About Home
I live in Llanbedr, a small village in North Wales. This area is noted for
its natural beauty, and is an ideal holiday venue with its combination of rugged mountain
scenery and picture postcard beaches. The village lies in the valley of the River Artro,
between Harlech and Barmouth on the A496. The Artro, a small river about seven miles
in length, drains from Llyn (lake) Cwm Bychan. The river runs down a wooded valley
before passing through the village, and joining the sea at Shell Island. The Rhinog
mountains are a few miles inland, and rise to over 2,300 feet. They are best known for
the Roman Steps (the trackway that crosses them) and the Cwm
Bychan and Cwm Nantcol valleys.
Cwm Bychan is "a wild and stony place" wrote Thomas Pennant.
During his visit here in 1773 he was entertained by Evan Lloyd — whose forebears had
occupied this area since 1100 — and ate a meal of coch yr wden or hung goat.
The Lloyds went to America in 1886 but the wild goats still live among the
rocky crags.
The Roman Steps were not, as the name suggests, built by the Romans. Finds
of Bronze Age implements indicate the trackway was in use for hundreds of years
before the Roman occupation, but it may have been used by them. In medieval times
improvements were made to cope with the increasing number of pack animals — carrying
wool from Bala to the coast at Harlech or Llanbedr — by the laying of five hundred
or so stone paving slabs.
Cwm Nantcol was once the home of Colonel John Jones, who lived in a farm house at
the far end of the valley. He fought with the Parliamentarians during
the Civil War and was the first signatory to Charles 1's death warrant. Later, he
married Oliver Cromwell's sister and became Commissioner for Ireland. In 1660 he
was arrested and sentenced to death for regicide.
Salem Chapel, Llanbedr was built in the 1850's. This is where the artist
Curnow Vosper painted Salem. The painting was purchased by Lord Leverhulme in 1909,
who used it to sell Sunlight Soap.
Harlech is just three miles away and is famous for its magnificently sited castle,
which looks out across Tremadog bay from a lofty hilltop position. The castle was
built by Edward I; construction began in 1283 and was completed seven years later.
When the castle was first built it stood almost on the seashore and since then has
seen plenty of action. It was thought to be impregnable until, in 1404, it was taken
by Owain Glyndwr who established his court here until his family was taken prisoner
four years later. The song Men of Harlech was composed to commemorate the holding of
the castle by the Lancastrians during a siege in the 15th century War of the Roses.
Snowdonia forms the backdrop to Harlech castle and the North Wales coast. Snowdon rises
3,560 feet (1,085 metres) above sea level, and is the second highest peak in Great
Britain. From the summit there are breathtaking views out over Anglesey towards
Ireland. Much of North and South Wales, and middle England, is visible from the
top of Wales' highest mountain.