Bala, Gwynedd
Encyclopedia
Bala is a market town
and community
in Gwynedd
, Wales
, and formerly an urban district
of the historic county of Merionethshire
. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake
(Welsh: Llyn Tegid), 17 miles (27 km) north-east of Dolgellau
, with a population
(2001 census
) of 1,980. It is little more than one wide street, Stryd Fawr (Literally 'Big Street' in Welsh
however translates with context into 'High Street
'). The main street and its shops can be quite busy in the summer months with many tourists.
Bala is ranked 11th in the list of the highest percentage of Welsh language
speakers in Wales. According to the (2001 census
), 80.1% of Bala's population are able to speak Welsh
fluently, with the highest percentage in the 5-9 age group, 95.7%.
In the 18th century, it was well known for the manufacture of flannel
, stockings, glove
s and hosiery
. The Tower of Bala (Welsh
: Tomen) (30 ft. / 9m high by 50 ft. / 15m diameter) is a tumulus or "moat-hill", formerly thought to mark the site of a Roman
camp. The large stone-built theological college, Coleg Y Bala, of the Calvinistic Methodists
and the grammar school
, which was founded in 1712, are the chief features, together with the statue of the Rev. Thomas Charles
(1755–1814), the theological writer, to whom was largely due the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society
. Other famous people from the Bala area include Michael D. Jones
, Christopher Timothy
, Owen Morgan Edwards
born in Llanuwchllyn
and T. E. Ellis
, born in Cefnddwysarn
.
Bala hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1967, 1997, and again 2009. The 2009 Eisteddfod was notable particularly because the chair wasn't awarded to any of the entrants as the standard was deemed to be too low.
The Welsh word "bala" means the outflow of a lake. Bala, Ontario, Canada was named after it in 1868. They have since become twin towns
.
Bala Lake
is the largest natural lake in Wales. It has frozen over solid—most recently in the severe winters of 1947 and 1963. The rare gwyniad
fish — trapped in the lake at the end of the last Ice Age
, some 10,000 years ago — is in danger because its natural home is increasingly unsuitable. A member of the whitefish family, it is found only in Llyn Tegid.
Coleg y Bala is at the top of the hill on the road towards Llyn Celyn
.
The Victoria Hall is a small old cinema, that previously was a community hall.
There are several Chapels: notably - Capel Mawr and Capel Bach.
The livestock market on Arenig street is still going strong.
Bro Eryl estate was built just after the war.
, fed from Llyn Celyn
, which runs through Bala is world famous for its white water kayak
ing. International governing bodies, the International Canoe Federation
, the European Canoe Union and the British Canoe Union
all hold national and International events there. The Canolfan Tryweryn
National Whitewater Centre has its home in Bala. There are at least three local campsite
s that can cater for the influx of canoeists from many parts of the world.
The Bala Lake Railway
runs for 4.5 miles from Llanuwchllyn to the edge of the town, along a section of the former trackbed of the Great Western Railway
line between Ruabon and Barmouth
.
An annual music festival
known as 'Wa Bala' is also held in the town. The venue hosts local Welsh bands and is similar in format to Dolgellau
's Sesiwn Fawr
.
Nearby are the mountains Aran Fawddwy
and Arenig Fawr
.
, with limited seasonal temperature ranges, and generally moderate rainfall throughout the year.
There is a met office weather station at Bala, sited at 163 metres above sea level.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
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 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...
, 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...
, and formerly an urban district
Urban district
In the England, Wales and Ireland, an urban district was a type of local government district that covered an urbanised area. Urban districts had an elected Urban District Council , which shared local government responsibilities with a county council....
of the historic county of Merionethshire
Merionethshire
Merionethshire is one of thirteen historic counties of Wales, a vice county 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...
. It lies at the north end of Bala Lake
Bala Lake
Bala Lake is a large lake in Gwynedd, Wales. It was the largest natural body of water in Wales prior to the level being raised by Thomas Telford to help support the flow of the Ellesmere Canal. It is long by wide, and is subject to sudden and dangerous floods. The River Dee runs through it and...
(Welsh: Llyn Tegid), 17 miles (27 km) north-east 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:...
, with a population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
(2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
) of 1,980. It is little more than one wide street, Stryd Fawr (Literally 'Big Street' in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
however translates with context into 'High Street
High Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
'). The main street and its shops can be quite busy in the summer months with many tourists.
Bala is ranked 11th in the list of the highest percentage of Welsh language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
speakers in Wales. According to the (2001 census
United Kingdom Census 2001
A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK Census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194....
