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Snowdonia or Eryri (), is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a
national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
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 name is derived from ("eagle"), and thus means "the abode/land of eagles", but recent evidence is that it means ''highlands'', and is related to the Latin (to rise) as leading Welsh scholar Sir proved. The term first appeared in a manuscript in the 9th-century , in an account of the downfall of the semi-legendary 5th-century king ( Vortigern). In the Middle Ages, the title ''Prince of Wales and Lord of Snowdonia'' () was used by ; his grandfather used the title ''Prince of north Wales and Lord of Snowdonia.'' The name ''Snowdonia'' derives from ''
Snowdon Snowdon () or (), is the highest mountain in Wales, at an elevation of above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside the Scottish Highlands. It is located in Snowdonia National Park (') in Gwynedd (historic ...
'', the highest mountain in the area and the highest mountain in Wales at . Before the boundaries of the national park were designated, "Snowdonia" was generally used to refer to a smaller area, namely the upland area of northern centred on the Snowdon massif, whereas the national park covers an area more than twice that size extending far to the south into . This is apparent in books published prior to 1951, such as the classic travelogue ''Wild Wales'' by George Borrow (1862) and ''The Mountains of Snowdonia'' by H. Carr & G. Lister (1925). F. J. North, as editor of the book ''Snowdonia'' (1949), states "When the Committee delineated provisional boundaries, they included areas some distance beyond Snowdonia proper". The traditional Snowdonia thus includes the ranges of Snowdon and its satellites, the , the , the and the
Moel Hebog Moel Hebog (Welsh for ''Bare Hill of the Hawk'') is a mountain in Snowdonia, north Wales which dominates the view west from the village of Beddgelert. It gives name to a whole range of peaks in the north-western corner of Snowdonia, which i ...
group. It does not include the hills to the south of . This area has a unique place in Welsh history, tradition, and culture.


Use of in English

In 2003,
Cymuned Cymuned (translated in English language, English as "community", ) was a Wales, Welsh communities pressure group. Established in 2001, the group campaigned on behalf of local communities in Wales, particularly (but not exclusively) Welsh language ...
launched a campaign for the scrapping of ''Snowdon'' and ''Snowdonia'' for their Welsh-language counterparts, and , respectively, with the campaign citing efforts similar to Uluru (also known as ''Ayers Rock'') and the use of Qomolangma instead of Mount Everest, which was named after Welsh-born George Everest. In 2020, an e-petition calling for the removal of the English names was put forward to the
Senedd The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Gove ...
. The petition was rejected as the devolved legislature stated it was the responsibility of the
national park authority A national park authority is a special term used in Great Britain for legal bodies charged with maintaining a national park of which, as of October 2021, there are ten in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. The powers and duties of all suc ...
itself. On 28 April 2021, Gwynedd councillor John Pughe Roberts put forward a motion for the names ''Snowdonia National Park'' and ''Snowdon'' to be replaced with the Welsh names and respectively, stating it as a "question of respect for the Welsh language". The motion was not considered and delayed, as the national park authority already appointed a "Welsh Place Names Task and Finish Group" to investigate the issue. The park authority however cannot compel other bodies and/or individuals to stop using the English names, with the proposals facing some criticism. In April 2021, an e-petition was launched calling for ditching ''Snowdon'' and ''Snowdonia National Park'' for their Welsh equivalents. By June 2021, more than 5,300 people signed the petition. In May 2021, following the dismissal of the motion, YouGov conducted a poll on Snowdon's name. 60% of Welsh adults supported the English name ''Snowdon'', compared to 30% wanting the Welsh name . Separating by language, 59% of Welsh speakers preferred the Welsh name, while 37% wanted ''Snowdon'' to not be scrapped entirely. 69% of non-Welsh speakers firmly supported ''Snowdon'' as the Mountain's name. The proposals to rename ''Snowdon'' are usually accompanied with proposals to rename ''Snowdonia''. On 16 November 2022, Members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority committee voted to use the Welsh names and to refer to Wales' highest mountain and the mountain range over the English names "Snowdon" and "Snowdonia", respectively, in materials produced by the authority. The national park authority described the decision as "decisive action" and the authority's head of culture heritage stated that Welsh place names were part of the area's "special qualities" and that other public bodies, English-language press and filming companies have used the Welsh-language names. Prior to the decision, the park already included the Welsh names on English-language documents followed by the English names in parentheses. Although previous proposals advocated for ''Snowdonia'' to be scrapped entirely, the name ''Snowdonia'' is set in law, therefore the authority has the legal requirement to also use it in official statutory documents. The authority announced they are to conduct a review of the authority's branding in 2023 taking into account the new approach to Welsh place names.


