Arthog
Encyclopedia
Arthog is a village
and community
in the Meirionnydd
area of Gwynedd
in Wales
. It is located on the A493
, approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) west of Dolgellau
, and has a population of 1,010.
It is well known for its outdoor activity centres and the nearby Llynnau Cregennen (Cregennen lakes). The Arthog Outdoor Education Centre is owned by Telford and Wrekin Council and is primarily used in term-time by schools from the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Education Authorities. The other outdoor activity centre, Min Y Don, has been family owned and run since the 1950s. They too are primarily used in term-time by schools from the Midlands, but are also heavily involved with local community work too.
Mawddach Crescent, a row of properties overlooking the Mawddach estuary, was built early in the 20th century by Solomon Andrews, a Cardiff
entrepreneur. He intended this to be the start of a purpose built holiday resort, but the surrounding land proved unsuitable. The Royal Marines
commandeered Mawddach Crescent during the Second World War and it became Iceland Camp. As well as commandeering the Crescent of Victorian houses the marines built huts on the nearby Fegla Fawr, the bases of which can still be seen up in the trees above the estuary.
The village was served by Arthog railway station
(on the Barmouth - Ruabon line
) until the complete closure of the line in 1964. The line is now a footpath known as the Llwybr Mawddach (English
: Mawddach Trail), and is popular with both walkers and cyclists.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and community
Community (Wales)
A community is a division of land in Wales that forms the lowest-tier of local government in Wales. Welsh communities are analogous to civil parishes in England....
in the Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd
Meirionnydd is a coastal and mountainous region of Wales. It has been a kingdom, a cantref, a district and, as Merionethshire, a county.-Kingdom:...
area of Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is located on the A493
A493 road
The A493 is a road located on the west coast of mid Wales and connects Dolgellau to Machynlleth via the coast, avoiding Corris and Cross Foxes.-Route:...
, approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) west of Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
, and has a population of 1,010.
It is well known for its outdoor activity centres and the nearby Llynnau Cregennen (Cregennen lakes). The Arthog Outdoor Education Centre is owned by Telford and Wrekin Council and is primarily used in term-time by schools from the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Education Authorities. The other outdoor activity centre, Min Y Don, has been family owned and run since the 1950s. They too are primarily used in term-time by schools from the Midlands, but are also heavily involved with local community work too.
Mawddach Crescent, a row of properties overlooking the Mawddach estuary, was built early in the 20th century by Solomon Andrews, a Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
entrepreneur. He intended this to be the start of a purpose built holiday resort, but the surrounding land proved unsuitable. The Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
commandeered Mawddach Crescent during the Second World War and it became Iceland Camp. As well as commandeering the Crescent of Victorian houses the marines built huts on the nearby Fegla Fawr, the bases of which can still be seen up in the trees above the estuary.
The village was served by Arthog railway station
Arthog railway station
Arthog railway station in Gwynedd, Wales, was a station on the branch of the Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway . It closed to passengers on 18 January 1965.-History:...
(on the Barmouth - Ruabon line
Ruabon Barmouth Line
The Ruabon to Barmouth Line was a standard gauge branch line of the Great Western Railway across the north of Wales which connected Ruabon, in the east, with Barmouth on the west coast.-Connections:...
) until the complete closure of the line in 1964. The line is now a footpath known as the Llwybr Mawddach (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Mawddach Trail), and is popular with both walkers and cyclists.