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Dolgellau () is a town and community in
Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...
, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the traditional
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of the historic county of Merionethshire ( cy, Meirionnydd, Sir Feirionnydd) until the county of Gwynedd was created in 1974. Dolgellau is the main base for climbers of Cadair Idris and Mynydd Moel which are visible from the town. Dolgellau is the second largest settlement in southern Gwynedd after Tywyn and includes the community of Penmaenpool.


Etymology

The name of the town is of uncertain origin, although ' is Welsh for "meadow" or "dale", and ' ( soft mutation of ') means "grove" or "spinney", and is common locally in names for farms in sheltered nooks. This would seem to be the most likely derivation, giving the translation "Grove Meadow". It has also been suggested that the name could derive from the word ', meaning "cell", translating therefore as "Meadow of onks'cells", but this seems less likely considering the history of the name. The Encyclopædia Britannica in 1911 suggested the name means 'Dale of Hazels'. The earliest recorded spelling (from 1253, in the Survey of Merioneth) is "Dolkelew", although a spelling "Dolgethley" dates from 1285 (the ''thl'' is an attempt to represent Welsh ). The town was commonly
anglicised Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
as Dolgelly or Dolgelley. Up until the 19th century most spellings were along the lines of "Dôlgelly", "Dolgelley", "Dolgelly" or "Dolgelli" (
Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
's scribe wrote "Dolguelli"). Thomas Pennant used the form "Dolgelleu" in his ''Tours of Wales'', and this was the form used in the Church Registers in 1723, although it never had much currency. In 1825 the Registers had "Dolgellau", which form Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt adopted in 1836. While this form may derive from a false etymology, it became standard in Welsh and is now the standard form in both Welsh and English. The official name for the
urban district Urban district may refer to: * District * Urban area * Quarter (urban subdivision) * Neighbourhood Specific subdivisions in some countries: * Urban districts of Denmark * Urban districts of Germany * Urban district (Great Britain and Ireland) (hist ...
which covered the town and the surrounding
rural district Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the Ad ...
was changed from "Dolgelley" to "Dolgellau" in 1958 by Merioneth County Council, following requests from both district councils.