Snowdonia National Park

Snowdonia National Park ( cy, Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri), was established in 1951 as the third
national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
in Britain, following the Peak District and the
Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...
. It covers , and has of coastline. Snowdonia National Park covers parts of the counties 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 ...
and Conwy. The park is governed by the ''Snowdonia
National Park Authority A national park authority is a special term used in Great Britain for legal bodies charged with maintaining a national park of which, as of October 2021, there are ten in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland. The powers and duties of all suc ...
'', which is made up of local government and Welsh Government representatives, and its main offices are at Penrhyndeudraeth. Unlike national parks in other countries, Snowdonia (and other such parks in Britain) is made up of both public and private lands under a central planning authority. The makeup of land ownership at Snowdonia is as follows: More than 26,000 people live within the park. 58.6% of the population could speak Welsh in 2011. While most of the land is either open or mountainous land, there is a significant amount of agricultural activity within the park. Since the local government re-organisation of 1998, the park lies partly in 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 ...
, and partly in the county borough of Conwy. It is governed by the 18-member Eryri National Park Authority; nine members are appointed by Gwynedd, three by Conwy, and the remaining six by the Welsh Government to represent the national interest. Unusually, Snowdonia National Park has a hole in the middle, around the town of
Blaenau Ffestiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, Wales. Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire, it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,00 ...
, a
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
quarrying centre. This was deliberately excluded from the park when it was set up to allow the development of new light industry to replace the reduced slate industry. (There is a similar situation in the Peak District National Park where the boundaries were drawn to exclude large built-up areas and industrial sites from the park with the town of Buxton and the adjacent quarries outside but surrounded on three sides by the park.) The
Snowdonia Society The Snowdonia Society ( cy, Cymdeithas Eryri) is a members based environmental charity working to protect and enhance the beauty and special qualities of Snowdonia and to promote their enjoyment in the interests of all who live in, work in or vis ...
is a registered charity formed in 1967. It is a voluntary group of people with an interest in the area and its protection. Amory Lovins led the successful 1970s opposition to stop Rio Tinto digging up the area for a massive mine.


Geology

The geology of Snowdonia is key to the area's character. Glaciation during a succession of ice ages, has carved from a heavily faulted and folded succession of sedimentary and igneous rocks, a distinctive rocky landscape. The last ice age ended only just over 11,500 years ago, leaving a legacy of features attractive to visitors but which have also played a part in the development of geological science and continue to provide a focus for educational visits. Visiting
Cwm Idwal Cwm Idwal is a cirque (or corrie) in the Glyderau range of mountains in northern Snowdonia, the national park in the mountainous region of North Wales. Its main interest is to hill walkers and rock climbers, but it is also of interest to geologist ...
in 1841 Charles Darwin realised that the landscape was the product of glaciation. The
bedrock In geology, bedrock is solid Rock (geology), rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust (geology), crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet. Definition Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface mater ...
dates largely from the
Cambrian The Cambrian Period ( ; sometimes symbolized C with bar, Ꞓ) was the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, and of the Phanerozoic Eon. The Cambrian lasted 53.4 million years from the end of the preceding Ediacaran Period 538.8 million ...
and Ordovician periods with intrusions of Ordovician and
Silurian The Silurian ( ) is a geologic period and system spanning 24.6 million years from the end of the Ordovician Period, at million years ago ( Mya), to the beginning of the Devonian Period, Mya. The Silurian is the shortest period of the Paleozo ...
age associated with the Caledonian Orogeny. There are smaller areas of Silurian age sedimentary rocks in the south and northeast and of
Cenozoic The Cenozoic ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configura ...
era strata on the Cardigan Bay coast though the latter are concealed by more recent deposits. Low grade metamorphism of Cambrian and Ordovician
mudstone Mudstone, a type of mudrock, is a fine-grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Mudstone is distinguished from '' shale'' by its lack of fissility (parallel layering).Blatt, H., and R.J. Tracy, 1996, ''Petrology. ...
s has resulted in the
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
s, the extraction of which once formed the mainstay of the area's economy.


