River Geirionydd

Llyn Geirionydd lies in a valley in northern Wales where the northern edge of the Gwydyr Forest meets the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountains. The lake is almost a mile long and covers an area of 45 acres (180,000 m2), but is never any deeper than 50 ft (15 m) according to Jehu's survey. The lake can be reached by car from Trefriw or Llanrwst in the Conwy valley, the lane passing through the hamlet of Llanrhychwyn, or from the road through the Gwydir Forest. Access is not particularly easy by either route, but this has not stopped the lake being the only one designated in Snowdonia to permit power boats and water skiing. Many visitors also walk to the lake from the village of Trefriw (it is on one of the Trefriw Trail routes) or from the neighbouring lake of Llyn Crafnant, which runs parallel to it, but a mile distant, the two being separated by Mynydd Deulyn, “mountain of the two lakes”. The lake has a car park (with toilets) and the location is very popular in the summer. This car park was once a waste tip site for the Pandora mine above, and indeed the planting of conifers in the area of the lake has considerably softened the effects of mining. There are few, if any, fish in the lake, and this, it is believed, is the result of the poisoning of the waters from the adjacent metal mines. Afon Geirionydd, the outflow of Llyn Geirionydd, flows down a steep gorge—Geirionydd Gorge—which is popular for gorge walking. At the bottom of this gorge are the remains of Klondyke mill, which was powered by water from the river. This mill, apart from processing its own metals (which did not amount to much), also received lead and zinc ore from the Pandora mine, and the route of the tramway from that mine ran partly along the route of the lakeside road (which did not exist at the time), and can be clearly seen running between the road and the lake along the northern half of the lake where the road rises somewhat. This tramway continues to a point above Klondyke mill, from where wagons entered the mine via an aerial ropeway. This last part of the tramway is a right of way which runs above the valley, eventually reaching Trefriw. Below Klondyke Mill Afon Geirionydd joins Afon Crafnant, the outflow from neighbouring Llyn Crafnant, which itself is a tributary of the River Conwy. The current road follows what some believe to be part of Sarn Helen, the Roman road which ran southwards from the fort at Canovium (Caerhun, between Trefriw and Conwy) to the fort at Tomen y Mur (near Trawsfynydd), and beyond, ultimately reaching Moridunum (Carmarthen). The nearest settlement to Llyn Geirionydd is the hamlet of Llanrhychwyn, which has connections with Llywelyn Fawr, a Welsh prince, who had a hunting lodge in Trefriw, but who used Llanrhychwyn church, regarded by many to be the oldest church in Wales. Llyn Geirionydd has a number of literary connections: Ieuan Glan Geirionydd (1795–1855) was born on the banks of Afon Geirionydd, and he was renowned for his poetry and hymns. Taliesin (c. 534–c.599), was a 6th-century Welsh bard, and the earliest poet of the Welsh language whose work has survived. He was an inhabitant of the area, living on the shores of Llyn Geirionydd, and this is also where many say he is buried. The Red Book of Hergest XVII contains the line "I being Taliesin, from the borders of the lake of Geirionnydd." Some sources claim that he was also born in this area, but it is more likely that he was born in Powys, as demonstrated by the contemporary poems to Cynan Garwyn, King of Powys. John Roberts (1828–1904) was a native of neighbouring Trefriw, and he used that name in his job as a printer and bookseller. In Eisteddfodau he would assume the bardic name of Gwilym Cowlyd. He was critical of the Anglicization of the Eisteddfodau and in 1865 he founded a separate festival to rival the big National Eisteddfod, and called it Arwest Glan Geirionydd (‘Music Festival on the Banks of the River Geirionydd’), and the meeting point was Bryn y Caniadau (hill of verse). The Taliesin Memorial by Llyn Geirionydd commemorates these Eisteddfodau, although the memorial is not actually on Bryn y Caniadau itself (which is a little further back from the lake). David Francis (1865–1929) made his name as “The Blind Harpist of Meirion” at these alternative Eisteddfodau.

Klondyke Mill was an ore processing mill on the edge of the Gwydir Forest, near Trefriw, north Wales. Constructed in 1900, the mill was built to receive lead ore (and some zinc ore) from Pandora mine, some 2 miles away – with which its history is inextricably linked – this ore travelling along a tramway which followed the eastern shore of Llyn Geirionydd. The mill saw little usage; Pandora mine was never profitable after construction of the mill, and the mine ceased operation in 1905. Klondyke mill itself closed in 1911 after having a short succession of optimistic owners. In the 1920s, the mill achieved notoriety as the scene of an elaborate money-making scam, when investors were sought for the Klondyke mine, which was allegedly rich in silver. It is this scam which gives the mill its current name; during its years of operation it was initially known as Geirionydd Mill, then as the New Pandora Lead Works.Today the mill lies in a ruined state, a tribute to the false optimism of the time, and is believed to be the largest upstanding building associated with lead mining in north Wales. It is a registered ancient monument and, despite its state of disrepair, is under the guardianship of Cadw, the only mine structure in the Gwydir Forest to be so designated.

