Capel Curig
Encyclopedia
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. It is at the junction of the A5 road from Bangor
and Bethesda
to Betws-y-Coed
with the A4086 road from Caernarfon
, Llanberis
, Pen-y-Pass
and Pen-y-Gwryd
.
Capel Curig is recorded as being as the wettest place in the British Isles http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/uk_weather_records, although the weather station is in Dyffryn Mymbyr
, a couple of miles out of the village, in the direction of Snowdon
.
whose mother was Julitta. They are usually named together as Saints Quiricus and Julietta.
. Evan Roberts lived at Gelli in Capel Curig where he lived and would explore all of Snowdonia, and in doing so compiled an unparalleled knowledge of the plant life in North Wales. Although he spent the first 40 years of his life as a quarry worker, he went on to become the colleague of academics. He was awarded the honorary degree
of M.Sc. of the University of Wales
, in 1956, at the same ceremony as the architect Frank Lloyd Wright
, and his portrait was painted by Kyffin Williams
.
fort (c90-100AD) and named Caer Llugwy
by its excavators
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=274500&y=357500&z=3&sv=274500,357500&st=4&ar=N&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=272500&ay=358500.
In 1920 excavations undertaken by J.P. Hall and Captain G.H. Hodgson revealed a roughly square Roman fort of approximately 4 acres (16,187.4 m²). Some stone buildings were uncovered and traced.
, climbing
, mountaineering
, mountain biking
and other outdoor pursuits and is served by the Sherpa bus network. It is also home to a youth hostel, Army
training camp, a camp site, several cafes and hotels and outdoor activity gear shops.
Wolverhampton City Council have since 1961 operated 'The Towers' outdoors activity centre just outside of Capel Curig. The centre facilitates walking, climbing, a variety of watersports and field studies on a schdule that is adapted day to day according to the prevailing weather conditions and to the abilities and needs of individuals and groups.
Also located in Capel Curig is the UK National Mountain Centre at Plas y Brenin
, which offers the highest quality mountaineering, climbing, canoeing facilities and training. One mile east of the village on the A5 is Ty Hyll, home of the Snowdonia Society
on their album 'Trouble over Bridgwater'.
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 Conwy County Borough, 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 lies in the heart of Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
, on 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 has a population of 226. It is at the junction of the A5 road from Bangor
Bangor, Wales
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
and Bethesda
Bethesda, Wales
Bethesda is a town lying on the River Ogwen and the A5 road on the edge of Snowdonia, in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, colloquially called Pesda by the locals.- History :...
to Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed
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...
with the A4086 road from Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
, Llanberis
Llanberis
Llanberis is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, lying on the southern banks of Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia. It takes its name from Saint Peris, an early Welsh saint.According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llanberis was 1,954...
, Pen-y-Pass
Pen-y-Pass
Pen-y-Pass is a mountain pass in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is a popular location from which to walk up Snowdon, as three of the popular routes can be started here...
and Pen-y-Gwryd
Pen-y-Gwryd
Pen-y-Gwryd is a pass at the head of Nantygwryd and Nant Cynnyd rivers in Gwynedd, North Wales and a quarter of a mile from the boundary with Conwy in northern Snowdonia, close to the foot of Snowdon...
.
Capel Curig is recorded as being as the wettest place in the British Isles http://www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk/uk_weather_records, although the weather station is in Dyffryn Mymbyr
Dyffryn Mymbyr
Dyffryn Mymbyr is a valley in Snowdonia, North Wales, approximately in length, and leading up from Capel Curig to the Pen-y-Gwryd hotel....
, a couple of miles out of the village, in the direction of Snowdon
Snowdon
Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, at an altitude of above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. It is located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, and has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain"...
.
Name
Capel Curig takes its name from the little Saint Julitta's Church in the ancient graveyard by the river bridge on the Llanberis road. This confusingly has been known for over 100 years as St. Julitta's Church and is currently being restored by the "Friends of Saint Julitta". Tradition claims this chapel to be the 6th century foundation of St. Curig, a Celtic bishop. Centuries later, probably when the present ancient church was built, the name appears to have been Latinised as Cyricus, which is the name of a 4th century child martyrMartyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
whose mother was Julitta. They are usually named together as Saints Quiricus and Julietta.
