Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 4,875 according to the 2011 census, including the attached village of Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the third largest town in Gwynedd unitary authority, behind Bangor and Caernarfon. After reaching 12,000 at the peak of the slate industry, the population fell due to a decrease in the demand for slate. Blaenau Ffestiniog at one time was the second largest town in North Wales, behind Wrexham. Today, the town relies heavily on tourists, who come to see the many attractions within and around the town such as the Ffestiniog Railway and the Llechwedd Slate Caverns.
History
Early history (before 1750)
Before the slate industry developed, the area now known as Blaenau Ffestiniog was a farming region, with scattered farms working the uplands below the cliffs of Dolgaregddu and Nyth-y-Gigfran. A few of these historic farmhouses survive at Cwm Bowydd, Gelli, Pen y Bryn and Cefn Bychan. Much of the land was owned by large estates.
Ffestiniog was a parish in Cantref Ardudwy; in 1284, Ardudwy became part of the county of Meirionnydd, which became an administrative county in 1888. The parish was created an urban district in 1894. On 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, Ffestiniog Urban District was abolished, becoming merged with other districts to form Meirionnydd District, which was itself abolished in 1996. Ffestiniog became a community with an elected town council.
Ffestiniog Golf Club (now defunct) was founded in 1893. The club closed at the end of March 2014.
Toponymy
Celtic place-name in *-ākon "place of", then, "place belonging to, territory of" > Old Welsh -auc, -awg > Welsh -og. The form -iog with an additional /i/ can be explained by the preceding element, which is a personal name ending with -i-us: Festinius. The whole name should be *Festiniākon. Probably same name as Festigny (France, e.g.: Festigny, Marne, Festiniacus in 853)
Sesh Bach a'r Holl Artistiaid - Blaenau Ffestiniog
Daeth Sesh Bach at ei gilydd i ganu yn nhafarndai’r ardal – yn arbennig tafarn Penllwyn Du tu allan i Dresaith. Dyma berfformiad o’r gân ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ gan Sesh Bach a’r holl artistiaid ar Noson Lawen
Sesh Bach came together to sing at local pubs – especially Penllwyn Du Pub outside Tresaith. Here’s a performance of the song ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ by Sesh Bach and the rest of the artists on Noson Lawen
published: 28 Apr 2015
Blaenau Ffestiniog
A walk through the North Wales town of Blaenau Ffestiniog - former slate capital of the world.
We start at the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestioniog – also known as “the town that roofed the world”. Loco No. 10 “Merddin Emrys” built in 1879 simmers at that platform end ready to haul the last train of the day on a glorious sunny evening. Our train traverses a narrow ledge cut into the hillside above the quarrymen’s cottages to Tanygrisiau, before passing the deep waters of Llyn Ystradau and plunging into the darkness of Moelwyn tunnel. The original track bed lies beneath the waters of Llyn Ystradau, today the line passes the lake on a new deviation between Tanygrisiau and Dduallt that includes a spiral formation allowing the new line to loose enough height to re-join the original route. Once again our little trains clings to the wooded slopes with occasional glimpses of the River ...
published: 11 Jul 2017
Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales 2015
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Gwynedd, Wales. The town relies heavily on tourists, who come to see the many attractions within and around the town.
published: 25 May 2015
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Provided to YouTube by The state51 Conspiracy
Blaenau Ffestiniog · Tebot Piws
Tebot Piws
℗ 1970 Sain (Recordiau) Cyf.
Released on: 1970-06-01
Producer: Huw Jones
Mixer: Selwyn Davies
Composer: Dewi Morris
Lyricist: Dewi Morris
Music Publisher: Sain
Auto-generated by YouTube.
published: 27 Sep 2019
Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales: Slate Mine Experience - Rick Steves’ Europe Travel Guide - Travel Bite
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/MgUBCU3Dx9M The slate mine at Llechwedd played a blockbuster role in Wales' slate mining heritage. Visitors can take a train ride deep into the mountain to learn of the harsh working conditions and traditional mining techniques. Singing helped the miners endure their harsh lives, and the tradition continues today in Welsh men's choirs. More info about travel to Wales: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/wales #ricksteveseurope #ricksteves #wales
Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
Check out more Rick Steves’ Europe travel resources:
• “Rick Steves’ Europe” public television series: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show
• “Travel with Rick Steves” public r...
Daeth Sesh Bach at ei gilydd i ganu yn nhafarndai’r ardal – yn arbennig tafarn Penllwyn Du tu allan i Dresaith. Dyma berfformiad o’r gân ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ ga...
