Maentwrog
Encyclopedia
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 Welsh
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...
county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
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...
, lying in the Vale of Ffestiniog
Vale of Ffestiniog
The Vale of Ffestiniog is a valley in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, North Wales. It stretches from Blaenau Ffestiniog in the east and runs in a westerly direction towards Tremadog Bay, terminating near Porthmadog...
, within the Snowdonia National Park. The River Dwyryd
River Dwyryd
The Afon Dwyryd is a river in Gwynedd, North Wales, which flows principally westwards draining to the sea into Tremadog Bay south of Porthmadog....
runs alongside the village. It has a population of 585.
Location and transport
The village lies on the A496 between HarlechHarlech
Harlech is a town and seaside resort in Gwynedd, within the historical boundaries of Merionethshire in northwest Wales. Lying on Tremadog Bay and within the Snowdonia National Park, it has a population of 1,952, of whom 59% speak Welsh...
and 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 also on the Roman
Roman 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...
road Sarn Helen
Sarn Helen
right|thumb|250px|A section of Sarn Helen near Betws-y-coed.Sarn Helen was a Roman road in Wales, running from Aberconwy in the north to Carmarthen in the south.It was some 160 miles in length...
, now classified as the B4410, at the junction with the A487
A487 road
The A487 is a trunk road in Wales, running up the western side of the country from Haverfordwest in the south to Bangor in the north.It starts at Merlin's Bridge near Haverfordwest, from where it travels north west to St David's, then switches back north east through Fishguard, Cardigan, Aberaeron,...
from Porthmadog
Porthmadog
Porthmadog , known locally as "Port", and historically rendered into English as Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. Prior to the Local Government Act 1972 it was in the administrative county of Caernarfonshire. The town lies east of...
, leading to the A470
A470 road
The A470 is a major long-distance connective spine road in Wales, running from Cardiff on the south coast to Llandudno on the north coast. It covers approximately 186 miles , over a zig-zagging route through the entirety of the country's mountainous central region, including the Brecon Beacons and...
(to Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, adjacent to the A470 north of Dolgellau near Blaenau Ffestiniog....
and 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:...
).
Nearby Plas Tan y Bwlch
Plas Tan y Bwlch
Plas Tan y Bwlch in Gwynedd, Wales is the Snowdonia National Park environmental studies centre, administered by the National Park Authority....
, substantially rebuilt during the 19th century by the rich Oakeley family on the site of a first house probably built in the early 17th century, overlooks the village. Plas Tan y Bwlch has its own halt - Plas Halt
Plas Halt railway station
Plas Halt is an unstaffed halt on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway in Wales, which was built in 1836 to carry dressed slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog for export by sea.The halt was established in 1963...
- on the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
, and nearby Tan-y-Bwlch railway station
Tan-y-Bwlch railway station
Tan-y-Bwlch station is the principal intermediate passenger station on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway, which was built in 1836 to carry dressed slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog for export by sea...
is the railway's principal intermediate station. The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) stated that Tan-y-Bwlch was the postal town of Maentwrog.
Etymology
Maentwrog means "Twrog's stone" (maen = stone). According to legend, a giant known as Twrog hurled a boulder from the top of a hill down into the settlement, destroying a paganPaganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
. This stone is said to be the one located in St Twrog's Church
St Twrog's Church, Maentwrog
Saint Twrog’s Church is in the village of Maentwrog in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, lying in the Vale of Ffestiniog, within the Snowdonia National Park. It is in the Deanery of Ardudwy....
courtyard. It is said that if one rubs this boulder one is fated to return to the village in the future.
The name was already in existence at some time before this as it is said in Welsh mythology found in the Mabinogion
Mabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
that Pryderi
Pryderi
Pryderi fab Pwyll is a prominent figure in Welsh mythology, the son of Pwyll and Rhiannon, and king of Dyfed following his father's death. He is the only character to appear in all Four Branches of the Mabinogi, although the size of his role varies from tale to tale...
was killed at the Glaslyn river
River Glaslyn
The Afon Glaslyn is a river in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. Whilst not of great significance in terms of its length , it is one of Gwynedd's primary rivers, and has greatly influenced the landscape in which it flows....
and in Maentwrog is he buried. The boulder supposedly hurled by the giant is also the one said to mark Pryderi's grave.