Evan Roberts
Capel Curig was home to one of the finest examples of a self-taught botanist, certainly in the UK, if not wider - Evan RobertsEvan Roberts (botanist)
Evan Roberts MBE, M.Sc., .Evan Roberts was an internationally known and recognised botanist who lived and worked all his life in Capel Curig , in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, North Wales....
. Evan Roberts lived at Gelli in Capel Curig where he lived and would explore all of Snowdonia, and in doing so compiled an unparalleled knowledge of the plant life in North Wales. Although he spent the first 40 years of his life as a quarry worker, he went on to become the colleague of academics. He was awarded the honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
of M.Sc. of the University of Wales
University of Wales
The University of Wales was a confederal university founded in 1893. It had accredited institutions throughout Wales, and formerly accredited courses in Britain and abroad, with over 100,000 students, but in October 2011, after a number of scandals, it withdrew all accreditation, and it was...
, in 1956, at the same ceremony as the architect Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
, and his portrait was painted by Kyffin Williams
Kyffin Williams
Sir John "Kyffin" Williams, KBE, RA was a Welsh landscape painter who lived at Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll on the Island of Anglesey...
.
Roman Fort
Approximately one kilometre beyond Pont Cyfyng, towards the south east end of Capel Curig, on the farm of Bryn Gefeiliau there are the remains of a RomanRoman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
fort (c90-100AD) and named Caer Llugwy
Caer Llugwy
Caer Llugwy, or Bryn-y-Gefeiliau, is the site of a Roman fort in a loop of the Afon Llugwy near Capel Curig in Conwy, Wales. It is notable in that there has been little development in the surrounding landscape: the valley in which it is situated being much as it was 2000 years ago. It is a...
by its excavators
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=274500&y=357500&z=3&sv=274500,357500&st=4&ar=N&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf&ax=272500&ay=358500.
In 1920 excavations undertaken by J.P. Hall and Captain G.H. Hodgson revealed a roughly square Roman fort of approximately 4 acres (16,187.4 m²). Some stone buildings were uncovered and traced.
Activity centre
The village is a popular centre for walkingWalking
Walking is one of the main gaits of locomotion among legged animals, and is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step...
, climbing
Climbing
Climbing is the activity of using one's hands and feet to ascend a steep object. It is done both for recreation and professionally, as part of activities such as maintenance of a structure, or military operations.Climbing activities include:* Bouldering: Ascending boulders or small...
, mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
and other outdoor pursuits and is served by the Sherpa bus network. It is also home to a youth hostel, Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
training camp, a camp site, several cafes and hotels and outdoor activity gear shops.
Wolverhampton City Council have since 1961 operated 'The Towers' outdoors activity centre just outside of Capel Curig. The centre facilitates walking, climbing, a variety of watersports and field studies on a schdule that is adapted day to day according to the prevailing weather conditions and to the abilities and needs of individuals and groups.
Also located in Capel Curig is the UK National Mountain Centre at Plas y Brenin
Plas y Brenin
Plas y Brenin, is currently the The National Mountain Centre for Wales . The Centre is situated in Dyffryn Mymbyr, the Mymbyr Valley, in Snowdonia and is less than a quarter of a mile south-west of the centre of Capel Curig on the A4086 road....
, which offers the highest quality mountaineering, climbing, canoeing facilities and training. One mile east of the village on the A5 is Ty Hyll, home of the Snowdonia Society
Snowdonia Society
The Snowdonia Society is a members based environmental charity. Formed in 1967, it is concerned with all aspects of the Snowdonia National Park. Members take part in practical activities to improve the environment and engage in campaigns to prevent inappropriate development in the area...
Culture
Capel Curig is mentioned in the song 'Bottleneck at Capel Curig' by cult UK band Half Man Half BiscuitHalf Man Half Biscuit
Half Man Half Biscuit, often "HMHB", are an English rock band from Birkenhead, Merseyside, active since the mid-1980s, known for satirical, sardonic, and sometimes surreal songs. The group comprises Nigel Blackwell , Neil Crossley , Ken Hancock , and Carl Henry...
on their album 'Trouble over Bridgwater'.