Plas Tan y Bwlch 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...

 is the Snowdonia National Park

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:...

 environmental studies

Environmental studies

Environmental studies is the academic field which systematically studies human interaction with the environment. It is a broad interdisciplinary field of study that includes the natural environment, built environment, and the sets of relationships between them...

 centre, administered by the National Park Authority

National parks of England and Wales

The national parks of England and Wales are areas of relatively undeveloped and scenic landscape that are designated under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949...

.

The centre aims to provide courses which are of interest to all lovers of the countryside who would like to know about the Snowdonia National Park and the part of Wales in which it resides.

Plas Tan y Bwlch occupies a position overlooking the valley of 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....

, and the village of Maentwrog

Maentwrog

Maentwrog is a village and community in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, lying in the Vale of Ffestiniog, within the Snowdonia National Park. The River Dwyryd runs alongside the village...

, with no part of the Park more than an hour’s drive away.

Plas Tan y Bwlch was built by the rich Oakeley family during the 19th century, it being substantially rebuilt on the site of a first house probably built in the early 17th century. Additions designed by the Chester

Chester

Chester is a city in Cheshire, England. Lying on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales, it is home to 77,040 inhabitants, and is the largest and most populous settlement of the wider unitary authority area of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 328,100 according to the...

 architect John Douglas

John Douglas (architect)

John Douglas was an English architect who designed about 500 buildings in Cheshire, North Wales, and northwest England, in particular in the estate of Eaton Hall. He was trained in Lancaster and practised throughout his career from an office in Chester, Cheshire...

 were made to the house for W. E. Oakley in 1872.

The Oakeley family owned a huge slate quarry in 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...

. Slates were carried from the quarry to 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...

 by means of 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....

 which passed through the estate.

The Tan-y-Bwlch

Tan-y-Bwlch, Maentwrog

Tan-y-Bwlch lies in the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales and is primarily known as the location of Tan-y-Bwlch railway station, on the narrow gauge Ffestiniog Railway....

 area includes nearby Llyn Mair

Llyn Mair

Llyn Mair is a artificial lake located at in North Wales. It lies in the area of Tan-y-Bwlch, a little above Plas Tan-y-Bwlch, and is in the catchment area of the River Dwyryd...

 and 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...

.

Location

Plas Tan y Bwlch is located approximately 6 miles east of the coastal town of 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...

on the A487 set amongst high mountains and wildlife rich woodlands.

External links

• http://www.plastanybwlch.com/ Plas Tan y Bwlch website
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/history/pages/plastanybwlch.shtml BBC Plas Tan-y-bwlch page