Llyn Bodgynydd is a lake in the Gwydir Forest in North Wales. It covers an area of some 14 acres (57,000 m2), and lies at a height of 822 feet (251 m) a.s.l. It is locally known as "Llyn Bod", or "Bod Mawr" (big), distinguishing it from a nearby, but much smaller lake ("Bod Bach" or "Cors Bodgynydd reservoir") to the north-east. Water from the larger lake flows to the smaller. Both these lakes were dammed to create reservoirs to produce water to turn the large water wheel at the nearby Pandora mine, though they now hold less water than they once did due to the demolition of Bod Bach dam, and the altering of the sluice control at Bod Mawr in 1970. An area beside the smaller lake has been designated the Cors Bodgynydd Nature Reserve due to the rich variety of plant and animal life there.The lakeside affords good views of the adjacent hills, and fishing rights are held by Llanrwst Fishing Club.

Llyn Glangors is a lake in the Gwydir Forest in north Wales. It lies at a height of 900 ft (270 m) and covers an area of 15 acres (61,000 m2). An artificial reservoir, it was created to supply water for the nearby Pandora lead mine. Sarn Helen, the Roman road, is thought to have passed close to the lake.

The Afon Crafnant (English: River Crafnant) is a tributary of the River Conwy (Afon Conwy in Welsh), which is the main river of the Conwy valley in north-west Wales. It flows from picturesque Llyn Crafnant, joining the river Conwy at Trefriw. It is about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in length. The river Geirionydd is a tributary which flows from Llyn Geirionydd. They have a confluence a little below the former Klondyke Mill, which used water from both rivers. Klondyke was a mining and milling complex connected with some of the metal mines of the Gwydir Forest. The Crafnant is also fed by a number of unnamed streams draining from Cefn Cyfarwydd, the ridge to the north-west. At Trefriw some water from the river is extracted to pass through the Trefriw Woollen Mills to generate hydro-electricity for the machinery, after which the river flows over the Fairy Falls, a popular attraction. Coed Crafnant, an area of woodland in the valley, is managed by the North Wales Wildlife Trust.

Llyn Crafnant is a lake that lies in a valley in Wales where the northern edge of the Gwydir Forest meets the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountains and, more specifically, the ridge of Cefn Cyfarwydd. The head of the valley offers a profile of crags which are silhouetted at sunset. The Forest Park guide (2002) states that "the (view along Llyn Crafnant) is one of the most breathtaking views in all Snowdonia". The summits include Crimpiau 475 metres (1,558 feet), and Craig Wen 548 metres (1,798 feet) which provide views to Moel Siabod and the Ogwen Valley, and Snowdon. Further up is Creigiau Gleision. At 63 acres (250,000 m2) it is the best part of a mile long, although it was clearly once much longer - its southern end shows the evidence of centuries of silting. Jehu's survey (see references) recorded a maximum depth of 71 ft (22 m). Crafnant takes its name from “craf”, an old Welsh word for garlic, and “nant”, a stream or valley. The lake can be reached by car only from Trefriw in the Conwy valley, though many visitors walk there from the village or from the neighbouring lake of Llyn Geirionydd, which runs parallel to it, but a mile distant, the two being separated by Mynydd Deulyn – “mountain of the two lakes”. The lake can also be reached on foot from Capel Curig. There is a Natural Resources Wales car park with toilets, which is reached just before the lake itself, and the lakeside cafe (open from Easter until late summer) offers car parking for patrons. The lake is a popular fishing spot, and is kept stocked with brown trout and rainbow trout. From the cafe, it is possible to hire boats for fishing or for pleasure. Private boating and swimming are not permitted. The lake is a reservoir and was dammed at its northern end in 1874, but the dam itself is barely visible as the outflow plunges down steeply from it. By the outflow is an obelisk, erected in 1896 by the inhabitants of Llanrwst which commemorates "the gift to that town of this lake with 19 acres (77,000 m2) of land" by Richard James. The lake is leased to the owners of what is now the cafe. In the upper part of the valley there is no mains water connection and during the particularly dry summer of 2006 many properties were without water. The River Crafnant ("Afon Crafnant" in Welsh) joins the River Conwy at Trefriw, but not before some of it has been diverted to pass through the Trefriw Woollen Mills to generate hydro-electricity for the machinery. Cornel, a large property in 25 acres (10 ha) on the southern banks of the lake, is owned and operated by the Welsh Scout Council. Areas around the lake have been used for location shots in Hollyoaks, Tomb Raider II, the 1981 fantasy movie Dragonslayer, and the lake also appeared briefly in the 1966 film Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment.

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 John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area. Natural Resources Wales uses the alternative spelling (i.e. Gwydyr Forest, Coedwig Gwydyr). Certainly as early as 1536, Leland wrote: "Gwydir lieth two bowshots above the River Conwy. It is a pretty place."