History and economy

The site of Dolgellau was, in the pre-Roman
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
period, part of the tribal lands of the
Ordovices The Ordovīcēs (Common Brittonic: *''Ordowīcī'') were one of the Celtic tribes living in Great Britain before the Roman invasion. Their tribal lands were located in present-day North Wales and England, between the Silures to the south and the D ...
, who were conquered by the Romans in AD 77–78. Although a few Roman coins from the reigns of Emperors
Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
and Trajan have been found near Dolgellau, the area is marshy and there is no evidence that it was settled during the
Roman period The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...
. There are, however, three hill forts in the vicinity of Dolgellau, of uncertain origin. After the Romans left, the area came under the control of a series of Welsh chieftains, although Dolgellau was probably not inhabited until the late 11th or 12th century, when it was established as a "
serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which developed ...
village" (or '), possibly by Cadwgan ap Bleddyn. It remained a serf village until the reign of Henry VII (1485–1509). A church was built in the 12th century (demolished and replaced by the present building in 1716), although Cymer Abbey, founded in 1198 in nearby Llanelltyd, remained the most important religious centre locally. Dolgellau gained in importance from this period onwards, and was mentioned in the Survey of Merioneth ordered by
Edward I 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 vassal o ...
(Llanelltyd was not). In 1404 it was the location of a council of chiefs under
Owain Glyndŵr Owain ap Gruffydd (), commonly known as Owain Glyndŵr or Glyn Dŵr (, anglicised as Owen Glendower), was a Welsh leader, soldier and military commander who led a 15 year long Welsh War of Independence with the aim of ending English rule in Wa ...
. After a visit by
George Fox George Fox (July 1624 – 13 January 1691) was an English Dissenter, who was a founder of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as the Quakers or Friends. The son of a Leicestershire weaver, he lived in times of social upheaval and ...
in 1657, many inhabitants of Dolgellau converted to Quakerism.
Persecution Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...
led a large number of them to emigrate to Pennsylvania in 1686, under the leadership of Rowland Ellis, a local gentleman-farmer. The Pennsylvanian town of Bryn Mawr, home to a prestigious women's liberal arts college, is named after Ellis's farm near Dolgellau. The
woollen industry Woolen (American English) or woollen (Commonwealth English) is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn. Woolen yarn is in contrast ...
was long of the greatest importance to the town's economy; by the end of the 18th century, output was reckoned to be worth £50,000 to £100,000 annually. The industry declined in the first half of the 19th century, owing to the introduction of mechanical
loom A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary, but th ...
s. Another important contributor to the local economy was tanning, which continued into the 1980s in Dolgellau, though on a much reduced scale. The town was the centre of a minor gold rush in the 19th century. At one time the local gold mines employed over 500 workers. Clogau St. David's mine in Bontddu and
Gwynfynydd Gwynfynydd Gold Mine is near Ganllwyd, Dolgellau, Gwynedd, Wales. The lode, which was discovered in 1860, was worked from 1884. It has produced more than 45,000 troy ounces of Welsh gold until mining ceased in 1998. The equivalent of 1,400  ...
mine in Ganllwyd have supplied gold for many royal weddings. Dolgellau was the
county town In the United Kingdom and Ireland, a county town is the most important town or city in a county. It is usually the location of administrative or judicial functions within a county and the place where the county's members of Parliament are elect ...
of Merionethshire ( cy, Meirionydd, Sir Feirionnydd) until 1974 when, following the Local Government Act of 1972, it became the administrative centre of Meirionnydd, a district of the county of
Gwynedd Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...
. This was abolished in 1996 by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. Today, the economy of Dolgellau relies chiefly on tourism (see
below Below may refer to: *Earth *Ground (disambiguation) *Soil *Floor *Bottom (disambiguation) Bottom may refer to: Anatomy and sex * Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or ...
), although agriculture still plays a role; a farmers' market is held in the town centre on the third Sunday of every month. It is believed that Dolgellau Cricket Club, founded in 1869 by Frederick Temple, is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Wales. For nearly a century Dolgellau was the home of
Dr Williams School Dr Williams' School was a school founded in Dolgellau in 1875. It opened its doors in 1878 and continued until it was closed in 1975. Samuel Holland was actively involved in setting the school up and became its first Chairman of the Board of Gov ...
, a pioneering girls' secondary school. This was funded from the legacy of Daniel Williams the Welsh
nonconformist Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to: Culture and society * Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior *Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity ** ...
of the 17th/18th century. Shortly before the closure of the town's railway station it displayed signs reading variously Dolgelly, Dolgelley and Dolgellau.


Education

Dolgellau is home to a
bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all E ...
further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is education in addition to that received at secondary school, that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. I ...
college,
Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor (meaning in English "Meirion-Dwyfor College"), also known as CMD, is a college in , Wales with its main campus in . It serves the areas of and . It has a bilingual language policy and offers the opportunity to study most subjects through th ...
. The site it occupies was originally home to Dr Williams' School, a
direct grant grammar school A direct grant grammar school was a type of selective secondary school in the United Kingdom that existed between 1945 and 1976. One quarter of the places in these schools were directly funded by central government, while the remainder attracted ...
for girls aged 7–18 established in 1875 (opened 1878). It was named after its benefactor Dr Daniel Williams, (1643–1716) a
Nonconformist Nonconformity or nonconformism may refer to: Culture and society * Insubordination, the act of willfully disobeying an order of one's superior *Dissent, a sentiment or philosophy of non-agreement or opposition to a prevailing idea or entity ** ...
minister from Wrexham, who also gave his name to
Dr Williams's Library Dr Williams's Library is a small English research library in Gordon Square, Bloomsbury, London. Historically, it has had a strong Unitarian focus. The library has also been known as University Hall. History The library was founded using the es ...
in Euston, London. The school closed in 1975. Dolgellau Grammar School, a boys' school, had been established in 1665 by the then
Rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
of Dolgellau, Dr John Ellis, at Pen Bryn (now demolished), before moving to its present site on the Welshpool road. In 1962, it became a
comprehensive school A comprehensive school typically describes a secondary school for pupils aged approximately 11–18, that does not select its intake on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude, in contrast to a selective school system where admission is res ...
under the name Ysgol y Gader ("School of the Chair", in reference to the mountain Cadair Idris, whose name translates as "Idris's Chair"). On 1 September 2017, Ysgol Y Gader amalgamated with the village's primary school and seven other schools in the area to become a new middle school for pupils aged 3–16. The combined schools were named Ysgol Bro Idris. As of 2019, there are currently 581 pupils on roll. 229 of those pupils are of secondary school age and 352 of those pupils are of primary school age. The area school is located across six sites, with two of those sites located within Dolgellau itself. The school is categorised linguistically by Welsh Government as a category 2A school, meaning that at least 80% of subjects, apart from English and Welsh, are taught only through the medium of Welsh to all pupils.


