Beddgelert

Beddgelert(Welsh:[bɛðˈgɛlɛrt]) is a village andcommunityin theSnowdoniaarea ofGwynedd,Wales. The population of the community taken at the2021 censuswas 460 (rounded to the nearest 10).This includesNantmorandNant Gwynant.It is reputed to be named after the legendaryhoundGelert.The community is large and sparsely populated and covers 86 square kilometres.

Beddgelert
The village viewed from Mynydd Sygun
Beddgelert Location withinGwynedd
Area	85.93 km2(33.18 sq mi)
Population	460 (2021 census)
•Density	5/km2(13/sq mi)
OS grid reference	SH591482
Community	Beddgelert
Principal area	Gwynedd
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CAERNARFON
Postcode district	LL55
Dialling code	01766
Police	North Wales
Fire	North Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Dwyfor Meirionnydd

A view of Beddgelert, 1814

The River Glaslyn at Beddgelert

St Mary's Church

Inside St Mary's Church

Location

The village stands in a valley at the confluence of theRiver Glaslynand theAfon Colwyn.Just above the confluence of the rivers, in the centre of the village, is an old stone bridge with two arches. Many of the houses and hotels are built of local dark stone. To the west isMoel Hebogand to the north and a series of hills rising to theSnowdonhorseshoe. TheA4085betweenCaernarfon(13 miles or 21 kilometres north) andPorthmadog(8 miles or 13 kilometres south) runs through the village.

The outdoor equipment companyGelertoriginated in Bryncir then moved to Beddgelert but later moved its headquarters to nearby Porthmadog.

History

The folk tale of the faithful hound "Gelert"is often associated with the village. A raised mound in the village is called" Gelert's Grave "and is a significanttourist attraction.But the grave was built by the late 18th-century landlord of the Goat Hotel, David Pritchard, who created it in order to encourage tourism. Similar legends can be found in other parts of Europe and Asia.

The village is probably named after an earlyChristianmissionaryand leader calledCelert (or Cilert)who settled here early in the 8th century. The earliest record of the name Beddgelert appears on a document dated 1258, and the name recorded is "Bekelert". In a document of 1269 it is recorded as "Bedkelerd".The current name of the village is often rendered "Begél" in the local Welsh dialect.

TheChurch of St. Marystands at the end of Stryd yr Eglwys (Church Street). This was originally a part of an Augustinian Monastery (the chapel), but is all that remains since the rest of the monastery was burnt down during Edward I's war of conquest.Rebuilding was probably not completed at the time of the suppression of the monastery in about 1536. Parts of the building date from the 12th century and is still in active use today.

Economy and attractions

Beddgelert is a significant tourist attraction, its picturesque bridge crossing the Afon Colwyn just upstream of itsconfluencewith the Afon Glaslyn. It is also the nearest village to the scenic Glaslyn gorge, an area of tumultuous river running between steep wooded hills. Much of the area is, however, becoming invaded by the alien plant,Rhododendron ponticumwhich provides a covering of pink blossom in May and June, but which is slowly blanketing out the nativeflora.Attempts have been made to control its spread by cutting and burning.

River levels on the River Glaslyn in Beddgelert are constantly monitored by theNatural Resources Wales,in order to give advance warning of flood conditions lower down the valley.

Beddgelert has a range ofhotelswith public bars,guesthouses,cafes,andrestaurants.The car park in the village provides the easiest access route for climbingMoel Hebog,the mountain which directly overlooks the village.

Part of the restoredWelsh Highland Railwayruns through the village. In April 2009 therailway stationwas reopened to the public. The line links the village withCaernarfonto the north andPorthmadogto the south.

Other local attractions include theSygun Copper Mine.

The village is also linked with theRupert Bearstories, asAlfred Bestallwrote and illustrated some of the stories whilst he lived in the village, in a cottage at the foot ofMynydd Sygun.There is even a small area known as 'Rupert Garden' in the village, dedicated to the Bear; a short walk from Alfred Bestall's old home.

Many films have made use of the scenery around Beddgelert, most notablyThe Inn of the Sixth Happiness,starringIngrid Bergman.Parts ofLara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life,starring Angelina Jolie, were also shot here.

Demographics

In 2021 the population of Beddgelert was recorded as 460, 34.5% of which were aged 55 to 74, higher than the national average of 25.1%. The largest ethnic group is White, making up 97.2% of the population, higher than the national average of 93.8%, with the second largest being Mixed with 2.2% of the population, higher than the national average of 1.6%. The largest religious group in Beddgelert is No religion with 46.5% of the population, which is also the national average, with the second largest being Christianity with 42.6%, lower than the national average of 43.6%.

Notable locals

• Renownedbardswho lived in the area in the 15th–16th centuries includeRhys Goch Eryri(fl.1385–1448),Dafydd Nanmor(fl.1450–1490) andRhys Nanmor(fl.1480–1513). More recently, from the 19th to the 20th centuries, bothGlasynys (Owen Wynne Jones)and Carneddog (Richard Griffith) lived inNantmor.Currently Nantmor is still home to poets, including Nia Powell andCynan Jones.
• John Williams(c. 1584–c. 1627), goldsmith who worked forKing James I,was from Beddgelert, and donated a silver cup to the church in 1610.
• Marged ferch Ifan(1696–1793), Welsh harpist and wrestler, was born here.
• Alfred Bestall(1892–1986), one of the illustrators and storytellers of the comic strip characterRupert Bear,lived in the village for many years.

Beddgelert meteorite

For the Beddgelert meteorite of 1949, seeMeteorite falls.

On 21 September 1949 a meteorite struck the Prince Llewelyn Hotel in the early hours of the morning, causing damage to the roof and a bedroom in the hotel. The following week theCaernarvon & Denbigh Heraldreported the incident:

STRANGE HAPPENING.- About 3 a.m. on the morning of September 21st, a piece of metal weighing about 5 pounds fell through the roof of Prince Llewelyn Hotel to a bedroom below. The noise was heard throughout the village, and up to the present no explanation has been forthcoming for the mysterious happening.

The proprietor of the hotel, a Mr Tillotson, subsequently sold half the meteorite to the British Museum and half to Durham University, which had placed an advertisement in the local papers asking for information and offering a reward for any recovered fragments of the meteorite.

There have only ever been two such verified meteorite falls in Wales: the Beddgelert incident, and an earlier incident 14 miles (23 kilometres) away in Pontllyfni in 1931, at the other end of the Nantlle Ridge.

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Nicolaisen, W. F. H.; Gelling, Margaret; Richards, Melville, eds. (1986),The Names of Towns and Cities in Britain,Batsford,ISBN978-0-7134-5235-8

External links

• Media related toBeddgelertat Wikimedia Commons
• Beddgelert Travel GuideArchived14 February 2019 at theWayback Machine
• Beddgelert Snowdonia Guide
• www.geograph.co.uk: photos of Beddgelert and surrounding area
• Map sourcesfor Beddgelert