Llanrhychwyn is a hamlet in Conwy county borough, Wales. It lies in the Conwy valley, less than a mile south of Trefriw, and a mile north-west of Llanrwst. Today neighbouring Trefriw is a village with a population of around 600, but in the time of Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great), and up to the early 19th century, Llanrhychwyn was larger than Trefriw, which consisted simply of "a few houses here and there" (quote from Hanes Trefriw, by Morris Jones). Indeed, even today both Trefriw and Llanrhychwyn lie within the parish of Llanrhychwyn. The area around Llanrhychwyn had a population of only 178 in 2011.The adjacent Gwydir Forest would have provided work for many of the inhabitants. A number of small slate quarries and metal mines were located in the forest, and the heyday of metal mining here was between 1850 and 1919. The forest also provided wood, and timber, slate and metal ores were transported from the forest to the quay at neighbouring Trefriw, from where it was shipped downstream to the coast. Llanrhychwyn takes its name from Saint Rhychwyn (sometimes recorded as Rhochwyn), son of Helig ap Glannog, the prince who lived at Llys Helig before it was inundated by the sea, and now the subject of myth and legend. Rhychwyn had several brothers who established churches and became saints, including Celynin, who established the old church at Llangelynnin, near Henryd, further down the valley.

Llyn Goddionduon is a remote lake in the Gwydir Forest in north Wales. It lies at a height of 794 ft (242 m) and covers an area of 10 acres (40,000 m2). It is totally surrounded by coniferous forest, although a track leads up to it, enabling a water supply in the event of fire, and anglers also use this path. It is unusual in that it is totally natural, whereas nearly all of the other lakes in the forest have been partially or totally constructed as water sources for the mines which were scattered throughout the Forest. Some sources state that the correct name of the lake should be Llyn y Goeden (Lake of the Tree), but that an error on the maps resulted in the name Goddinduon (duon means "black" in Welsh, but Goddion is not a known word). The lake is stocked with brown trout by the Betws-y-coed Anglers Club. In 1890 an advert for Cobden's Hotel in Capel Curig (over a mile away) stated that this lake could be used by residents for fishing, and the Army Training Camp at Capel Curig still use the lake as a water supply.

Swallow Falls is an English name for the Welsh Rhaeadr y Wennol, also known as Rhaeadr Ewynnol (English: 'the foaming waterfall'), a multiple waterfall system in Wales, located on the Afon Llugwy near Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy County Borough.

Cefn Cyfarwydd is a ridge in Conwy county borough, north Wales. It is located above the village of Trefriw on the western side of the Conwy valley, and dramatically separates Cwm Cowlyd and the rugged mountains of the Carneddau from the greener, lusher Conwy valley. The Welsh word cyfarwydd can mean either "familiar" (adj.) or "a story-teller, guide or expert" (noun). Cefn means "ridge". 'Cefn Cyfarwydd' therefore translates as either "familiar ridge" or "story-teller's ridge".

The Fairy Falls (Welsh: Rhaeadr y Tylwyth Teg) is a waterfall in the village of Trefriw, north Wales. The falls are on the river Crafnant which has its source at Llyn Crafnant, being joined upstream by a tributary, the river Geirionydd. Below the falls the river Crafnant flows on to itself become a tributary of the river Conwy. The main falls are about 25 feet high, the water falling down an angled rockface, and they were formed during the last ice age some 20,000 years ago. As the main glacier passed down the Conwy Valley, it truncated the Crafnant valley, leaving a hanging valley and this series of falls.Not all of the water from the river Crafnant passes over the falls, as a little upstream some is diverted through a pipeline to provide hydro-electric power for the woollen mill. During drier periods this can leave the falls with little or even no water, but most of the year there is a good supply of water, as testified by the erosion of the rocks at the base of the falls. Downstream of the main Fairy Falls are a number of further, lesser, falls, which old postcards also call the "Fairy Falls". Along this lower section of river the water once turned a number of waterwheels which powered various mills. The whole area of this series of falls—from the main falls through the lesser falls downstream—was known as "Fairy Glen", and was altogether more open than it is today. In Edwardian times there was a proper path alongside the river Crafnant, and a popular stroll was to walk from the banks of the river Crafnant, up through the well-known Fairy Glen, and on beside the river Crafnant up towards Llyn Crafnant.Regarding the name, the information board beside the waterfall states: "The Trefriw Fairy Falls were named by the Victorians who were fascinated with fairies and identified many enchanting locations as home to these diminutive, mythical creatures." Whilst there are no documented sightings of fairies at the falls themselves, in 1880 Wirt Sikes referred to numerous local sightings of fairies in his book British Goblins—Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions.The Fairy Falls pub in the village takes its name from the Falls. The Falls are easily accessible on foot from various directions, and are on the route of one of the Trefriw Trails, a series of walks around the village and adjacent areas. Route 4, starting from the village shops, follows the riverside path through Fairy Glen and past the falls. Route 5 also takes this route before heading on to Llyn Geirionydd and Llyn Crafnant.