having...

 before joining the river Conwy

River Conwy

The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...

 south of Betws-y-coed

Betws-y-Coed

Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...

.

Situated near the end of the valley is The Latymer School

The Latymer School

The Latymer School is a selective, mixed grammar school in Edmonton, north London, England.- Examination procedures :Approximately 180 pupils are admitted to Year 7 annually. Places are awarded on the basis of competitive examination, though 20 are reserved for students with exceptional musical...

's outdoor centre Ysgol Latymer which every year accommodates six year 7 trips and six year 9 as well a various geography and PE trips organised by the school. The Latymer School have bought this centre in Snowdonia National Park so its pupils can get to know each other better and to find out their individual skills in many areas