Cae Mabon is a retreat centre in North Wales, set in an oak forest close to the disused
Dinorwic Quarry and on the opposite side of the Padarn lake from the town of
Llanberis.
The centre has been run by its founder, local storyteller, author, and songwriter Eric Maddern, since 1989 and is well regarded for the beauty of its natural setting as well as the architecture of its alternative, low-impact buildings.
In 2008, Cae Mabon was placed as the number one natural building project in the United Kingdom in the top ten list compiled by Professor Tom Woolley for ''sustain'' magazine. In the same year, the local authority granted retrospective planning permission on all the centre's alternatively constructed buildings, after support was shown for Cae Mabon by prominent local figures, including
Dafydd Iwan
Dafydd Iwan Jones (born 24 August 1943) is a Welsh singer and nationalist politician who rose to fame writing and performing folk music in the Welsh language. From 2003 to 2010, Iwan was the president of Plaid Cymru, a political party which ad ...
.
The name means 'Field of Mabon' in
Welsh
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
, referring to
Mabon ap Modron
Mabon ap Modron is a prominent figure from Welsh literature and mythology, the son of Modron and a member of Arthur's war band. Both he and his mother were likely deities in origin, descending from a divine mother–son pair. He is often equated ...
, a character from the ''
Mabinogion
The ''Mabinogion'' () are the earliest Welsh prose stories, and belong to the Matter of Britain. The stories were compiled in Middle Welsh in the 12th–13th centuries from earlier oral traditions. There are two main source manuscripts, create ...
''.
References
*Article 'Natural Building:10 of the Best', Sustain Magazine, McCelland Publishing Ltd, Volume 9 issue 5.
External links
Cae Mabon WebsiteEric Maddern website
{{coord, 53.13122, N, 4.1276, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Buildings and structures in Gwynedd
Llanddeiniolen