Literary connections

Near Dolgellau is the house of Hengwrt, whose 17th-century owner Robert Vaughan (?1592–1667) kept an extensive library. This was home, among other treasures, to the
Book of Taliesin The Book of Taliesin ( cy, Llyfr Taliesin) is one of the most famous of Middle Welsh manuscripts, dating from the first half of the 14th century though many of the fifty-six poems it preserves are taken to originate in the 10th century or before ...
, the
Black Book of Carmarthen The Black Book of Carmarthen ( cy, Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin) is thought to be the earliest surviving manuscript written solely in Welsh. The book dates from the mid-13th century; its name comes from its association with the Priory of St. John the Ev ...
, the White Book of Rhydderch and the
Hengwrt manuscript The Hengwrt Chaucer manuscript is an early-15th-century manuscript of the ''Canterbury Tales'', held in the National Library of Wales, in Aberystwyth. It is an important source for Chaucer's text, and was possibly written by someone with access to a ...
. In 1971 John Elwyn Jones, a retired teacher who had taught Russian, German and Welsh at Dr Williams School, published ' ("Five Tries for a Welshman"), an account of his time as a prisoner of war in Poland during the Second World War. The title of the book refers to the five attempts he made to escape, the last of which succeeded. The book was dramatised by
S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking ...
in 1997. In 1986 and 1987 John Elwyn published his autobiography in 3 volumes, called ' ("In My Own Way"). These do not duplicate his prisoner of war adventures, but recount his upbringing in the area—he was born at Bryn Gwyn, less than a mile from the town—and subsequent return to the area after his years in the armed services. He died in September 2007. The modern Welsh writers
Bethan Gwanas Bethan Gwanas (real name Bethan Evans; born 16 January 1962) is a popular contemporary Welsh author, who publishes almost exclusively in the Welsh language. A prolific writer, she has had 17 titles published in the last decade. Whilst not just a ...
and
Nia Medi Nia Medi is a Welsh people, Welsh actress and author. Biography Originally from Llanfair, Gwynedd, Llanfair, near Harlech in North Wales, she now lives in the Dolgellau area. She attended Bangor Normal College, The Normal College in Bang ...
live in the Dolgellau area.
Marion Eames Marion Eames (born Gwladys Marion Griffith Eames, 5 February 1921 – 3 April 2007)Dictionary of Welsh BiographRetrieved 29 September 2018./ref> was a Welsh novelist writing mainly in Welsh. She was also a talented musician. Biography Marion was ...
, who was educated at Dr. Williams' School, lived in Dolgellau up to her death in 2007; she is probably best known for her book ''
The Secret Room ''Y Stafell Ddirgel'' (in English, ''The Secret Room'') is a novel by Marion Eames written in the Welsh language and first published in 1969. An English translation was published in 1975 under the title ''The Secret Room''. In 2001 a highly s ...
'' (originally published in Welsh as '), a semi-fictional account of the events leading up to the 1686 emigration of Quakers from Dolgellau. It was dramatised by S4C in 2001.