Geography


Mountains

The principal ranges of the traditional Snowdonia are the Snowdon massif itself, the Glyderau, the Carneddau, the
Moelwynion The Moelwynion (a Welsh language, Welsh plural, sometimes Anglicisation, anglicised to Moelwyns) are a group of mountains in central Snowdonia. They extend from the north-east of Porthmadog to Moel Siabod, the highest of the group. The name deriv ...
and the
Moel Hebog Moel Hebog (Welsh for ''Bare Hill of the Hawk'') is a mountain in Snowdonia, north Wales which dominates the view west from the village of Beddgelert. It gives name to a whole range of peaks in the north-western corner of Snowdonia, which i ...
range. All of Wales' 3000ft mountains are to be found within the first three of these massifs and are most popular with visitors. To their south within the wider national park are the
Rhinogydd The Rhinogydd (a Welsh plural form, often anglicised as Rhinogs and also known by the alternative Welsh plural Rhinogau) are a range of mountains located east of Harlech in North Wales. The name ''Rhinogydd'' derives from the names of two of the m ...
and the Cadair Idris and
Aran Fawddwy Aran Fawddwy is a mountain in southern Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom. It is the highest point (county top) of the historic county of Merionethshire (for local government purposes, it lies within the current council area of Gwynedd). ...
ranges. Besides these well-defined areas are a host of mountains which are less readily grouped though various guidebook writers have assigned them into groups such as the 'Arenigs', the 'Tarrens' and the 'Dyfi hills'. Snowdon's summit at 1085 metres (3560') is the highest in Wales and the highest in Britain south of the Scottish Highlands. At 905 metres (2970') is the highest in Wales outside of northern Snowdonia and at 893 metres (2930'), next in line.


Rivers and lakes

Rivers draining the area empty directly into Cardigan Bay are typically short and steep. From north to south they include the and which share a common estuary, the and its tributaries the Wnion and the , the smaller and on the park's southern margin the Dovey. A series of rivers drain to the north coast. Largest of these is the Conwy on the park's eastern margin which along with the drains into
Conwy Bay Conwy Bay ( Welsh ''Bae Conwy''), also known as Conway Bay, is an inlet of the Irish Sea. It is situated at the southeastern point of the coast of Anglesey at Bangor on the northern central coast of Wales, stretching from Puffin Island to Gre ...
. Further west the and empty into the western end of the
Menai Strait The Menai Strait ( cy, Afon Menai, the "river Menai") is a narrow stretch of shallow tidal water about long, which separates the island of Anglesey from the mainland of Wales. It varies in width from from Fort Belan to Abermenai Point to from ...
. A part of the east of the national park is within the upper Dee (Dyfrydwy) catchment and includes Llyn Tegid, the largest natural waterbody in Wales. A fuller list of the rivers and tributaries within the area is found at List of rivers of Wales. There are few natural waterbodies of any size in Wales; Snowdonia is home to most. Besides Llyn Tegid, a few lakes occupy glacial troughs including and at and south of . , and to the south and west of Snowdon feature in this category as do and on the margins of the . There are numerous small lakes occupying glacial cirques owing to the former intensity of glacial action in Snowdonia. Known generically as tarns, examples include and on Snowdon, within the and on . There are two large wholly man-made bodies of water in the area, and whilst numerous of the natural lakes have had their levels artificially raised to different degrees. reservoir and Power Station's are two cases where natural tarns have been dammed as part of pumped storage hydro-electric schemes. A fuller list of the lakes within the area is found at List of lakes of Wales.


Coast

The national park meets the Irish Sea coast within Cardigan Bay between the Dovey estuary in the south and the estuary. The larger part of that frontage is characterised by dune systems, the largest of which are and . These two locations sport two of the largest sand/shingle spits in Wales. The major indentations of the Dovey, and estuaries are characterised by large expanses of intertidal sands and coastal marsh which are especially important for wildlife (- see natural history section). The northern tip of the national park extends to the north coast of Wales at Point, west of where precipitous cliffs have led to the road and railway negotiating the spot in tunnel.


