Betws-y-Coed
Encyclopedia
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. The earliest record of the name is 'Betus', in 1254.
Betws-y-Coed lies in the Snowdonia National Park, in a valley near the point where the River Conwy
is joined by the River Llugwy
and the River Lledr
, and was founded around a monastery
in the late sixth century. The village grew very slowly with the development of the local lead mining
industry. In 1815, the Waterloo Bridge
built by Thomas Telford
to carry the A5 road across the River Conwy and through the village, brought considerable transport-related development. The village became a major coaching
centre between Corwen
(to the east) and Capel Curig
(to the west) on the Irish Mail route from London
to Holyhead
, which led to the improvement of the roads south to Blaenau Ffestiniog
and north to Llanrwst
and Conwy
. It is a primary destination for the purpose of road signs.
Construction of Betws-y-Coed railway station
in 1868 heralded the arrival of the railway line from Llandudno Junction railway station
, and resulted in the village's population increasing by around 500.
The village has a large village green
which is the playing field for the local football team. The green is bounded on its western side by the A5 Trunk Road with 19th century buildings including shops, hotels, and the Church of St Mary
. This church was built on the site of a former cockpit
and fair
ground, and although it is of early English appearance, it was completed as recently as 1873, the internal roof timbers testifying to this relatively young age. The interior also features various types of stone - local bluestone, sandstone
(and floor tiles) from Ancaster
, and black serpentine from Cornwall
. The square bell tower was added in 1907, and the integral church hall was added in the 1970s, the commemorative stone being laid by the Earl of Ancaster in 1976.
On the southern side of the green is Betws-y-Coed railway station
with cafes and tourist shops and a car park. In the former railway goods yard, reached from the station, is the Conwy Valley Railway Museum
with its extensive miniature railway. The village also has a motor museum with a collection of over thirty vintage car
s and early automobile
s.
Other attractions in the village include the Miners' Bridge and the fourteenth century church of St. Michael, which is the origin of the name Betws (meaning "prayer-house"). There are scenic walks beside the river Llugwy, which flows through the village, and the River Conwy provides further attractions including the Fairy Glen, the Conwy Fish pass
and waterfall
s including the Conwy Falls. The Pont-y-Pair Falls are in the centre of the village (also the site of a 53 hole rock cannon
), and a mile upstream are the famous Swallow Falls
.
The picturesque Llyn Elsi
reservoir
nearby is popular with walkers and anglers, and also provides water for the village.
The village is also a centre for outdoor activities and lies within the Gwydyr Forest.
The village is home to at least one well known rock band
; Melys
were founded there in 1996.
The Betws-y-Coed railway station, a passenger station on the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, is an integral part of the settlement's tourism industry. The train service is operated by Arriva Trains Wales and is marketed as the Conwy Valley Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Dyffryn Conwy).
The railway station is also a bus interchange used by the Snowdonia National Park Sherpa bus services to Capel Curig, Pen-y-Gwryd, Pen-y-Pass, Beddgelert, Porthmadog, Tryfan and Bethesda. Other connecting bus services operate to Penmachno, Corwen, Llangollen, Llanrwst, Trefriw, Dolgarrog, Conwy and Llandudno. The local bus timetables advertise the train services and the "Gwynedd Red Rover" day ticket is valid on Conwy Valley trains as well as the Sherpa and Conwy Valley bus services. A coach park at the station is extensively used by tourist coach operators.
The Conwy Valley line was constructed by the London and North Western Railway with the primary aim of transporting dressed slate from the Blaenau Ffestiniog quarries to a specially built quay at Deganwy for export by sea. The original plans envisaged a railhead at Betws-y-Coed and a large goods yard was established with intended interchange to a proposed narrow gauge line (with a significant saving in construction costs) via the steeply graded Lledr Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Other entrepreneurs proposed narrow gauge lines from Corwen to Betws-y-Coed, Penmachno to Betws-y-Coed and from Beddgelert to Betws-y-Coed. In the event the line to Blaenau, which was not completed until 1879, was built to standard gauge and the other proposals were abandoned.
Extensive passenger and goods facilities were however provided at Betws-y-Coed, where the station, which was opened in 1868, adjoins the London to Holyhead A5 turnpike road and was thus ideally located to serve many isolated communities in Snowdonia and also the rapidly developing tourist industry. In the LMS timetables the station was listed as "Bettws-y-Coed - Station for Capel Curig".
There was originally a passing loop with full length up and down platforms. The loop was removed some years ago but the footbridge that previously gave access to the now removed down platform has been retained and provides access to the Conwy Valley Railway Museum, which runs a miniature railway and other attractions in the former goods yard.
The comprehensive range of passenger station buildings has been preserved and sympathetically adapted for use as cafes and tourist shops. The station now functions as an unstaffed halt. The platform was refurbished and a Passenger Information System installed in Spring 2009.
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 Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, 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 has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...
Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory. The earliest record of the name is 'Betus', in 1254.
Betws-y-Coed lies in the Snowdonia National Park, in a valley near the point where 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."...
is joined by the River Llugwy
River Llugwy
The River Llugwy is a tributary of the River Conwy, and has its source at Ffynnon Llugwy, a lake in the Carneddau range of mountains in Snowdonia.-Location and catchment area :...
and the River Lledr
River Lledr
The River Lledr is a river in North Wales and the second major tributary of the River Conwy.The Lledr has its source on the eastern slopes of Ysgafell Wen, which lies between Moel Siabod and Cnicht...
, and was founded around a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
in the late sixth century. The village grew very slowly with the development of the local lead mining
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
industry. In 1815, the Waterloo Bridge
Waterloo Bridge, Betws-y-Coed
Waterloo Bridge is an early cast iron bridge, spanning the River Conwy at Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy county borough, north-west Wales.The bridge is located about half a mile south-east of the village. It was built by the civil engineer Thomas Telford...
built by Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE was a Scottish civil engineer, architect and stonemason, and a noted road, bridge and canal builder.-Early career:...
to carry the A5 road across the River Conwy and through the village, brought considerable transport-related development. The village became a major coaching
Coach (carriage)
A coach was originally a large, usually closed, four-wheeled carriage with two or more horses harnessed as a team, controlled by a coachman and/or one or more postilions. It had doors in the sides, with generally a front and a back seat inside and, for the driver, a small, usually elevated seat in...
centre between Corwen
Corwen
Corwen is a town and community in the county of Denbighshire in Wales; it was previously part of the county of Meirionnydd). Corwen stands on the banks of the River Dee beneath the Berwyn mountains. The town is situated west of Llangollen and south of Ruthin...
(to the east) and Capel Curig
Capel Curig
Capel Curig is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales. It lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226...
(to the west) on the Irish Mail route from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
, which led to the improvement of the roads south to 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...
and north to Llanrwst
Llanrwst
Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
and Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
. It is a primary destination for the purpose of road signs.
Construction of Betws-y-Coed railway station
Betws-y-Coed railway station
Betws-y-Coed railway station is a passenger station on the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog.The passenger train service is operated by Arriva Trains Wales and is marketed as the Conwy Valley Railway ....
in 1868 heralded the arrival of the railway line from Llandudno Junction railway station
Llandudno Junction railway station
Llandudno Junction railway station is on the Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. The station is managed by Arriva Trains Wales, although Virgin Trains also serves it....
, and resulted in the village's population increasing by around 500.
The village has a large village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
which is the playing field for the local football team. The green is bounded on its western side by the A5 Trunk Road with 19th century buildings including shops, hotels, and the Church of St Mary
St Mary's Church, Betws-y-Coed
St Mary's Church, Betws-y-Coed, is in the village of Betws-y-Coed, Conwy, Wales. It is an active Anglican parish church of the Church of Wales, in the deanery of Arllechwedd, the archdeaconry of Bangor and the diocese of Bangor...
. This church was built on the site of a former cockpit
Cockfight
A cockfight is a blood sport between two roosters , held in a ring called a cockpit. Cockfighting is now illegal throughout all states in the United States, Brazil, Australia and in most of Europe. It is still legal in several U.S. territories....
and fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
ground, and although it is of early English appearance, it was completed as recently as 1873, the internal roof timbers testifying to this relatively young age. The interior also features various types of stone - local bluestone, sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
(and floor tiles) from Ancaster
Ancaster, Lincolnshire
Ancaster is a village in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England, on the site of the Roman town of "Causennae"Ancaster Hall at The University of Nottingham is named after the parish and the, now extinct, title of the Earl of Ancaster....
, and black serpentine from Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
. The square bell tower was added in 1907, and the integral church hall was added in the 1970s, the commemorative stone being laid by the Earl of Ancaster in 1976.
On the southern side of the green is Betws-y-Coed railway station
Betws-y-Coed railway station
Betws-y-Coed railway station is a passenger station on the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog.The passenger train service is operated by Arriva Trains Wales and is marketed as the Conwy Valley Railway ....
with cafes and tourist shops and a car park. In the former railway goods yard, reached from the station, is the Conwy Valley Railway Museum
Conwy Valley Railway Museum
The Conwy Valley Railway Museum is located at Betws-y-Coed railway station, Betws-y-Coed, North Wales, on the site of the old railway goods yard.-Museum:...
with its extensive miniature railway. The village also has a motor museum with a collection of over thirty vintage car
Vintage car
A vintage car is commonly defined as a car built between the start of 1919 and the end of 1930 known as the "Vintage era". There is little debate about the start date of the vintage period—the end of World War I is a nicely defined marker there—but the end date is a matter of a little...
s and early automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s.