), 80.1% of Bala's population are able to speak Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
fluently, with the highest percentage in the 5-9 age group, 95.7%.
In the 18th century, it was well known for the manufacture of flannel
Flannel
Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of various fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fibre. Flannel may be brushed to create extra softness or remain unbrushed. The brushing process is a mechanical process...
, stockings, glove
Glove
A glove is a garment covering the hand. Gloves have separate sheaths or openings for each finger and the thumb; if there is an opening but no covering sheath for each finger they are called "fingerless gloves". Fingerless gloves with one large opening rather than individual openings for each...
s and hosiery
Hosiery
Hosiery, also referred to as legwear, describes garments worn directly on the feet and legs. The term originated as the collective term for products of which a maker or seller is termed a hosier; and those products are also known generically as hose...
. The Tower of Bala (Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
: Tomen) (30 ft. / 9m high by 50 ft. / 15m diameter) is a tumulus or "moat-hill", formerly thought to mark the site of a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
camp. The large stone-built theological college, Coleg Y Bala, of the Calvinistic Methodists
Calvinistic Methodists
Calvinistic Methodists are a body of Christians forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales and claiming to be the only denomination of the Presbyterian order in Wales which is of purely Welsh origin.-Early history:...
and the grammar school
Grammar school
A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching classical languages but more recently an academically-oriented secondary school.The original purpose of mediaeval...
, which was founded in 1712, are the chief features, together with the statue of the Rev. Thomas Charles
Thomas Charles
Thomas Charles was a Welsh Nonconformist clergyman of considerable importance in the history of modern Wales.-Early life:...
(1755–1814), the theological writer, to whom was largely due the foundation of the British and Foreign Bible Society
British and Foreign Bible Society
The British and Foreign Bible Society, often known in England and Wales as simply as Bible Society, is a non-denominational Christian Bible society with charity status whose purpose is to make the Bible available throughout the world....
. Other famous people from the Bala area include Michael D. Jones
Michael D. Jones
Michael Daniel Jones was a Welsh Congregationalist minister and principal of a theological college, but is best remembered as a founder of the Welsh settlement in Patagonia known as Y Wladfa and as one of the fathers of modern Welsh nationalism.Jones was born in Llanuwchllyn, Merioneth in 1822...
, Christopher Timothy
Christopher Timothy
Christopher Timothy is a Welsh actor, television director and writer. Timothy is possibly best known today for his role as James Herriot in All Creatures Great and Small; more recently he has starred as Dr. Brendan 'Mac' McGuire in the British television drama Doctors...
, Owen Morgan Edwards
Owen Morgan Edwards
Owen Morgan Edwards was a Welsh historian, educationalist and writer. He is often known as O. M. Edwards....
born in Llanuwchllyn
Llanuwchllyn
Llanuwchllyn is a village in Gwynedd, Wales, near the southern end of Bala Lake . Its population according to the United Kingdom Census 2001 was 834., of which approximately 81% were Welsh-speaking....
and T. E. Ellis
T. E. Ellis
Thomas Edward Ellis , usually known as T. E. Ellis, was a Welsh politician who was the leader of Cymru Fydd, a movement aimed at gaining home rule for Wales.-Life:...
, born in Cefnddwysarn
Cefnddwysarn
Cefnddwysarn is a small village in Gwynedd, Wales.It is located on the A494 road approximately 3 miles east of the town of Bala and 8 miles west of Corwen. The village is situated within the traditional county of Merionethshire.- External links :*...
.
Bala hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1967, 1997, and again 2009. The 2009 Eisteddfod was notable particularly because the chair wasn't awarded to any of the entrants as the standard was deemed to be too low.
The Welsh word "bala" means the outflow of a lake. Bala, Ontario, Canada was named after it in 1868. They have since become twin towns
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
.
Bala Lake
Bala Lake
Bala Lake is a large lake in Gwynedd, Wales. It was the largest natural body of water in Wales prior to the level being raised by Thomas Telford to help support the flow of the Ellesmere Canal. It is long by wide, and is subject to sudden and dangerous floods. The River Dee runs through it and...
is the largest natural lake in Wales. It has frozen over solid—most recently in the severe winters of 1947 and 1963. The rare gwyniad
Gwyniad
The gwyniad is a freshwater whitefish native to Bala Lake in northern Wales.The population is threatened by deteriorating water quality and by the ruffe, a fish introduced to the lake in the 1980s and now eating the eggs and fry of gwyniad...
fish — trapped in the lake at the end of the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
, some 10,000 years ago — is in danger because its natural home is increasingly unsuitable. A member of the whitefish family, it is found only in Llyn Tegid.
Coleg y Bala is at the top of the hill on the road towards Llyn Celyn
Llyn Celyn
Llyn Celyn is a large reservoir constructed between 1960 and 1965 in the valley of the River Tryweryn in Gwynedd, North Wales. It measures roughly 2½ miles long by a mile wide, and has a maximum depth of...
.
The Victoria Hall is a small old cinema, that previously was a community hall.
There are several Chapels: notably - Capel Mawr and Capel Bach.
The livestock market on Arenig street is still going strong.
Bro Eryl estate was built just after the war.
Attractions
The Afon TrywerynAfon Tryweryn
For the flooding of the Tryweryn Valley, see Llyn Celyn.The Tryweryn is a river in north Wales which starts at Llyn Tryweryn in the Snowdonia National Park and after joins the river Dee at Bala. It is one of the main tributaries of the Dee and has been dammed to form Llyn Celyn...
, fed from Llyn Celyn
Llyn Celyn
Llyn Celyn is a large reservoir constructed between 1960 and 1965 in the valley of the River Tryweryn in Gwynedd, North Wales. It measures roughly 2½ miles long by a mile wide, and has a maximum depth of...
, which runs through Bala is world famous for its white water kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing. International governing bodies, the International Canoe Federation
International Canoe Federation
The International Canoe Federation is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide...
, the European Canoe Union and the British Canoe Union
British Canoe Union
The British Canoe Union is a national governing body for canoeing in the United Kingdom, whose stated purpose is "Helping and Inspiring people to go canoeing”....
all hold national and International events there. The Canolfan Tryweryn
Canolfan Tryweryn
Canolfan Tryweryn is the National White Water Centre for Wales, and is based near Bala in North Wales. It developed the first commercial white water rafting operation in the UK in 1986, and since then has grown to become the largest and most well-respected rafting organisation in the UK...
National Whitewater Centre has its home in Bala. There are at least three local campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
s that can cater for the influx of canoeists from many parts of the world.
The Bala Lake Railway
Bala Lake Railway
The Bala Lake Railway is a preserved railway at Bala Lake, in Gwynedd, north Wales, which runs for a distance of using gauge rolling stock....
runs for 4.5 miles from Llanuwchllyn to the edge of the town, along a section of the former trackbed of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The 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 in 1838...
line between Ruabon and Barmouth
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:...
.
An annual music festival
Music festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
known as 'Wa Bala' is also held in the town. The venue hosts local Welsh bands and is similar in format to 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:...
's Sesiwn Fawr
Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau
Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau is a world music event held in the town of Dolgellau in Wales. The event was established in 1992, and was held in the town's streets. Since 2002, Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau has been held on the Marian, a large grassy area next to Afon Wnion. There is a campsite provided for visitors...
.
Nearby are the mountains Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy
Aran Fawddwy is a mountain in southern Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom.The nearest urban centres to the mountain are Dinas Mawddwy to the south, Llanymawddwy to the southeast, Llanuwchllyn on the shores of Bala Lake to the north, and Rhydymain to the west. On the eastern slopes of Aran Fawddwy is...
and Arenig Fawr
Arenig Fawr
Arenig Fawr is a mountain located in Snowdonia, North Wales. The mountain, which is the largest in the area, lies close to Llyn Celyn reservoir alongside the A4212 between Trawsfynydd and Bala.-Location:...
.
Climate
As with the rest of the UK, Bala benefits from a maritime climateOceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
, with limited seasonal temperature ranges, and generally moderate rainfall throughout the year.
There is a met office weather station at Bala, sited at 163 metres above sea level.
See also
- Bala SeriesBala SeriesIn geology, the Bala Series is a group of dark slates and sandstones with beds of limestone which occurs in the neighborhood of Bala, Gwynedd, in north Wales....
of geologic beds in Bala - Bala Cynwyd, PennsylvaniaBala Cynwyd, PennsylvaniaBala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
- Bala Town F.C.Bala Town F.C.Bala Town Football Club are a Welsh football team that currently play in the Welsh Premier League. They play their games at Maes Tegid in Bala, Gwynedd, Wales...
The local football team. - Bala RFCBala RFCBala Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the market town of Bala, North Wales. Bala RFC is a member of the Welsh Rugby Union and is a feeder club for the Scarlets.-2008/09 season:...
, local rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club.