Settlements

There are only three towns within the park boundary though several more immediately beyond it. is the most populous followed by
Bala Bala may refer to: Places India *Bala, India, a village in Allahabad, India * Bala, Ahor, a village in the Jalore district of Rajasthan * Bala, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India Romania * Bala, Mehedinți, a commune in Mehedinţi ...
on the eastern boundary and then Harlech overlooking Tremadog Bay. More populous than these is the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog which is within an
exclave An enclave is a territory (or a small territory apart of a larger one) that is entirely surrounded by the territory of one other state or entity. Enclaves may also exist within territorial waters. ''Enclave'' is sometimes used improperly to deno ...
, that is to say it is surrounded by the national park but excluded from it whilst the towns of Tywyn and
Barmouth Barmouth ( cy, Abermaw (formal); ''Y Bermo'' (colloquial)) is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in the county of Gwynedd, northwestern Wales, lying on the estuary of the Afon Mawddach and Cardigan Bay. Located in the Historic coun ...
on the Cardigan Bay coast are within coastal exclaves. in the east, Machynlleth in the south and Porthmadog and Penrhyndeudraeth in the west are immediately beyond the boundary but still identified with the park, indeed the last of these hosts the headquarters of the Snowdonia National Park Authority. Similarly the local economies of towns of Conwy, Bethesda, and Llanberis in the north are inseparably linked to the national park as they provide multiple visitor services. The lower terminus of the Snowdon Mountain Railway is at Llanberis. Though adjacent to it, and are less obviously linked to the park. There are numerous smaller settlements within the national park, prominent amongst which are the eastern 'gateway' village of ,
Aberdovey Aberdyfi (), also known as Aberdovey ( ), is a village and community in Gwynedd, Wales, located on the northern side of the estuary of the River Dyfi. The population of the community was 878 at the 2011 census. The electoral ward had a larger ...
on the Dovey estuary and the small village of each of which attract large numbers of visitors. Other sizeable villages are at the southwest end of and .


Communications


Roads

Six primary routes serve Snowdonia, the busiest of which is the A55, a dual carriageway which runs along the north coast and provides strategic road access to the northern part of the national park. The most important north–south route within the park is the A470 running from the A55 south past to to . It exits the park a few miles to the southeast near . From , the A494 runs to whilst the A487 connects with . The A487 loops around the northwest of the park from via to before turning in land to meet the A470 east of . The A5 was built as a mail coach road by Thomas Telford between London and
Holyhead Holyhead (,; cy, Caergybi , "Cybi's fort") is the largest town and a community in the county of Isle of Anglesey, Wales, with a population of 13,659 at the 2011 census. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is ...
; it enters the park near and leaves it near Bethesda. Other A class roads provide more local links; the A493 down the Dovey valley from and up the coast to then back up the valley to , the A496 from down the north side of the to Barmouth then north up the coast via to . The A4212 connecting with is relatively modern having been laid out in the 1960s in connection with the construction of . Three further roads thread their often twisting and narrow way through the northern mountains;
A4085 List of A roads in zone 4 in Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island ...
links with , the A4086 links with via and the A498 links with the A4086 at . Other roads of note include that from up to via the 545 metre (1788') high pass of , the second highest tarmacked public road in Wales and the minor road running northwest and west from towards via the 531 metre (1742') high pass of .


Railways

The double track
North Wales Coast Line The North Wales Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru), also known as the North Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or cy, label=none, Prif Linell y Gogledd), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, ...
passes along the northern boundary of the park between Conwy and Bangor briefly entering it at Point where it is in tunnel. Stations serve the communities of Conwy, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan and Bangor. The single-track Conwy Valley Line runs south from Llandudno Junction, entering the park north of Betws-y-coed which is served by a station then west up the Lledr valley by way of further stations at Pont-y-pant, Dolwyddelan and Roman Bridge. After passing through a tunnel the passenger line now terminates at
Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station serves the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, and is the passenger terminus of the Conwy Valley Line from Llandudno Junction. Transport for Wales Rail operate through services to Llandudno Juncti ...
. Prior to 1961 the route continued as the
Bala and Ffestiniog Railway The Bala and Festiniog Railway was a , standard gauge, railway backed by the Great Western Railway (GWR) in north-west Wales. It connected Bala with Blaenau Ffestiniog. History The railway originally connected Bala with Llan Ffestiniog. It w ...
via Trawsfynydd to Bala joining another former route along the Dee valley which ran southwest via Dolgellau to join the still extant coastal
Cambrian Line The Cambrian Line ( cy, Llinell y Cambrian), also known as the Cambrian Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell y Cambrian) and Cambrian Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir y Cambrian), is a railway line that runs from Shrewsbury, England, westwards to Aber ...
south of Barmouth. The Pwllheli branch of the Cambrian Line splits from the Aberystwyth branch at
Dovey Junction , symbol_location = gb , symbol = rail , image = File:Dovey Junction.jpg, Train at Dovey Junction , caption = A train bound for Pwllheli calls at Dovey Junction (December 2019) , borough = Derwenlas, Powys , country = Wales , coordinates ...
and continues via stations at
Aberdovey Aberdyfi (), also known as Aberdovey ( ), is a village and community in Gwynedd, Wales, located on the northern side of the estuary of the River Dyfi. The population of the community was 878 at the 2011 census. The electoral ward had a larger ...
, Tywyn,
Tonfanau Tonfanau is a coastal village in the community of Llangelynin, in Gwynedd (formerly Merionethshire), Wales. It is north of Tywyn. The village is served by Tonfanau railway station. During the Second World War an army base was created near the ...
,
Llwyngwril Llwyngwril () is a coastal village, in Llangelynnin community, two miles north of the village of Llangelynnin and eleven miles south-west of Dolgellau. It is in the county of Merionethshire, Wales, although currently administered as part of the u ...
, Fairbourne and Morfa Mawddach to
Barmouth Barmouth ( cy, Abermaw (formal); ''Y Bermo'' (colloquial)) is a seaside town and community (Wales), community in the county of Gwynedd, northwestern Wales, lying on the estuary of the Afon Mawddach and Cardigan Bay. Located in the Historic coun ...
where it crosses the Mawddach estuary by the GradeII* listed wooden Barmouth Bridge, a structure which also provides for walkers and cyclists. Further stations serve
Llanaber Llanaber is a linear coastal village in north west Wales, about north of Barmouth on the A496 road. The Irish Sea lies directly to the west and the Rhiniog mountains directly to the east. Facilities Its main attraction is the large beach whic ...
, Tal-y-bont, Dyffryn Ardudwy, Llanbedr, Pensarn and
Llandanwg Llandanwg () is a village in the Ardudwy area of Gwynedd, in Llanfair community Wales. It is situated on the coast, has a railway station, and a medieval church in the sand dunes behind the beach which is a Grade II listed building. The villag ...
before reaching Harlech. Tygwyn, Talsarnau and Llandecwyn stations are the last before the line exits the park as it crosses the Dwyryd estuary via Pont Briwet and turns westwards bound for Pwllheli via Penrhyndeudraeth, Porthmadog and Criccieth. Many sections of dismantled railway are now used by walking and cycling routes and are described elsewhere. The Bala Lake Railway is a heritage railway which has been established along a section of the former mainline route between Bala and Llanuwchllyn. Other heritage railways occupy sections of former mineral lines, often narrow gauge and are described in a separate section.


Climate

Snowdonia is one of the wettest parts of the United Kingdom;
Crib Goch Crib Goch is described as a "knife-edged" arête in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, Wales. The name means "red ridge" in the Welsh language. The highest point on the arête is above sea level. All routes which tackle Crib Goch are co ...
in Snowdonia is the wettest spot in the United Kingdom, with an average rainfall of a year over the 30-year period prior to the mid-2000s. (There is a rainfall gauge at 713 metres, 2340' on the slopes below Crib Goch.)


History

The earliest evidence for human occupation of the area dates from around 4000 - 3000 BCE with extensive traces of prehistoric field systems evident in the landscape. Within these are traces of irregular enclosures and hut circles. There are burial chambers of Neolithic and Bronze Age such as
Bryn Cader Faner Bryn Cader Faner is a Bronze Age round cairn which lies to the east of the small hamlet of Talsarnau in the Ardudwy area of Gwynedd in Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England ...
and Iron Age hillforts such as
Bryn y Castell Bryn is a Welsh word meaning hill. It may also refer to: Places United Kingdom See also UK location England * Bryn, Greater Manchester ** Bryn (ward), an electoral ward in Wigan ** Bryn railway station * Cornwall Wales * Bryn, an electoral div ...
near Ffestiniog. The region was finally conquered by the Romans by AD 77–78. Remains of Roman marching camps and practice camps are evident. There was a
Roman fort In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, the Latin word ''castrum'', plural ''castra'', was a military-related term. In Latin usage, the singular form ''castrum'' meant 'fort', while the plural form ''castra'' meant 'camp'. The singular and ...
and amphitheatre at
Tomen y Mur Tomen y Mur is a First Century AD Roman fort in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, Wales. The fortification, which lies on the slope of an isolated spur northeast of Llyn Trawsfynydd, was constructed during the North Wales campaigns of governor Gnaeus Juliu ...
. Roads are known to have connected with Segontium (Caernarfon) and Deva Victrix (Chester) and include the northern reaches of Sarn Helen. There are numerous memorial stones of
Early Christian Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Jewish d ...
affinity dating from the post-Roman period. The post-Roman hillfort of Dinas Emrys also dates to this time. Churches were introduced to the region in the 5th and 6th centuries.
Llywelyn the Great Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and d ...
and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd had various stone castles constructed to protect their borders and trade routes.
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 ...
built several castles around the margins including those at Harlech and Conwy for military and administrative reasons. Most are now protected within a World Heritage Site. Some of Snowdonia's many stone walls date back to this period too. The 18th century saw the start of industrial exploitation of the area's resources, assisted by the appearance in the late part of the century of turnpike trusts making it more accessible. The engineer Thomas Telford left a legacy of road and railway construction in and around Snowdonia. A new harbour at Porthmadog linked to slate quarries at Ffestiniog via a narrow gauge railway. At its peak in the 19th century the slate industry employed around 12,000 men. A further 1000 were employed in stone quarrying at Graiglwyd and Penmaenmawr. Mining for copper, iron and gold was undertaken during the 18th and 19th centuries, leaving a legacy of mine and mill ruins today. Ruins of the gold industry are found at
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 ...
on the Dolmelynllyn estate.


Natural history

The park's entire coastline is a Special Area of Conservation, which runs from the Llŷn Peninsula down the mid-Wales coast, the latter containing valuable sand dune systems. The park's natural forests are of the mixed deciduous type, the commonest tree being the
Welsh oak The Welsh Oak is a pub located in Pontymister, Caerphilly County Borough, Wales. In recent years, due to a decline in trade, the pub has ceased trading. This was the final meeting place of John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones, a ...
. Birch, ash, mountain-ash and hazel are also common. The park also contains some large (planted)
coniferous Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extant ...
forested areas such as
Gwydir Forest Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet, John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle ...
near Betws-y-Coed, although some areas, once harvested, are now increasingly being allowed to regrow naturally.


Flora

Northern Snowdonia is the only place in Britain where the Snowdon lily (''Gagea serotina''), an arctic–alpine plant, is found and the only place in the world where the Snowdonia hawkweed ''
Hieracium snowdoniense ''Hieracium snowdoniense'', the Snowdonia hawkweed, is a species of flowering plant within the family Asteraceae. The species is endemic to Snowdonia, North Wales. It was believed to have become extinct in the early 1950s as a result of overgr ...
'' grows. One of the major problems facing the park in recent years has been the growth of '' Rhododendron ponticum''. This fast-growing
invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
has a tendency to take over and stifle native species. It can form massive towering growths and has a companion fungus that grows on its roots producing toxins that are poisonous to any local flora and fauna for a seven-year period after the ''Rhododendron'' infestations have been eradicated. As a result, there are a number of desolate landscapes.


Fauna

Mammals in the park include otters,
polecats Polecat is a common name for several mustelid species in the order Carnivora and subfamilies Ictonychinae and Mustelinae. Polecats do not form a single taxonomic rank (i.e. clade). The name is applied to several species with broad similarities t ...
, feral goats, and pine martens. Birds include
raven A raven is any of several larger-bodied bird species of the genus ''Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between "crows" and "ravens", common names which are assigned t ...
, red-billed chough, peregrine, osprey,
merlin Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
and the red kite. The rainbow-coloured
Snowdon beetle ''Chrysolina cerealis'', the rainbow leaf beetle or Snowdon beetle, is a beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae. Subspecies Subspecies within this genus include: * ''Chrysolina cerealis cerealis'' (Linnaeus, 1767) (Central and Western Euro ...
(''
Chrysolina cerealis ''Chrysolina cerealis'', the rainbow leaf beetle or Snowdon beetle, is a beetle belonging to the family Chrysomelidae. Subspecies Subspecies within this genus include: * ''Chrysolina cerealis cerealis'' (Linnaeus, 1767) (Central and Western Euro ...
'') is only found in northern Snowdonia.


Conservation designations

Snowdonia has a particularly high number of protected sites in respect of its diverse ecology; nearly 20% of its total area is protected by UK and European law. Half of that area was set aside by the government under the European Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation. There are a large number of Sites of special scientific interest (or 'SSSIs'), designated both for fauna and flora but also in some cases for geology. Nineteen of these sites are managed as national nature reserves by Natural Resources Wales. The park also contains twelve Special Areas of Conservation (or 'SACs'), three Special Protection Areas (or 'SPAs') and three Ramsar sites. Some are wholly within the park boundaries, others straddle it to various degrees.


Sites of Special Scientific Interest

There are numerous SSSIs within the park, the most extensive of which are Snowdonia, Estuary, and .


National nature reserves

The following NNRs are either wholly or partly within the park: (in multiple parts), (in 2 parts), and Snowdon.


Special Areas of Conservation

The twelve SACs are as follows: Snowdonia SAC which covers much of the , and the Snowdon massif, Fens (north of Garndolbenmaen), the Oakwoods and Bat Sites - a series of sites between , and and and extending up the . It also includes many of the oakwoods of the and its tributaries. (in 2 parts), , River Dee and (Wales), Forest Mines (north of ) and a part of the / Berwyn and South Clwyd Mountains SAC. The Peninsula and the SAC covers the entire Cardigan Bay coastline of the park and the sea area and extends above the high water mark at and around the Dovey and estuaries.


Special Protection Areas

The three SPAs are Dovey Estuary / (of which a part is within the park), (of which a part is within the park) and .


Ramsar sites

The three designated
Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **
Dyfi Biosphere The Dyfi Biosphere ( cy, Biosffer Dyfi) is situated at the coast of south-central Wales in the estuary of the River Dyfi, and is a biosphere reserve representative of salt marshes and estuarine systems in the west of the United Kingdom. The estu ...
(Cors Fochno and Dyfi), Cwm Idwal and Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake).


Economy

The area's economy was traditionally centred upon farming and from the early 19th century increasingly on mining and quarrying. Tourism has become an increasingly significant part of Snowdonia's economy during the 20th and 21st centuries.


Hill farming

The extensive farming of sheep remains central to Snowdonia's farming economy.


Forestry

Significant sections of the park were afforested during the 20th century for timber production. Major
conifer Conifers are a group of conifer cone, cone-bearing Spermatophyte, seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the phylum, division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single ...
plantations include Dyfi Forest, Coed y Brenin Forest between Dolgellau and Trawsfynydd,
Penllyn Forest Penllyn may refer to the following places: United States *Penllyn, a village in Lower Gwynedd Township, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Wales * Penllyn, Gwynedd, a former civil parish in Gwynedd (1894-1974) *Penllyn, Vale of Glamorgan, a village ...
south of Bala,
Beddgelert Forest Beddgelert () is a village and community in the Snowdonia area of Gwynedd, Wales. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 455, and includes Nantmor and Nant Gwynant. It is reputed to be named after the legendary houn ...
and Gwydyr (or Gwydir) Forest near Betws-y-Coed which is managed as a
forest park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China *Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fores ...
by Natural Resources Wales.


Slate industry

The region was once the most important producer of
slate Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. It is the finest grained foliated metamorphic rock. ...
in the world. Some production continues but at a much reduced level from its peak. The park boundaries are drawn such that much of the landscape affected by slate quarrying and mining lies immediately outside of the designated area.


Energy production

Construction of a nuclear power station beside
Llyn Trawsfynydd Llyn Trawsfynydd is a large man-made reservoir situated near the village of Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd, North Wales. With a total surface area of the reservoir is slightly more extensive than Wales's largest natural lake, Llyn Tegid at . History ...
began in 1959 with the first power produced in 1965. The site was operational until 1991 though it continues as an employer during its decommissioning phase. Pumped storage hydroelectric schemes are in operation at Llanberis and Ffestiniog.


Tourism

Research indicates that there were 3.67 million visitors to Snowdonia National Park in 2013, with approximately 9.74 million tourist days spent in the park during that year. Total tourist expenditure was £433.6 million in 2013.