Other attractions in the village include the Miners' Bridge and the fourteenth century church of St. Michael, which is the origin of the name Betws (meaning "prayer-house"). There are scenic walks beside the river Llugwy, which flows through the village, and the River Conwy provides further attractions including the Fairy Glen, the Conwy Fish pass
Fish ladder
A fish ladder, also known as a fishway, fish pass or fish steps, is a structure on or around artificial barriers to facilitate diadromous fishes' natural migration. Most fishways enable fish to pass around the barriers by swimming and leaping up a series of relatively low steps into the waters on...
and waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s including the Conwy Falls. The Pont-y-Pair Falls are in the centre of the village (also the site of a 53 hole rock cannon
Rock cannon
A rock cannon, also known in Welsh as a cerrig cannan, craig cannan, or in the 19th century, craig fagnel , is a rock or boulder which has been bored with holes which can be partly loaded with black powder and ignited to make explosive sounds during traditional celebrations...
), and a mile upstream are the famous Swallow Falls
Swallow Falls
Swallow Falls is a name coined by early tourists for the Rhaeadr Ewynnol, , a multiple waterfall system in Wales, located on the Afon Llugwy near Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy county borough. It is visited by tens of thousands of tourists annually....
.
The picturesque Llyn Elsi
Llyn Elsi
Llyn Elsi is a lake located above the village of Betws-y-coed in the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It is a reservoir providing water for the village....
reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
nearby is popular with walkers and anglers, and also provides water for the village.
The village is also a centre for outdoor activities and lies within the Gwydyr Forest.
The village is home to at least one well known rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
; Melys
Melys
Melys are a Welsh independent rock band from Betws-y-Coed in Conwy, Wales, formed in 1996. They sing in both English and Welsh...
were founded there in 1996.
The Betws-y-Coed railway station, a passenger station on the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, is an integral part of the settlement's tourism industry. The train service is operated by Arriva Trains Wales and is marketed as the Conwy Valley Railway (Welsh: Rheilffordd Dyffryn Conwy).
The railway station is also a bus interchange used by the Snowdonia National Park Sherpa bus services to Capel Curig, Pen-y-Gwryd, Pen-y-Pass, Beddgelert, Porthmadog, Tryfan and Bethesda. Other connecting bus services operate to Penmachno, Corwen, Llangollen, Llanrwst, Trefriw, Dolgarrog, Conwy and Llandudno. The local bus timetables advertise the train services and the "Gwynedd Red Rover" day ticket is valid on Conwy Valley trains as well as the Sherpa and Conwy Valley bus services. A coach park at the station is extensively used by tourist coach operators.
The Conwy Valley line was constructed by the London and North Western Railway with the primary aim of transporting dressed slate from the Blaenau Ffestiniog quarries to a specially built quay at Deganwy for export by sea. The original plans envisaged a railhead at Betws-y-Coed and a large goods yard was established with intended interchange to a proposed narrow gauge line (with a significant saving in construction costs) via the steeply graded Lledr Valley to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Other entrepreneurs proposed narrow gauge lines from Corwen to Betws-y-Coed, Penmachno to Betws-y-Coed and from Beddgelert to Betws-y-Coed. In the event the line to Blaenau, which was not completed until 1879, was built to standard gauge and the other proposals were abandoned.
Extensive passenger and goods facilities were however provided at Betws-y-Coed, where the station, which was opened in 1868, adjoins the London to Holyhead A5 turnpike road and was thus ideally located to serve many isolated communities in Snowdonia and also the rapidly developing tourist industry. In the LMS timetables the station was listed as "Bettws-y-Coed - Station for Capel Curig".
There was originally a passing loop with full length up and down platforms. The loop was removed some years ago but the footbridge that previously gave access to the now removed down platform has been retained and provides access to the Conwy Valley Railway Museum, which runs a miniature railway and other attractions in the former goods yard.
The comprehensive range of passenger station buildings has been preserved and sympathetically adapted for use as cafes and tourist shops. The station now functions as an unstaffed halt. The platform was refurbished and a Passenger Information System installed in Spring 2009.
External links
- Betws-y-Coed Tourist Association website
- Cantorion Colin Jones (The North Wales Male Chorus)
- Betws-y-Coed's Garden Nursery and Gardens
- Betws-y-Coed website
- Betws-y-Coed Illustrated Guide to Snowdonia
- "Our Village" (BBC site)
- The Conwy Valley Railway
- Betws-y-Coed golf club
- Churches in Betws-y-Coed
- St Michael's Old Church
- Mountain Biking in Betws-y-Coed - MBWales
- Photos of Betws-y-Coed and surrounding area at Geograph