Criccieth

Criccieth railway station serves the seaside town of Criccieth on the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales.

Criccieth Castle (Welsh: Castell Cricieth; [kastɛɬ ˈkrɪkjɛθ]) is a ruined thirteenth-century castle in Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales. It is located on a rocky headland overlooking Tremadog Bay and consists of an inner ward almost surrounded by an outer ward. The twin-towered inner gatehouse is the most prominent remaining feature and survives to almost its full height, as does the inner curtain wall. The outer curtain wall, the inner ward buildings, and the castle's other three towers are significantly more ruinous, and in places survive only as foundations. The castle was begun in the 1230s by Llywelyn ap Iorwerth, the prince of Gwynedd, who probably built the inner ward and gatehouse. It was extended by his grandson, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, who probably constructed the outer ward. The castle was captured by Edward I of England in 1283 during his conquest of Wales and afterwards repaired and improved, work which included heightening the towers and inner gatehouse. The castle was besieged in 1294–1295 during an unsuccessful revolt against English rule by Madog ap Llywelyn, and further repairs took place under Edward II in the early fourteenth century. It was captured in 1404 during another unsuccessful revolt, led by Owain Glyndŵr. It may have been burnt after the latter attack and was certainly ruinous by the 1450s. Until it was destroyed the castle was frequently used as a prison, housing high-status prisoners of the princes of Gwynedd and Scottish prisoners of Edward I. The castle was subsequently left to decay, and was considered a romantic ruin by the time it was sketched by J. M. W. Turner in 1798. It was sold by the Crown in 1858 but returned to state care in 1933, after which extensive consolidation and archaeological excavations took place. The castle is now maintained by Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government, and is open to the public. It was designated a grade I listed building in 1949, and both the castle proper and its outer defences are scheduled monuments.

St Deiniol's Church (Welsh: Eglwys Deiniol Sant), was a church in Criccieth, Gwynedd, Wales (grid reference SH500381). It was built between 1884 and 1887.The church was designed by Douglas and Fordham, a Chester firm of architects. Its plan was cruciform, consisting of a six-bay nave, a three-bay chancel with sanctuary, north and south transepts, and a south porch. It had a short spire with low, broad, broaches. A west tower was planned but never built. The church closed in 1988, and it has been converted into residential flats.

Penllyn is a former civil parish in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The parish was created in 1894 from the part of Criccieth parish that lay outside the ancient borough. It was abolished in 1934, and divided between Llanystumdwy and Criccieth. The area gives its name to a special stage used during the 2013 Wales Rally GB.

Eifionydd (Welsh pronunciation: [ɛiˈvjɔnɨð]) is an area in north-west Wales covering the south-eastern part of the Llŷn Peninsula from Porthmadog to just east of Pwllheli. The Afon Erch forms its western border. It now lies in Gwynedd. The commote of Eifionydd formed the northern half of the former minor kingdom of Dunoding within the Kingdom of Gwynedd. It traditionally took its name from Eifion, son of Dunod (who gave his name to the cantref) and grandson of Cunedda Wledig. The chief centre of the commote was at Criccieth, although there may have been an earlier royal residence at Dolbenmaen. Although it is not currently a unit of local government, the name is still in common use for the region. It includes the villages of Chwilog, Abererch, Llanaelhaearn, Pencaenewydd, Llangybi, Llanystumdwy, Llanarmon, Rhoslan, Pentrefelin, Penmorfa, Garndolbenmaen, Bryncir and Pantglas. R. Williams Parry's poem Eifionydd contrasts rural Eifionydd with the bustling slate quarries of Dyffryn Nantlle.

Tŷ Newydd (Welsh: [ˈtɨː ˈnɛuɨð]) is a historic house in Llanystumdwy, near Criccieth, in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. Since 1990 it has housed the National Writing Centre of Wales. The centre specialises in residential creative writing and retreats. The courses are in both the English and Welsh languages, and cover many genres, forms and styles. The centre also holds regular seminars and forums.

Black Rock Halt was a railway station in Gwynedd, located between Criccieth and Porthmadog on the former Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway. It served the popular beach at Black Rock Sands beyond the headland it is named after.

Ystumllyn is a Grade II* listed house in Criccieth, Wales. Founded in the late-16th-century, and significantly expanded in the early-18th-century, it is remarkable as an "important example" of the vernacular architecture of both periods.

The Grave of David Lloyd George, stands on a bank of the Afon Dwyfor in the village of Llanystumdwy, Gwynedd, Wales. It commemorates Lloyd George who grew up in the village, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1916 and 1922, and died at Llanystumdwy in 1945. The grave and its setting were designed by Clough Williams-Ellis, the architect of Portmerion and a lifelong friend of Lloyd George. The grave comprises a boulder set in an oval enclosure, the walls of which bear two slate plaques recording Lloyd George's name and the years of his birth and death. It is a Grade II* listed structure.

Llanystumdwy (Welsh pronunciation: [ɬanəstɪmdʊɨ̯]) is a predominantly Welsh-speaking village, community and electoral ward on the Llŷn Peninsula in Wales. It lies in the traditional county of Caernarfonshire but is currently administered as part of the unitary authority of Gwynedd. It is not regarded as being part of Llŷn, but as belonging instead to the ancient commote of Eifionydd on the Cardigan Bay coast, where it has its own beach. The community includes the villages of Chwilog, Afon Wen, Llanarmon, and Llangybi, plus the hamlets of Rhoslan and Pencaenewydd.

St Cynhaearn's Church is a redundant church standing in an isolated position on Ynyscynhaearna, a former island in Llyn (Lake) Ystumllyn, 900 metres (980 yd) south of the village of Pentrefelin, near Criccieth in Gwynedd, Wales. It is designated by Cadw as a Grade II* listed building. The church is approached from the village by an ancient causeway, and is in the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.

Dolbenmaen () is a village and community in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, located in Eifionydd, of which it was the administrative centre until 1239. The community includes the villages of Bryncir (), Cenin, Garndolbenmaen, (the largest settlement) Golan, Llanfihangel-y-Pennant, Penmorfa (), Pentrefelin, Wern, Glan-dwyfach, and the hamlet of Prenteg. It has a population of 1,300, increasing slightly to 1,343 at the 2011 Census. The summit of Moel Hebog is shared between Beddgelert and Dolbenmaen. It is a sparsely populated area and covers nearly 100 square kilometres. A castle motte is located to the south of the village which is thought to have been the residence of Llywelyn the Great until the 1230s, when the court moved to a new castle at Criccieth. The castle guarded a ford on the Afon Dwyfor which may have been on the Pen Llystyn (Tremadog) to Segontium Roman road. The parish church of St Mary's is a grade II* listed building. South of Pentrefelin is St Cynhaearn's Church, Ynyscynhaearn.