Llyn Dulyn ( cy, black lake) is a

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

on the edge of the

Carneddau The (lit. 'the cairns'; is a Welsh plural form, and is sometimes anglicised to ''Carnedds'') are a group of mountains in Snowdonia, Wales. They include the largest contiguous areas of high ground (over or high) in Wales and England (although l ...

range of mountains in

Snowdonia Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern 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 It was a commonly held belief that the nam ...

North Wales , area_land_km2 = 6,172 , postal_code_type = Postcode , postal_code = LL, CH, SY , image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg , map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...

. The lake is in extent and 189 feet (58 metres) deep. Less than a kilometre to its south lies the smaller

Llyn Melynllyn Llyn Melynllyn (Welsh for ''yellow lake'') is a lake within the Carneddau range of mountains in Snowdonia, North Wales. It lies at a height of just over , and has an area of some . Cliffs rise steeply from its western edge, up to the summit of ...

. Cliffs rise steeply from the lake edge up to the summits of

Garnedd Uchaf , Furth Carnedd Gwenllian (named Y Garnedd Uchaf before 2009) is a minor summit of the Carneddau range in Snowdonia, Wales, and included in the Welsh 3000s. From the summit, distant views to the north can extend as far as Ireland and the Isl ...

and

Foel Grach Foel Grach is a mountain in the Carneddau range. It is the eighth-highest summit in Snowdonia as well as Wales, and is included in the Welsh 3000s. It is located on a broad ridge extending northwards from Carnedd Llewelyn to Carnedd Gwenll ...

, giving it a dark brooding appearance - hence its name. The lake was dammed in 1881, to increase its capacity, and was significantly altered in 1931 by Llandudno Waterworks.As a reservoir Dulyn (along with Melynllyn) provided water for the town of

Llandudno Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigsi ...

. The reservoir was repurposed in 1997 for use as hydroelectric generation. The outflow from the lake, the

Afon Dulyn Afon Dulyn (English : ''River Dulyn)'' is the outflow from Llyn Dulyn, a lake in the Carneddau mountains in north-west Wales. It is a tributary of the river Conwy. Just below Afon Dulyn the river is joined by Afon Melynllyn, a small river fl ...

, also feeds water into neighbouring

Llyn Eigiau Llyn Eigiau is a lake on the edge of the Carneddau range of mountains in Snowdonia, Conwy, Wales. The name ''Eigiau'' is thought to refer to the shoals of fish which once lived here. Early maps refer to it as ''Llynyga''. It is thought that ...

. Afon Dulyn flows north-east, passing Tal-y-bont before joining the

River Conwy , name_etymology = , image = Boats in River Conwy.jpg , image_size = 300 , image_caption = Boats in the river estuary at Conwy , map = , map_size = , map_caption = , push ...

. The cwm has been the site of a number of aeroplane crashes including that of an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Dakota aircraft which crashed into the cliffs above the lake in 1944 killing all four crew.

Folklore

Marc Morris, in his biography of King

Edward I of England Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...

, claims that in June 1284 Llyn Cwm Dulyn was the setting for the court of the king for victory celebrations, following his defeat of

Llywelyn ap Gruffudd Llywelyn ap Gruffudd (c. 1223 – 11 December 1282), sometimes written as Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, also known as Llywelyn the Last ( cy, Llywelyn Ein Llyw Olaf, lit=Llywelyn, Our Last Leader), was the native Prince of Wales ( la, Princeps Wall ...

, with an Arthurian theme, including the King's 45th birthday. "Back in Wales, the search for symbols of conquest and the celebration of victory continued in a similarly Arthurian vein, For most of June, including his forty-fifth birthday, the king chose to keep his court at Llyn Cwm Dulyn, a deep, dark lake in the mountains to the south of Caernarfon, reputed to have mystical properties." That lake, with a similar name, should not be confused with Llyn Dulyn, which is located more than fifteen miles as the crow flies northeast. A stone

causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tra ...

(now underwater) once led into the lake. At the end of the causeway was a stone known as the Red Altar. Tradition states that if a person poured water on the altar then it would rain within a day.Trevelyan, Marie (1909), ''Folklore and Folk Stories of Wales'', p. 12. It is also said that if a person stands at the edge of the lake on one of the three "spirit nights" (including

Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observanc ...

), then he or she will see images in the water of those who will die within the year.Trevelyan (1909), p. 13. It is further said that people who have led evil lives are sometimes dragged by

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

s down into the black waters of the lake. A local

witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...

who mysteriously disappeared is said to have suffered this fate.

References

*"The Lakes of North Wales" by

Jonah Jones Jonah Jones (born Robert Elliott Jones; December 31, 1909 – April 29, 2000) was a jazz trumpeter who created concise versions of jazz and swing and jazz standards that appealed to a mass audience. In the jazz community, he is known for his w ...

, Whittet Books Ltd, 1987 {{authority control Caerhun Dulyn Dulyn Aviation accidents and incidents locations in Wales