Daeth Sesh Bach at ei gilydd i ganu yn nhafarndai’r ardal – yn arbennig tafarn Penllwyn Du tu allan i Dresaith. Dyma berfformiad o’r gân ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ gan Sesh Bach a’r holl artistiaid ar Noson Lawen
Sesh Bach came together to sing at local pubs – especially Penllwyn Du Pub outside Tresaith. Here’s a performance of the song ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ by Sesh Bach and the rest of the artists on Noson Lawen
Daeth Sesh Bach at ei gilydd i ganu yn nhafarndai’r ardal – yn arbennig tafarn Penllwyn Du tu allan i Dresaith. Dyma berfformiad o’r gân ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ gan Sesh Bach a’r holl artistiaid ar Noson Lawen
Sesh Bach came together to sing at local pubs – especially Penllwyn Du Pub outside Tresaith. Here’s a performance of the song ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ by Sesh Bach and the rest of the artists on Noson Lawen
We start at the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestioniog – also known as “the town that roofed the world”. Loco No. 10 “Merddin Emrys” built in 1879 simmers at ...
We start at the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestioniog – also known as “the town that roofed the world”. Loco No. 10 “Merddin Emrys” built in 1879 simmers at that platform end ready to haul the last train of the day on a glorious sunny evening. Our train traverses a narrow ledge cut into the hillside above the quarrymen’s cottages to Tanygrisiau, before passing the deep waters of Llyn Ystradau and plunging into the darkness of Moelwyn tunnel. The original track bed lies beneath the waters of Llyn Ystradau, today the line passes the lake on a new deviation between Tanygrisiau and Dduallt that includes a spiral formation allowing the new line to loose enough height to re-join the original route. Once again our little trains clings to the wooded slopes with occasional glimpses of the River Dwyryd far below, we pass the halfway point at Tan-y-Bwlch before we continue our steady descent to Penrhyn and Minffordd where we cross the Cambrian Coast Railway. Our descent continues to Boston Lodge works and onto the famed seawall to our destination at Porthmadog. I would like to offer my thanks to all the volunteers, staff and train crew for making my visit such a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For a map of the route please click on this link - http://www.festrail.co.uk/route.htm
Track gauge - 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm)
One question that has come up many times in the comments is "Why doesn't the train leave the tracks when it passes through a switch set for the opposite track at 07:48" - it is not easy to explain, but I'll try -
The switches at either end on the passing loop are set to allow trains to pass without the need for railway personnel to set them, in this case the train will always take the right hand track in the direction of travel, when the train reaches the end of the loop the switch appears to be set incorrectly. The switch blades are held in place by a spring mechanism that allows them to be pushed over by the weight of a train passing through them, as this train is about to do. Once the train is clear they are automatically set to allow a train in the opposite direction to take the right hand track, thus making the passing loop automatic. The system works well so long as a train never reverses before clearing the switch as that will de-rail the train. The first time this system is seen in operation it looks wrong, but it is common practice on many lines where speed is low and costs need to be kept to a minimum.
We start at the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestioniog – also known as “the town that roofed the world”. Loco No. 10 “Merddin Emrys” built in 1879 simmers at that platform end ready to haul the last train of the day on a glorious sunny evening. Our train traverses a narrow ledge cut into the hillside above the quarrymen’s cottages to Tanygrisiau, before passing the deep waters of Llyn Ystradau and plunging into the darkness of Moelwyn tunnel. The original track bed lies beneath the waters of Llyn Ystradau, today the line passes the lake on a new deviation between Tanygrisiau and Dduallt that includes a spiral formation allowing the new line to loose enough height to re-join the original route. Once again our little trains clings to the wooded slopes with occasional glimpses of the River Dwyryd far below, we pass the halfway point at Tan-y-Bwlch before we continue our steady descent to Penrhyn and Minffordd where we cross the Cambrian Coast Railway. Our descent continues to Boston Lodge works and onto the famed seawall to our destination at Porthmadog. I would like to offer my thanks to all the volunteers, staff and train crew for making my visit such a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For a map of the route please click on this link - http://www.festrail.co.uk/route.htm
Track gauge - 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm)
One question that has come up many times in the comments is "Why doesn't the train leave the tracks when it passes through a switch set for the opposite track at 07:48" - it is not easy to explain, but I'll try -
The switches at either end on the passing loop are set to allow trains to pass without the need for railway personnel to set them, in this case the train will always take the right hand track in the direction of travel, when the train reaches the end of the loop the switch appears to be set incorrectly. The switch blades are held in place by a spring mechanism that allows them to be pushed over by the weight of a train passing through them, as this train is about to do. Once the train is clear they are automatically set to allow a train in the opposite direction to take the right hand track, thus making the passing loop automatic. The system works well so long as a train never reverses before clearing the switch as that will de-rail the train. The first time this system is seen in operation it looks wrong, but it is common practice on many lines where speed is low and costs need to be kept to a minimum.
