The Lure of North Wales

The heart of North Wales is the old county of Caernarfonshire, a pristine mix of pastoral slopes, mountains, rushing brooks and castles; the countryside populated more by sheep than people. Lying at the western edge of an old Roman Road that connected, through the port at Caernarfon, to Ireland, the geography of the region made it a haven for the Celtic tribes pushed west by waves of invaders; Romans, Danes, Saxons, Vikings and Normans. With little to recommend it in the way of resources it wasn't until the 14^th century that King Edward I finally subjugated the area and built a ring of massive castles to prevent revolt. In an attempt to seal the loyalty of the fierce Welsh, he gave them his new born son as Prince of Wales, held high from the ramparts of Caernarfon Castle, built in 1283. The tradition has been upheld ever since with the first-born son of each English monarch being invested Prince of Wales.

A closer look at the landscape reveals a once thriving industry: slate quarrying. The use of slate in the area goes back at least until Roman times when it was used to roof the fort at Segontium (Caernarfon). It was quarried by local men and shipped to England, Ireland and France as it was much prized for castle roofs for it's incombustible and impervious qualities. Generally the quarrymen paid a royalty to the landowner and worked as independent contractors, a rent roll from 1413 shows that workers in Penrhyn Quarry were paid 10 pence (about 16¢) for 5000 slates. The Cilgwyn Quarry was on Crown land and thus the quarrymen did not have to pay rent or royalties, a fact which became a subject of complaints about unfair competition.

Towards the end of the 18^th century the industrial revolution was gathering steam in Britain and there was increasing demand from the mill-owners of Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands to throw up cheap houses. Demand soared for the slate and landowners, beginning with Richard Pennant, Baron Penrhyn started employing quarrymen themselves. In 1782 the independent workers were bought out or evicted and the new quarry, near Bethesda was to become the largest in the world. The quarrying system now became industrialized, horse drawn carts being replaced by trams and then narrow gauge railways. Small communities such as Bethesda, Pen-y-Groes and Blaneau Ffestiniog grew into towns with populations of 5000 - 10,000, with shops, an ice-rink and dance-halls. The quarrymen stayed in barracks next to the quarries through the week, bidding farewell to their wives and sweethearts at kissing gates. The industry prospered through the 19^th, 17,000 men were employed to produce over half a million slates in 1893. A bitter labor dispute at the Penrhyn quarry at the turn of the century followed by a depression between two world wars saw the decline and closure of the quarries. Today, most of the quarries are flooded and the resultant deep blue and green lakes have a mysterious haunting quality. Tourists may ride the small, narrow-gauge railways to envision the hard life of a hundred and fifty years ago.

By British standards this is a mountainous region, and though the highest peak, Snowdon, is only 3560 feet, the cliffs and cwms once scoured by glaciers in the ice-age, give a rugged aspect to the scenery. Nestled in the valleys are beautifully picturesque villages such as Betws-y-coed and Beddgelert; the latter deriving its name, Gelert's grave in English, from an old tale where a local noble went hunting one day leaving his small son in a crib, guarded by his faithful hound Gelert. Returning to find a blood-splattered scene and no baby, the lord killed Gelert only to hear the cries of his son. The dog had saved the child from marauding wolves. So devastated was the owner that he erected a gravestone for the dog which is still there today. In visiting these places I would recommend hiking up into the hills, if you are lucky you will see the amazing sheepdogs, directed by a few whistles, herding and tending the flock.

The nearest international airport is Manchester, in north-west England. From there I would recommend taking the train along the North Wales coast, a scenic route where the railway hangs on the side of the cliffs at times. Getting off at Bangor, which also has a fine castle and university, it is easy to rent a car or even use a local hotel as a base and take advantage of the many day-trips in the area. There are very few 'chain hotels' but to really catch the flavor of North Wales you should stay in one of the fine old hotels such as the Celtic Royal in Caernarfon, or the Legacy Royal Victoria, in Llanberis, at the foot of Snowdon, next to the station for the narrow-gauge railway which runs all the way to the top of the mountain where there is a cafe with marvelous views. For those who may want a change from the surfeit of scenery, there are some really good beaches on the south of the peninsula, Black Rock sands, near Criccieth and Harlech castles, is firm enough to drive on and never seems to be crowded. Be aware, however, that the weather may not co-operate for more that one day in five!

North Wales is truly enchanting place to visit, I became so enamored that I bought a slate cottage there, some 30 years ago, for $1500. Most of the inhabitants will speak Welsh amongst themselves, although they are very welcoming; one of the delights is to spend an evening in a bar listening to the people sing, they are as good as a choir giving a command performance. There is so much to do that it will suit most people's tastes and leave them feeling they have visited a unique and fulfilling land.

Sources : National Slate Museum
Beddgelert Snowdonia Guide