Local attractions

The surrounding area is known for its wild but beautiful countryside and places of historical interest. It is popular with tourists who enjoy activities such as walking, hiking, horse riding, white-water rafting and climbing. Dolgellau is the main base for climbers of Cadair Idris. Aircraft enthusiasts also use the town as the base for the Mach Loop. To the north lies the Dolmelynllyn estate, which includes walking routes that include Rhaeadr Ddu waterfall and the former gold mines on
Cefn Coch Cefn Coch is a small village or hamlet near Llanfair Caereinion in Mid Wales, located at . In 2012, the village was chosen as the site for a substation serving several wind farms Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative ...
. The
Great Western Railway The Great Western Railway (GWR) was a British railway company that linked London with the southwest, west and West Midlands of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament on 31 August 1835 and ran ...
line from
Ruabon Ruabon ( cy, Rhiwabon ) is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, Wales. The name comes from ''Rhiw Fabon'', ''rhiw'' being the Welsh word for "slope" or "hillside" and ''Fabon'' being a mutation from St Mabon, the original church ...
to Llangollen was extended via Corwen and
Llanuwchllyn Llanuwchllyn () is a village and community in Gwynedd, Wales, near the southern end of Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid). It is one of the most sparsely populated communities in Wales. The electoral ward includes the small settlement of Llangywer. The ...
to Dolgellau, where it formed an end-on connection with the
Cambrian Railways The Cambrian Railways owned of track over a large area of mid Wales. The system was an amalgamation of a number of railways that were incorporated in 1864, 1865 and 1904. The Cambrian connected with two larger railways with connections to the ...
line from Barmouth Junction and a shared station was opened there in 1868. The Ruabon Barmouth line was closed in the 1960s under the
Beeching Axe The Beeching cuts (also Beeching Axe) was a plan to increase the efficiency of the nationalised railway system in Great Britain. The plan was outlined in two reports: ''The Reshaping of British Railways'' (1963) and ''The Development of the ...
. The railway line was converted some years ago into the ' (or " Mawddach Trail") which now runs for some eight miles from Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach railway station, near Fairbourne on the coast. It is maintained by the Snowdonia National Park and is very popular with walkers and cyclists. It passes some
estuarine An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
areas that are important for water birds. The site of
Dolgellau railway station Dolgellau railway station () in Gwynedd, North Wales, was a station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line, originally the terminus of a Cambrian Railways branch from Barmouth Junction, then linked by the Great Western Railway to Bala and Ruabon. The s ...
itself, along with about of former trackbed, was used to construct the Dolgellau bypass in the late 1970s.Historical attractions, apart from the town itself, include the 12th century Cymer Abbey, a short walk from Dolgellau. The tourist information centre also has an exhibition on Quakers and there is a Quaker graveyard in the town. A field known as Camlan, in nearby Dinas Mawddwy, has been claimed as the site of the last battle of
King Arthur King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as a ...
(based on a mention of the name in the '; see also
Battle of Camlann The Battle of Camlann ( cy, Gwaith Camlan or ''Brwydr Camlan'') is the legendary final battle of King Arthur, in which Arthur either died or was fatally wounded while fighting either with or against Mordred, who also perished. The original leg ...
). Dolgellau is a good centre for visiting a number of nearby narrow-gauge heritage railways, including the Corris Railway, the Fairbourne Railway and the Talyllyn Railway.