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Gwynedd, Wales. The town relies heavily on tourists, who come to see the many attractions within and around the...
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Gwynedd, Wales. The town relies heavily on tourists, who come to see the many attractions within and around the town.
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Gwynedd, Wales. The town relies heavily on tourists, who come to see the many attractions within and around the town.
Provided to YouTube by The state51 Conspiracy
Blaenau Ffestiniog · Tebot Piws
Tebot Piws
℗ 1970 Sain (Recordiau) Cyf.
Released on: 1970-06-01
Producer: Huw...
Provided to YouTube by The state51 Conspiracy
Blaenau Ffestiniog · Tebot Piws
Tebot Piws
℗ 1970 Sain (Recordiau) Cyf.
Released on: 1970-06-01
Producer: Huw Jones
Mixer: Selwyn Davies
Composer: Dewi Morris
Lyricist: Dewi Morris
Music Publisher: Sain
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Provided to YouTube by The state51 Conspiracy
Blaenau Ffestiniog · Tebot Piws
Tebot Piws
℗ 1970 Sain (Recordiau) Cyf.
Released on: 1970-06-01
Producer: Huw Jones
Mixer: Selwyn Davies
Composer: Dewi Morris
Lyricist: Dewi Morris
Music Publisher: Sain
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/MgUBCU3Dx9M The slate mine at Llechwedd played a blockbuster role in Wales' slate mining heritage. Visitors can take a ...
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/MgUBCU3Dx9M The slate mine at Llechwedd played a blockbuster role in Wales' slate mining heritage. Visitors can take a train ride deep into the mountain to learn of the harsh working conditions and traditional mining techniques. Singing helped the miners endure their harsh lives, and the tradition continues today in Welsh men's choirs. More info about travel to Wales: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/wales #ricksteveseurope #ricksteves #wales
Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
Check out more Rick Steves’ Europe travel resources:
• “Rick Steves’ Europe” public television series: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show
• “Travel with Rick Steves” public radio program: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio
• European Tours: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours
• Guidebooks: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/guidebooks
• Travel Gear: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/
• Travel Classes: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks
• Rick Steves Audio Europe App: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-europe
Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/MgUBCU3Dx9M The slate mine at Llechwedd played a blockbuster role in Wales' slate mining heritage. Visitors can take a train ride deep into the mountain to learn of the harsh working conditions and traditional mining techniques. Singing helped the miners endure their harsh lives, and the tradition continues today in Welsh men's choirs. More info about travel to Wales: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/wales #ricksteveseurope #ricksteves #wales
Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
Check out more Rick Steves’ Europe travel resources:
• “Rick Steves’ Europe” public television series: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show
• “Travel with Rick Steves” public radio program: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio
• European Tours: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours
• Guidebooks: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/guidebooks
• Travel Gear: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/
• Travel Classes: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks
• Rick Steves Audio Europe App: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-europe
Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.
Daeth Sesh Bach at ei gilydd i ganu yn nhafarndai’r ardal – yn arbennig tafarn Penllwyn Du tu allan i Dresaith. Dyma berfformiad o’r gân ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ gan Sesh Bach a’r holl artistiaid ar Noson Lawen
Sesh Bach came together to sing at local pubs – especially Penllwyn Du Pub outside Tresaith. Here’s a performance of the song ‘Blaenau Ffestiniog’ by Sesh Bach and the rest of the artists on Noson Lawen
We start at the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestioniog – also known as “the town that roofed the world”. Loco No. 10 “Merddin Emrys” built in 1879 simmers at that platform end ready to haul the last train of the day on a glorious sunny evening. Our train traverses a narrow ledge cut into the hillside above the quarrymen’s cottages to Tanygrisiau, before passing the deep waters of Llyn Ystradau and plunging into the darkness of Moelwyn tunnel. The original track bed lies beneath the waters of Llyn Ystradau, today the line passes the lake on a new deviation between Tanygrisiau and Dduallt that includes a spiral formation allowing the new line to loose enough height to re-join the original route. Once again our little trains clings to the wooded slopes with occasional glimpses of the River Dwyryd far below, we pass the halfway point at Tan-y-Bwlch before we continue our steady descent to Penrhyn and Minffordd where we cross the Cambrian Coast Railway. Our descent continues to Boston Lodge works and onto the famed seawall to our destination at Porthmadog. I would like to offer my thanks to all the volunteers, staff and train crew for making my visit such a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For a map of the route please click on this link - http://www.festrail.co.uk/route.htm
Track gauge - 1 ft 11 1⁄2 in (597 mm)
One question that has come up many times in the comments is "Why doesn't the train leave the tracks when it passes through a switch set for the opposite track at 07:48" - it is not easy to explain, but I'll try -
The switches at either end on the passing loop are set to allow trains to pass without the need for railway personnel to set them, in this case the train will always take the right hand track in the direction of travel, when the train reaches the end of the loop the switch appears to be set incorrectly. The switch blades are held in place by a spring mechanism that allows them to be pushed over by the weight of a train passing through them, as this train is about to do. Once the train is clear they are automatically set to allow a train in the opposite direction to take the right hand track, thus making the passing loop automatic. The system works well so long as a train never reverses before clearing the switch as that will de-rail the train. The first time this system is seen in operation it looks wrong, but it is common practice on many lines where speed is low and costs need to be kept to a minimum.
