Gwyrfai was a rural district

Rural district

Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...

 in the administrative county

Administrative county

An administrative county was an administrative division in England and Wales and Ireland used for the purposes of local government. They are now abolished, although in Northern Ireland their former areas are used as the basis for lieutenancy....

 of Caernarvonshire from 1894 to 1974.

The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1894

Local Government Act 1894

The Local Government Act 1894 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales outside the County of London. The Act followed the reforms carried out at county level under the Local Government Act 1888...

, taking over the area of the Carnarvon

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...

 Rural Sanitary District

Sanitary district

Sanitary districts were established in England and Wales in 1875 and in Ireland in 1878. The districts were of two types, based on existing structures:*Urban sanitary districts in towns with existing local government bodies...

. It was named after the Afon Gwyrfai (a river).

The district as created in 1894 consisted of the following civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

es:

• Bettws Garmon
  Betws Garmon
  Betws Garmon is a community and small hamlet outside Waunfawr and near Beddgelert in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 216.The summit of Snowdon lies within the community boundaries. Bryn Gloch has the newly reopened narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway passing alongside it.Over the road from...
  
  
• Clynnog
• 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...
  
  
• Llanddeineolan
• Llandwrog
  Llandwrog
  Llandwrog is a village and community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, most notable for the presence of the headquarters of Welsh record label Sain and the site of Caernarfon Airport...
  
  
• Llanfaglan
  Llanfaglan
  Llanfaglan is a parish in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It lay in the medieval cwmwd of Is Gwyrfai.Llanfaglan is located 2 miles south-west of Caernarfon on the shore of the Menai Strait...
  
  
• Llanfair is Gaer
• Llanllyfni
  Llanllyfni
  Llanllyfni is a small village near Penygroes in Gwynedd, North Wales.It is a largely Welsh speaking close-knit village. About over 85% of the villagers speak Welsh as their first language....
  
  
• Llanrug
  Llanrug
  Llanrug is a large village in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It lies about 4 miles to the east of Caernarfon, 7 miles south of Bangor and 3 miles to the west of Llanberis. It is the largest populated village in the Arfon area of Gwynedd, Wales. The old name term of the village was initially...
  
  
• Llanwnda
  Llanwnda, Gwynedd
  Llanwnda is a village in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of roughly 1,000. It is situated about 3 miles to the south of Caernarfon, and 5 miles south-west of Llanrug. It contains the Fort Belan, built in 1775.- External links :*...
  
  
• Waun Fawr
  Waunfawr
  Waunfawr is a large village on the outskirts of the Snowdonia National Park, Gwynedd, in North Wales, south of Llanrug. Its population is roughly 1,500...
  
  

In 1934, on the abolition of Glaslyn Rural District

Glaslyn Rural District

Glaslyn was a rural district in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire from 1894 to 1934.The district was formed under the Local Government Act 1894 from the part of Festiniog Rural Sanitary District in Caernarfonshire...

, the parish of Beddgelert

Beddgelert

Beddgelert, or in older English spelling often Bedgellert, is a village and community in the Snowdonia area of Gwynedd, Wales. It is reputed to be named after the legendary hound Gelert. Population 617.- History:...

 was added.

The district was abolished in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972

Local Government Act 1972

The Local Government Act 1972 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom that reformed local government in England and Wales on 1 April 1974....

. Beddgelert and Clynnog were included in the district of Dwyfor

Dwyfor

Dwyfor was one of the five local government districts of Gwynedd, Wales from 1974 to 1996, covering the Llŷn peninsula. Its council was based in Pwllheli....

, with the rest of the rural district becoming part of the Borough of Arfon

Arfon

Arfon was one of five districts of Gwynedd, Wales, from 1974 to 1996.It was created by the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974 from part of the administrative county of Caernarfonshire, namely the municipal boroughs of Bangor and Caernarfon, the Bethesda urban district, the rural districts...

, both in the new county 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...

.

Sources

• Census of England and Wales: County Report for Carnarvonshire, 1901, 1911, 1921
• Census of England and Wales: County Report for Caernarvonshire 1931
• Caernarvonshire Administrative County (Vision of Britain)http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit_page.jsp?u_id=10061430