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TRADITIONS OF WALES
Pictured: The
Welsh Dragon
As soon as you cross the
border into Wales, it becomes apparent that you are in
another Country and Culture when you see the Welsh national
flag of the Red Dragon flying proudly. The dual
language signposts depicting the Welsh Language one
of the oldest in Europe speaks volumes of a country that has
retained its identity. The land of song is still alive and
well it is still possible to attend the practice nights of
the local male voice choir. Frequently to be heard in the
local chapel, the Male Voice Choir Concert
accompanied by a Harpist is still part of Welsh
community life. From Rugby on a Saturday afternoon
to a delicious plate of Sunday roast Welsh Lamb,
Wales is a place of traditions.
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CASTLES & STATELY HOMES OF NORTH WALES
Pictured:
Caernarfon Castle
Welsh Strongholds
Early Welsh princes defended their lands with strategically
placed fortresses, the remains of which are in evidence
throughout the region. Dolbadarn Castle defends the
Pass of Llanberis situated between Llyn Padarn &
Llyn Peris. Possibly built by Llewelyn Fawr (Llewelyn
the Great), it was used by the last Prince of Gwynedd,
Llewelyn the Last to imprison his own brother for
twenty years. Another stronghold of Llewelyn the Great is
Dolwyddelan Castle, which stands lonely sentinel in the
valley of the River Lledr and protects the southeast
of his lands.
Edwards Castles After
the defeat of the Welsh Princes by Edward I he set
about defending his new territories by building his “Ring
of Steel”. New castles were built at Harlech, Conwy,
Beaumaris and Caernarfon and are all now classed as
World Heritage Sites. The present Prince of Wales, Prince
Charles was invested at Caernarfon in 1969. In addition
Welsh castles were improved at Criccieth and
Castell-y-Bere to cement England’s control.
Stateley Homes
In more settled times great houses emerged mainly as a
result of the wealth derived
during the Industrial Revolution. Penrhyn Castle
near Bangor was built with the proceeds of the
Slate Industry and the Slave Trade. The
aristocracy built new or enlarged their houses such as
Plas Newydd, home of the Marquis of Anglesey.
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INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE
Pictured:
Llechwedd Slate Mines
Wales was the world’s first
industrial nation. In the north the main industries were
Slate & Copper.
“North Wales Roofed the
World” was not an idle boast, the Slate Industry
was centred in the Snowdonia region. The Penrhyn
Quarries at Bethesda and the Dinorwig Quarries
at Llanberis were major players but it is in
Blaenau Ffestiniog that you can see its massive impact
on the surroundings best.
The Copper Industry
thrived particularly at Parys Mountain and its attendant
port at Amlwch in Anglesey. In addition there
is Sygun Copper Mine near Beddgelert and the
Bronze Age Copper Mines on the Great Orme at
Llandudno.
Other industrial sites can be
found near Wrexham where the Bersham Industrial Trail
shows the history of Coal Mining and Iron Founding
in the area.
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THE AGE OF TRANSPORT AND TRAINS
Pictured:
Welsh Highland Railway
The evolution of transport
can be seen all over North Wales. The modern A5 road through
the region follows the route of the Coaching Road
built by Thomas Telford in the early 19th
Century. You can still see the original Toll Houses
and milestones designed by Telford. The road crosses over
the Menai Strait by means of the Menai Suspension
Bridge, the world’s first large suspension bridge.
Telford also built the
Llangollen Canal and the awesome Pontcysyllte
Aqueduct which enabled large amounts of goods to be
transported easily for the first time.
North Wales is renowned for
its “Great Little Trains” the Ffestiniog Railway
and Welsh Highland Railway, Bala Lake Railway
and Llanberis Lake Railway. Standard gauge
enthusiasts can travel on a number of mainline railways
including the Cambrian Coast Line which skirts the
northern part of Cardigan Bay, or the privately owned
Llangollen Railway in the beautiful Dee Valley.
No visit to North Wales would be complete without ascending
Wales’ highest mountain by means of the Snowdon Mountain
Railway.
Another form of transport is
Britain’s only cable hauled street tramway the Great Orme
Tramway in Llandudno.
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HALLOWED GROUND
Pictured:
Valle Crucis, Nr. Llangollen
North Wales has more than its
fair share of religious sites. From remains of early
Christianity through ornate churches and cathedrals to the
more modest chapels all can be found here.
Follow the Pilgrims’ Trail
visiting en-route St. Winifride’s Well, a site of
pilgrimage for centuries. Continue on to the Lleyn
Peninsula to Bardsey Island, the Island of
20,000 Saints.
In the region are many small
churches which have their origins to Celtic Missionaries
back in the mists of time abound. The prefix Llan is
common and immortalises the names of these early holy men
and women, Llanrwst, Llanberis, Llandudno
and Llangollen to name but four.
As well as these small
churches we have larger more ornate parish churches, St.
Giles in Wrexham for example and our two
cathedrals; St. Deniol’s in Bangor, and
Britain’s smallest cathedral, St Asaph.
There were many monastic
settlements in North Wales with the ruins at
Basingwerk near Holywell and Valle Crucis
near Llangollen being easily accessed.
The Religious Revivals
of the 18th and 19th Centuries saw an
explosion in the building of Non-Conformist Chapels
of all sizes. A visit to some of these chapels is a journey
to the heart of the Welsh Community.
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