Cwmystradllyn, The Most Beautiful Valley in Wales?
Published on 23 Jul 2015 by Gwion LlwydSome people might try to persuade you that Cwm Pennat is the most beautiful valley in Wales. But we’d like to nominate her neighbour, Cwmystradllyn.
Located in the Snowdonia National Park this picturesque valleys and place of serenity has not always been so quiet. In 1886, the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) opened the Gorsedda Slate Quarry in the valley. The village of Treforys was built to house the quarrymen and consisted of 36 houses set in 3 streets. A sophisticated slate mill, Ynys Y Pandy, was also built to dress and finish the slate before being transported on a newly laid 3ft gauge tramway down to the harbour town of Porthmadog. But this flood of activity was short lived. After a short 20 years of excavation, the quarry was closed down as quality slate became more and more scarce. As the local paper reported, “everything that could facilitate the works was produced, nothing being wanting but the slate vein”.
The empty shell of Ynys Y Pandy still stands at the foot of the valley. A stark, man made monument set against a stunning mountainous back drop. The remains of the village of Treforys is less apparent. A blanket of green has devoured all but the faintest outlines of that early, expectant community. The water of the lake that once fed a 26ft water wheel, the beating heart of the mill, is now still and provides a quiet oasis for fishermen and passing walkers.
So the question; Cwmystradllyn, The Most Beautiful Valley in Wales? She’s certainly aging gracefully.
We have some lovely properties Holiday Cottages near to Cwmystradllyn:
