Gwynedd (county)

I

Introduction

Gwynedd (county) unitary authority and county, north-western Wales, bounded on the north by the county borough of Conwy, on the east by the county of Denbighshire, on the south-east by the county of Powys, on the south-west and west by the Irish Sea, and on the north-west by the Menai Strait and the Isle of Anglesey. Gwynedd was created on April 1, 1996 under the provisions of the Local Government Act 1994, and was initially known as Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire. Although it does not reproduce the boundaries of the former county of Gwynedd (created in 1974 and disestablished in 1996), the new unitary authority has retained the name. Caernarfonshire (also known as Caernarvonshire) and Merionethshire (or Meirionnydd) were two historic counties that had existed from the 13th century until 1974. Under the reorganization of 1974, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire were combined with the island of Anglesey to form the county of Gwynedd. The Act of 1994 provided for the establishment of a new local administrative structure for Wales, replacing the two-tier system of country and district councils with a single-tier system of unitary authorities. The new Gwynedd comprises the districts of Meirionnydd, Arfon, and Dwyfor, and the major part of the mainland of former Gwynedd. The district of Aberconwy (in Caernarfonshire before 1974, and thereafter part of the former Gwynedd) became part of the county borough of Conwy in 1996. The largest of the Welsh unitary authorities after Powys, Gwynedd has an area of 2,548 sq km (984 sq mi).

II

Land and Resources

Gwynedd is predominantly mountainous. The highest uplands are in the north-west, where the Snowdonia National Park is located. There are 14 peaks over 915 m (3,000 ft) in Snowdonia (Welsh, Ery, “Land of Eagles” or Eira, “Land of Snow”); Mount Snowdon (Welsh, Yrwyddfa; 1,085 m/3,560 ft), after which the park is named, is the tallest of the peaks, and the highest point in England and Wales. Much of the mountain scenery of the county was carved by glaciers during the last Ice Age, leaving shallow lakes, such as Tal-y-Llyn, at the foot of Cader Idris (894 m/2,927 ft) in the south. Lake Bala, in the east, is the largest natural water body in Wales; the River Dee rises in Snowdonia National Park to the west of Lake Bala and which flows westwards into Denbighshire.

The lowland areas are confined to the coastal region, to the main river valleys, and to the Lleyn Peninsula, which runs south-west into the Irish Sea from Snowdonia. The peninsula has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by the Countryside Agency. The main rivers of the county are the Glaswyn and the Mawddach, which empty into Cardigan Bay in the west, and the Dovey, which forms part of the border with Powys in the south.

The climate of Gwynedd varies considerably. The coastal region has an average annual rainfall of 750 to 1,000 mm (30 to 40 in). On the higher moorlands the rainfall increases to between 2,000 and 2,500 mm (80 and 100 in). Mount Snowdon's average rainfall of 5,080 mm (200 in) a year makes it the wettest area of Great Britain. Average January temperatures on the coast are in the region of 4° C (39° F), while in July they rise to 17° C (63° F). Inland winters are hard, with much snow.

III

Population and Administration

The population of Gwynedd is 116,838 (2001). The county has the highest percentage (76 per cent according to the 2001 census) of Welsh speakers in Wales (see Celtic Languages). However, over the years, many people from England, especially the Midlands, have bought second homes in the area. The influx has been highly contentious in a region where Welsh nationalism is a strong force. The incomers are sometimes seen as depriving local people of homes by pushing up house prices, and have been accused of undermining Welsh culture. At times, extremist nationalist reaction has led to incomers' houses being set on fire.

Most people live along the coast or in the river valleys; houses are traditionally made of stone with slate roofs. The main towns are Caernarfon (population, 1991, 9,695), which is the administrative centre of the unitary authority, Bangor (1991, 12,330), and Dolgellau. The Cathedral of St Deiniol, the University of Wales, Bangor, and Bangor Museum and Art Gallery are all situated in Bangor, which is regarded as the cultural centre of the area.

Crown Courts are located at Caernarfon and Dolgellau. The police authority is the North Wales Police, which has its headquarters in Colwyn Bay, in Conwy county borough.

IV

Places of Interest

The mountains have long attracted climbers and walkers. Dolgellau near Cader Idris, and Beddgelert in Snowdonia, are centres for walking and mountaineering. There is a relatively easy walk to the top of Mount Snowdon, but visitors can also reach the summit by a mountain railway from Llanberis, which celebrated its centenary in 1996. Visitors have also come since the late 19th century to the coastal resorts, which include Barmouth, where Charles Darwin wrote; Porthmadog; Pwllheli; and Tremadog, where the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley lived and where T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) was born. Portmeirion, near Porthmadog, an Italianate fantasy village designed and built by William Clough-Ellis, the architect and landscape artist, attracts film-makers as well as visitors; the 1960s cult British television series The Prisoner was shot in Portmeirion. Slate mines can be visited at Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is also the terminus of a narrow-gauge railway.

Impressive Norman castles, built by Edward I to strengthen his control over Wales, following his conquest of the country, are to be seen at Harlech and at Caernarfon; they were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Caernarfon Castle was the birthplace of the first Prince of Wales (later Edward II); the investiture of the present Prince of Wales, Prince Charles, took place at Caernarfon Castle in 1969. Harlech Castle occupies a commanding position on a platform of rock about 60 m (200 ft) above Morfa Harlech marshes and is built on a rectangular plan, with a four-towered gatehouse and an inner yard set with a round tower at each corner.