Cultural events


Sesiwn Fawr

Since 1992 Dolgellau has held ' ("Big Session"), an annual world music festival. Originally free and held in the streets of the town, it has now grown too big for the centre of Dolgellau. Since 2002 it has been held on the outskirts of the town and admission is charged, which has allowed the organisers in recent years to book such acts as
Bob Geldof Robert Frederick Zenon Geldof (; born 5 October 1951) is an Irish singer-songwriter, and political activist. He rose to prominence in the late 1970s as lead singer of the Rock music in Ireland, Irish rock band the Boomtown Rats, who achieved ...
,
Genod droog Genod Droog (loosely means Bad Girls) were a Welsh hip hop, indie pop band from Wales, which was formed in 2005 by Carwyn Jones, Gethin Evans, Dylan Roberts, Aneirin Karadog and Ed Holden, and split up on 16 November 2008. History Genod Droo ...
, Cerys Matthews, , Meic Stevens, Super Furry Animals and
Goldie Looking Chain Goldie Lookin Chain are a Welsh comedy hip hop group from Newport, south-east Wales. The group produces humorous, controversial and often explicit songs that satirise hip hop, today's consumer society, the "chav" culture and life in Newpor ...
. It attracts crowds of up to 5,000 every year and claims to be one of Europe's biggest and best world music festivals. Since 1995 it has been broadcast live on
BBC Radio Cymru BBC Radio Cymru is a Welsh language radio network owned and operated by BBC Cymru Wales, a division of the BBC. It broadcasts on two stations across Wales on FM, DAB, digital TV and online. The main network broadcasts for hours a day from ...
and since 1997 on
S4C S4C (, ''Sianel Pedwar Cymru'', meaning ''Channel Four Wales'') is a Welsh language free-to-air public broadcast television channel. Launched on 1 November 1982, it was the first television channel to be aimed specifically at a Welsh-speaking ...
. In March 2009 it was announced that there would be no ' in 2009, owing to debts of over £50,000, mostly the result of a wet event in 2007. Smaller musical events took place in pubs, etc., but the future format of the festival was put under review. The festival returned on a smaller scale in 2011, and has been organised annually since then.


Gwyl Cefn Gwlad

Every summer, Dolgellau is also host to the ' ("Festival of the Countryside"), a mix of agricultural show and
fête In Britain and some of its former colonies, fêtes are traditional public festivals, held outdoors and organised to raise funds for a charity. They typically include entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Village fêtes Village f ...
. Entry is free, but the money raised on the various stalls is given to good causes.


Eisteddfod

In 1949 Dolgellau hosted the
National Eisteddfod of Wales The National Eisteddfod of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ') is the largest of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Eur ...
; in 1960 and 1994 it hosted the
Urdd National Eisteddfod The Urdd National Eisteddfod ( cy, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Urdd Gobaith Cymru or ''Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd'') is an annual Welsh-language youth festival of literature, music and performing arts organised by Urdd Gobaith Cymru. Arguably Eur ...
. The old market hall, Neuadd Idris, hosts the National Centre for Folk Music, known as
Tŷ Siamas Tŷ Siamas is the "National Centre for Folk Music" in Wales, and is situated in Dolgellau. The initiative to create such a centre was led by Ywain Myfyr (chairman and an founder of '' Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau''), and the project was managed by Mabon ...
.


Twin-town

Dolgellau is twinned with: *
Guérande Guérande (; br, Gwenrann, ; french: label=Gallo, Geraundd) is a medieval town located in the department of Loire-Atlantique, and the region of Pays de la Loire, Western France. The inhabitants are referred to as ''Guérandais'' (masculine), and ...
( br, Gwenrann) in Brittany.