History
The church is dedicated to the memory of Twrog, an eminent British saint, who lived in the 5th and 6th Centuries. According to information in St Twrog's ChurchSt Twrog's Church, Maentwrog
Saint Twrog’s Church is in the village of Maentwrog in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, lying in the Vale of Ffestiniog, within the Snowdonia National Park. It is in the Deanery of Ardudwy....
, based on a late addition to the Bonedd y Saint
Bonedd y Saint
The Bonedd y Saint is a Welsh genealogical tract detailing the lineages of the early Brythonic saints. There are a number of different manuscripts in existence dating from the early 13th to the late 17th century, although the material is much older in origin.-External links:***...
, there were four brothers and sons of Ithel Hael o Lydaw (Brittany) who came to Wales as Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionaries:
- Saint Baglan is the founder and patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Baglan; - Saint Tanwg is the founder and patron saint of LlandanwgLlandanwgLlandanwg is a village in the Ardudwy area of Gwynedd, Wales.The village of Llandanwg is situated to the west of the coastal road between Llanbedr and Harlech, close to the village of Llanfair. Originally it was a small collection of farms to the north of the river Artro, close to where it enters...
; - Saint TegaiSaint TegaiSaint Tegai is the patron saint and founder of Llandygai in the Welsh county of Gwynedd.According to Enwogion Cymru, Tegai was a saint who lived in the early part of the sixth century He was one of the sons of Ithel Hael, and with his brother Tecwyn accompanied Saint Cadfan from Brittany to Wales...
is the founder and patron saint of LlandegaiLlandegaiLlandygai is a small village on the A5 road between Bangor and Tal-y-Bont in Gwynedd, Wales. It affords a view of the nearby Carneddau mountain range.-Prehistory:There is evidence of human occupation of this site from Neolithic times....
; - Saint TwrogSaint TwrogSaint Twrog was a 6th century Welsh saint who founded the church at Maentwrog. It is believed that Twrog was the son of Ithel Hael o Lydaw of Brittany...
is the founder and patron saint of LlandwrogLlandwrogLlandwrog 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...
and of Maentwrog.
The village settlement expanded in the 19th century to house workers from local slate
Slate industry in Wales
The slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
mines. Within the village community is the imposing Plas Tan y Bwlch, home of the Snowdonia National Park Study Centre and former residence of the Oakeley family.
Maentwrog hydro-electric power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
was opened in 1928, and still produces electricity today. It is supplied by water from Llyn Trawsfynydd
Llyn Trawsfynydd
Llyn Trawsfynydd is a large man-made reservoir situated near the village of Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd, North Wales. With a total surface area of 4.8 km² the reservoir is slightly more extensive than Wales's largest natural lake, Llyn Tegid .Originally created in 1928 as the header reservoir for...
, a large man-made 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...
located near the village of Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd
Trawsfynydd is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, adjacent to the A470 north of Dolgellau near Blaenau Ffestiniog....
. The Department of Atomic Energy built a station in Maentwrog in 1947, possibly investigating sites for the production of heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
.
Social facilities
There are two village inns: The Grapes, a 17th century Grade 2 listed coaching innCoaching inn
In Europe, from approximately the mid-17th century for a period of about 200 years, the coaching inn, sometimes called a coaching house or staging inn, was a vital part of the inland transport infrastructure, as an inn serving coach travelers...
near the parish church; and The Oakeley Arms, across the valley at Tan-y-Bwlch.
Notable residents
Thomas Love PeacockThomas Love Peacock
Thomas Love Peacock was an English satirist and author.Peacock was a close friend of Percy Bysshe Shelley and they influenced each other's work...
lived at Maentrwrog in 1810, and subsequently married Jane Gryffydh, daughter of the parson.
The British astrologer
Astrologer
An astrologer practices one or more forms of astrology. Typically an astrologer draws a horoscope for the time of an event, such as a person's birth, and interprets celestial points and their placements at the time of the event to better understand someone, determine the auspiciousness of an...
Russell Grant
Russell Grant
Russell John Dammerall Grant is a British astrologer and media personality. He has written several books on Astrology, provides syndicated newspaper horoscopes and operates premium rate astrology phone lines. In March 2010, he began offering a "Pet Psychic" service...
is currently a notable resident of Maentwrog.