Population 474 (2011) Community Dolwyddelan Country Wales Local time Thursday 6:42 PM | OS grid reference SH730511 Sovereign state United Kingdom Dialling code 01690 | |
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Weather 6°C, Wind W at 14 km/h, 81% Humidity | ||
Dolwyddelan castle wales great britain
Dolwyddelan, (Welsh language : the meadow of Gwyddelan) is a village and community in Conwy county borough, north Wales, on the main A470 road between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Betws-y-Coed. The name of the village translates as "Gwyddelan's meadow", referring to the 5th or 6th century Saint Gwyddelan, after whom the parish church is named. As a community, the population of Dolwyddelan was recorded in the 2001 Census as 427, and 55.8% of those residents could speak Welsh. The figures for the 2011 census were: population 474:Welsh speakers=50.8%.
Contents
- Dolwyddelan castle wales great britain
- Map of Dolwyddelan UK
- Buildings of note
- Geography
- Notable residents
- Film
- References
Map of Dolwyddelan, UK
The town's name was formerly often spelled as Dolwyddelen, especially by the railway between 1880 and 1980.
Buildings of note
The village is particularly noted for Dolwyddelan Castle, the reputed birthplace of Prince Llywelyn ab Iorwerth (Llywelyn the Great), though this unlikely as the main keep was not built until around 1220. It has a railway station on the Conwy Valley Line. Also, of note is Elen's Castle Hotel which dates back over 300 years. Once the building was home of Baron Gwydyr and part of the Earl of Ancaster's Estate. The latter sold it to his game-keeper in the 1870s who then opened it as a coaching inn which specialised in hunting parties.
Geography
Nearby mountains include Moel Siabod to the north, Moel Penamnen and Y Ro Wen to the south and, further afield, Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) lies approximately 10 miles to the west. Carreg Alltrem, a crag used by many rock climbers, can be found about a mile south of the village.
Notable residents
Angharad James, poet, lived in Cwm Penamnen, to the south of the village, most of her life and is buried in Saint Gwyddelan's church.
The village is the birthplace of Welsh preacher John Jones, Talysarn.
Playwright, writer, and theatre critic Paul Griffiths also lived and worked here.
The sprinter Rachel Johncock also lives in the village. She represented Great Britain in the 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics for the 100m and 4x100m relay.
Home of Baron Gwydyr and the Earl of Ancaster. To be precise the building which is currently Elen's Castle Hotel was his home.
Eigra Lewis Roberts is one of the best and most well-known writers of Wales. She has won two Prose Medals, National Eisteddfod Drama Crown and Medal. Although she is originally from Blaenau Ffestiniog, she has lived in Dolwyddelan for years now.
Writer and bookseller Ellis Pierce, also known as Elis o'r Nant, was from Dolwyddelan.
Film
In 1980 Walt Disney used Dolwyddelan Castle and surrounding grounds to film all the external castle scenes in the film Dragonslayer. During the making of Dragonslayer many other scenes were shot in North Wales.