Notable people

*
Sir Robert Vaughan, 2nd Baronet Sir Robert Williames Vaughan, 2nd Baronet (29 March 176822 April 1843), was a Welsh landowner and Tory politician who sat in the House of Commons for 40 years from 1792 to 1836. Nannau house In 1800, Robert Vaughan embarked on a life long jou ...
(1768–1843) landowner and politician, MP for Merioneth for 40 years from 1792 to 1836. * Sir
Cadwaladr Bryner Jones Sir Cadwaladr Bryner Jones (6 April 1872 – 10 December 1954) was a leading figure in Welsh agricultural education and an eminent civil servant. He was educated at Dolgellau Grammar School, Aspatria Agricultural College and Durham University, w ...
(1872–1954), agricultural educationist, was educated at Dolgellau Grammar School. * Mary Morris (1873–1925), doctor, first female inspector of schools in
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
and suffragette * Mary Alice Eleanor Richards (1885–1977), British botanist and prolific collector of Zambian plants *
Dilys Elwyn-Edwards Dilys Elwyn-Edwards (née Roberts; 19 August 1918 – 13 January 2012) was a Welsh-language composer, lecturer and accompanist. Biography Dilys Roberts was born on 19 August 1918 in Dolgellau, Wales. She attended Dr Williams' School for Girl ...
(1918–2012), composer, lecturer and accompanist. *
Marion Eames Marion Eames (born Gwladys Marion Griffith Eames, 5 February 1921 – 3 April 2007)Dictionary of Welsh BiographRetrieved 29 September 2018./ref> was a Welsh novelist writing mainly in Welsh. She was also a talented musician. Biography Marion was ...
(1921–2007), Welsh novelist, author of ''Y Stafell Ddirgel''. *
Ioan Bowen Rees Ioan Bowen Rees (13 January 1929 – 4 May 1999) was a Welsh poet, mountaineer and political activist. Born in Dolgellau, Rees studied at the grammar school, then at Bootham School in York. He won a scholarship to Queen's College, Oxford, befo ...
(1929–1999) poet, mountaineer and political activist. * Alan Llwyd (born 1948), bardic name ''Meilir Emrys Owen'', prolific Welsh-language poet, literary critic and editor. * Gwyndaf Evans (born 1959), rally driver, winner of the 1996 British Rally Championship *
Martin Philips Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austral ...
(born 1960), Welsh darts captain and 2014 World Masters champion, was born in the town * Elfyn Evans (born 1988), rally driver (son of Gwyndaf Evans)


Geography


Gallery

File:Dolgellau, Merionethshire.jpeg, Bridge over the River Wnion in Dolgellau, 1830 by artist
Henry Gastineau Henry Gastineau (1791–1876) was an English engraver and prolific painter in water-colours. He was born in London to a family of Huguenot descent. One of his daughters, Maria Gastineau, painted in a similar style. Life He was a student at the ...
(1791–1876) and engraver (1787–1859) File:Dolgelle.jpeg, 'Dolgelle' 1806 by
William Marshall Craig William Marshall Craig (died 1827) was an English painter who exhibited at times at the Royal Academy, from 1788 until 1827. Craig first lived at Manchester, but settled in London about 1791. He was painter in water-colours to the Queen, and mi ...
, File:Dolgelly, Merionethshire.jpeg, Large farmhouse in Dolgellau, woman feeding chickens in yard, 1815 by Cornelius Varley (1781–1873) and engraver Francis Stevens File:Dolgelley and Cader Idris.jpeg, 'Dolgelley and Cader Idris' by George Pickering (–1857) and lithographer (1809–1852) File:Dolgelly, north Wales.jpeg, 'Dolgelly, north Wales' 1835?


See also

*
Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Church, Dolgellau Our Lady of Sorrows Church or its full name Our Lady of Seven Sorrows Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Dolgellau, Gwynedd. It was built in 1966 and is a Grade II listed building. It is situated on Meyrick Street close to the centre o ...
*
Dolgellau railway station Dolgellau railway station () in Gwynedd, North Wales, was a station on the Ruabon to Barmouth line, originally the terminus of a Cambrian Railways branch from Barmouth Junction, then linked by the Great Western Railway to Bala and Ruabon. The s ...
*
Dolgelley power station Dolgelley or Dolgellau power station was a combined diesel and hydroelectric generating station. It provided electricity to the town of Dolgellau, Gwynedd, Wales and the surrounding district from 1936 until the 1960s. History Dolgellau Urban Di ...


References


External links


History of Dolgellau

Dolgellau Archives

Dolgellau Town Council English
* {{authority control Towns in Gwynedd County towns in Wales Communities in Gwynedd