Hiking

Many of the hikers in the area concentrate on Snowdon itself. It is regarded as a fine mountain, but at times gets very crowded; in addition the Snowdon Mountain Railway runs to the summit. The other high mountains with their boulder-strewn summits as well as , one of the few mountains in the UK south of Scotland whose ascent needs hands as well as feet are also very popular. However, there are also some spectacular walks in Snowdonia on the lower mountains, and they tend to be relatively unfrequented. Among hikers' favourites are Y Garn (east of Llanberis) along the ridge to Elidir Fawr; Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd (west of Snowdon) along the Nantlle Ridge to Mynydd Drws-y-Coed;
Moelwyn Mawr Moelwyn Mawr is a mountain in Snowdonia, North Wales and forms part of the Moelwynion. Its summit overlooks the Vale of Ffestiniog and has views in all directions. Site of Special Scientific Interest In 1990, Moelwyn Mawr was designated ...
(west of Blaenau Ffestiniog); and
Pen Llithrig y Wrach Pen Llithrig y Wrach is a mountain peak in Snowdonia, Wales. It is one of the four Marilyns that make up the Carneddau range. To the east is Creigiau Gleision, another Marilyn, while to the west is Pen yr Helgi Du and Carnedd Llewelyn. Crai ...
north of
Capel Curig Capel Curig (; meaning " Curig's Chapel") is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. Historically in Caernarfonshire, it lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226, reducing slightly to 206 ...
. Further south are
Y Llethr Y Llethr is the highest mountain in the Rhinogydd range of Snowdonia, in north Wales. The summit consists of a flat grassy top marked only by a small cairn. The summit is more in keeping with its southern flanks than its rugged northern ...
in the
Rhinogydd The Rhinogydd (a Welsh plural form, often anglicised as Rhinogs and also known by the alternative Welsh plural Rhinogau) are a range of mountains located east of Harlech in North Wales. The name ''Rhinogydd'' derives from the names of two of the m ...
, and Cadair Idris near
Dolgellau Dolgellau () is a town and community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the traditional county town of the historic county of Merionethshire ( cy, Meirionnydd, Sir Feirionnydd) un ...
. The park has of public footpaths, of public
bridleway A bridle path, also bridleway, equestrian trail, horse riding path, ride, bridle road, or horse trail, is a trail or a thoroughfare that is used by people riding horses, riding on horses. Trails originally created for use by horses often now s ...
s, and of other public rights of way. A large part of the park is also covered by
right to roam The freedom to roam, or "everyman's right", is the general public's right to access certain public or privately owned land, lakes, and rivers for recreation and exercise. The right is sometimes called the right of public access to the wildernes ...
laws.


Recreational routes

The Wales Coast Path runs within the park between Machynlleth and Penrhyndeudraeth, save for short sections of coast in the vicinity of Tywyn and Barmouth which are excluded from the park. It touches the park boundary again at Penmaen-bach Point on the north coast. An inland alternative exists between Llanfairfechan and Conwy, wholly within the park. The North Wales Path which predates the WCP, enters the park north of Bethesda and follows a route broadly parallel to the north coast visiting
Aber Falls Aber Falls ( cy, Rhaeadr Fawr) is a waterfall located about two miles (3 km) south of the village of Abergwyngregyn, Gwynedd, Wales. The waterfall is formed as the plunges about over a sill of igneous rock in the foothills of the range. ...
and the
Sychnant Pass Sychnant Pass (Welsh: ''Bwlch Sychnant'', "Dry-stream Pass") in Conwy County Borough, Wales, links Conwy to Penmaenmawr via Dwygyfylchi. Much of the pass is in Snowdonia National Park, and a large area of land within it has been designated a S ...
before exiting the park on the descent from
Conwy Mountain Mynydd y Dref (Welsh : ''"Mountain of the Town"'') or Conwy Mountain is a hilly area to the west of the town of Conwy, in North Wales. To the north it overlooks the sea of Conwy Bay, and to the south lie the foothills of the Carneddau range of ...
. The
Cambrian Way The Cambrian Way, initially an unofficial long distance footpath in Wales (or Cambria) running from Cardiff to Conwy, was officially recognised in 2019. Primarily a mountain walk, it runs over many of the highest and most scenically beautiful ...
is a long-distance trail between Cardiff and Conwy which passes through the national park. It was officially recognised in 2019, and is now depicted on Ordnance Survey maps.


In other media

Almost all external shots of Disney's fantasy film ''
Dragonslayer A dragonslayer is a person or being that slays dragons. Dragonslayers and the creatures they hunt have been popular in traditional stories from around the world: they are a type of story classified as type 300 in the Aarne–Thompson classifica ...
'' were shot in Snowdonia National Park. The Dutch
symphonic metal Symphonic metal is a cross-generic style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitar ...
band Delain had filmed the official music video for their song "Burning Bridges" in Snowdonia. It was released through Napalm Records on 27 September 2019.


References


External links


Eryri National Park Authority

Snowdonia Tourism

Snowdonia Society
{{Authority control National parks in Wales Geology of Wales Articles containing video clips Mountain ranges of Wales