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Gwynedd, Wales. The town relies heavily on tourists, who come to see the many attractions within and around the town.
Provided to YouTube by The state51 Conspiracy
Blaenau Ffestiniog · Tebot Piws
Tebot Piws
℗ 1970 Sain (Recordiau) Cyf.
Released on: 1970-06-01
Producer: Huw Jones
Mixer: Selwyn Davies
Composer: Dewi Morris
Lyricist: Dewi Morris
Music Publisher: Sain
Auto-generated by YouTube.
Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/MgUBCU3Dx9M The slate mine at Llechwedd played a blockbuster role in Wales' slate mining heritage. Visitors can take a train ride deep into the mountain to learn of the harsh working conditions and traditional mining techniques. Singing helped the miners endure their harsh lives, and the tradition continues today in Welsh men's choirs. More info about travel to Wales: https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/wales #ricksteveseurope #ricksteves #wales
Visit http://www.ricksteves.com for more information about this destination and other destinations in Europe.
Check out more Rick Steves’ Europe travel resources:
• “Rick Steves’ Europe” public television series: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show
• “Travel with Rick Steves” public radio program: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/radio
• European Tours: https://www.ricksteves.com/tours
• Guidebooks: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/guidebooks
• Travel Gear: https://store.ricksteves.com/shop/
• Travel Classes: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks
• Rick Steves Audio Europe App: https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-europe
Rick Steves, America's most respected authority on European travel, writes European travel guidebooks, and hosts travel shows on public television and public radio.
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a historic mining town in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 4,875 according to the 2011 census, including the attached village of Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the third largest town in Gwynedd unitary authority, behind Bangor and Caernarfon. After reaching 12,000 at the peak of the slate industry, the population fell due to a decrease in the demand for slate. Blaenau Ffestiniog at one time was the second largest town in North Wales, behind Wrexham. Today, the town relies heavily on tourists, who come to see the many attractions within and around the town such as the Ffestiniog Railway and the Llechwedd Slate Caverns.
History
Early history (before 1750)
Before the slate industry developed, the area now known as Blaenau Ffestiniog was a farming region, with scattered farms working the uplands below the cliffs of Dolgaregddu and Nyth-y-Gigfran. A few of these historic farmhouses survive at Cwm Bowydd, Gelli, Pen y Bryn and Cefn Bychan. Much of the land was owned by large estates.
Commuters are facing road and rail chaos after a big freeze hit the UK overnight with temperatures reaching -8C and up to 30cm of snow on the way ... In Wales, buses are replacing trains between Llandudno Junction and BlaenauFfestiniog ... Advertisement ... .
When the weather turns cold and damp there’s no need to let a bit of drizzle stop play ...National Railway Museum, York ... railwaymuseum.org.uk ... A former slate mine near BlaenauFfestiniog in north Wales is now the setting for several fun family adventures.
Advertisement ... Its six safari tents are perched on a steep, heather-draped hillside outside Blaenau-Ffestiniog and feel more like cosy timber-clad cabins than flimsy canvas shelters, with wood-burning stoves, decks, kitchenettes and en suite showers ... .
Trains continued to be impacted by Storm Darragh today, with services still suspended on some Transport for Wales routes – including between Llandudno and BlaenauFfestiniog where replacement buses will run until at least the end of Sunday ... Read More.