place

Bwlch Mawr

Mountains and hills of Gwynedd

Bwlch Mawr is a hill near the northeastern corner of the Llŷn Peninsula in the community of Clynnog in the county of Gwynedd in North Wales. Its name is an odd one for a hill, as it means "big pass" in English. It forms the eastern half of a wider upland area, the highest point of which is the 522 m summit of Gyrn Ddu, though it is Bwlch Mawr on which the Ordnance Survey constructed a trig point.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Bwlch Mawr (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 53.0048 ° E -4.3462 °
placeShow on map

Address

Clynnog


, Clynnog
Wales, United Kingdom
mapOpen on Google Maps

Share experience

Nearby Places

Clynnog Fawr
Clynnog Fawr

Clynnog Fawr, often simply called "Clynnog", is a village and community on the north coast of Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is in the historic county of Caernarfonshire. The community includes Pant Glas. Clynnog Fawr lies on the A499 road between Caernarfon and Pwllheli, at grid reference SH415500, between the coast and a mountainous area including Bwlch Mawr. It had a population of 130 in 1991, which had increased to 997 at the 2011 Census. The community covers an area of 4,551 hectares (17.57 sq mi). The main feature of the village is the parish church, dedicated to Saint Beuno, which is much larger than would be expected in a village of Clynnog's size. The site is said to be that of a Celtic monastery founded by Beuno in the early 7th century. Clynnog means 'the place of the holly-trees': compare Breton Quelneuc (Kelenneg), Gaelic Cuilneach. In Middle Welsh, its name was Celynnog. It developed into an important foundation and some Welsh law manuscripts specify that the Abbot of Clynnog was entitled to a seat at the court of the king of Gwynedd. The church is recorded as having been burnt in 978 by the Vikings and later burnt again by the Normans. By the end of the 15th century it was a collegiate church, one of only six in Wales. The church was an important stopping place for pilgrims heading for Bardsey Island and contains Cyff Beuno, an ancient wooden chest hollowed out of a single piece of ash and used to keep alms given by the pilgrims. Maen Beuno or "Beuno's Stone" has markings reputed to be those of Beuno's fingers. Outside in the churchyard there is a canonical sundial dated between the late 10th century and the early 12th century. Ffynnon Beuno (St Beuno's Well) is a Grade II* listed structure at the south-west end of the village. The church is a major location on the North Wales Pilgrims Way. The church is open from 10am to 4pm every day. The area has been the site of a number of battles, including the Battle of Bron yr Erw in 1075 when Gruffudd ap Cynan's first bid to become king of Gwynedd was defeated by Trahaearn ap Caradog, and the Battle of Bryn Derwin in 1255 when Llywelyn ap Gruffudd defeated his brothers Owain and Dafydd to become sole ruler of Gwynedd.

Llangybi, Gwynedd
Llangybi, Gwynedd

Llangybi (English: Cybi's Church) is a village and former civil parish in the Eifionydd area of the Welsh county of Gwynedd, near Llanarmon. The parish was abolished in 1934 and divided between Llanystumdwy and Llannor. St Cybi's church is a grade II* building.As well as various menhirs, tumuli and stone circles in the countryside around, the village is particularly noted for a holy well, Ffynnon Gybi (English: St Cybi's Well). According to local tradition the girls who wished to know their lover's intentions would spread their pocket-handkerchiefs on the water of the well, and, if the water pushed the handkerchiefs to the south they knew that everything was right and that their lovers were honest and honourable in their intentions; but, if the water shifted the handkerchiefs northwards, they concluded the contrary. A reference to this is made in severe terms by a modern Welsh poet. "This parish, which derives its name from the dedication of its church to Saint Cybi, an eminent British saint, who flourished towards the close of the sixth century, is pleasantly situated in the south-western portion of the county, and nearly in the centre of the promontory which separates Cardigan bay from the bay of Carnarvon. It is of very considerable extent, and the lands are mostly enclosed and in a good state of cultivation : the surrounding scenery is pleasingly diversified, comprising some fine views of the adjacent country, which abounds with varied and picturesque beauty. At Pontrhyd Goch is a slate quarry, which, however, is worked only on a limited scale, the slates being of rather an inferior quality, and the demand for them confined principally to the immediate neighbour-hood. The road from Carnarvon to Pwllheli passes through the parish.