Carnarvonshire, a maritime county of North Wales, having the Irish Sea on the N., Denbighshire on the E., Merioneth and Cardigan Bay on the S., and on the W. Carnarvon Bay and the Menai Strait, which separates it from Anglesey; extreme length, NE. and SW., 53 miles; extreme breadth, NW. and SE., 23 miles; average breadth, 9 miles; coast-line, 95 miles; area, 369,477 acres; population 119,349. The surface is grandly mountainous. About the centre of the county rises Snowdon (3571 ft.), the loftiest mountain in Wales and England. Several other summits are from 1500 to 3000 ft. high. There are fine sea-views along the N. coast, while the interior abounds in grand lake and mountain scenery. A bleak upland peninsula extends from the Snowdon group about 20 miles to the SW., terminating in the prom. of Braich-y-Pwll, off which is Bardsey island. The river Conway flows N. along the E. boundary. The soil in the valleys and along the N. and S. coasts is productive of good crops of oats and barley. Slate is extensively quarried at Penrhyn, Llanberis, and Bethesda. The county comprises 10 hundreds, 74 parishes, with part of 1 other, the Carnarvon Boroughs (Bangor, Carnarvon, Conway, Criccieth, Nevin, and Pwllheli), and the municipal boroughs of Carnarvon, Conway, and Pwllheli. It is in the dioceses of St Asaph and Bangor.
– John Bartholomew, Gazetteer of the British Isles (1887)
Bangor Cathedral
The Diocesan Centre, Cathedral Close
Bangor LL57 1RL
www.facebook.com/bangorcathedral
The site of the present building of Bangor Cathedral has been in use as a place of Christian worship since the 6th century. The cathedral is built on a low-lying and inconspicuous site, possibly so as not to attract the attention of Viking raiders from the sea.
Caernarfon Castle
Castle Ditch
Caernarfon LL55 2AY
01286 677617
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/default.asp?id=6&PlaceID=19
With its seven polygonal towers (including the great Eagle Tower), two gatehouses, and walls of colour-banded stone, King Edward I intended the castle to be a royal residence and seat of government for north Wales. Begun in 1283 under the direction of Master James of St George, the King’s mason-architect, and continuously in Crown possession since.
Conwy Castle
Rose Hill Street
Conwy LL32 8LD
01492 592358
Conwy castle is a gritty, dark stoned fortress which has the rare ability to evoke an authentic medieval atmosphere. Conwy wasconstructed by the English monarch Edward I between 1283 and 1289 as one of the key fortresses in his ‘iron ring’ of castles to contain the Welsh.
Criccieth Castle
Castle Street
Criccieth LL52 0DP
01766 522227
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk/daysout/criccieth-castle
Beguiling from afar, this castle is perched on a headland with the sea pounding below. Get close however and its gatehouse intimidates prospective attackers.
Dinorwic Quarry & Quarry Hospital
Gilfach Ddu
Llanberis LL55 4TY
01286 870 892
Covering more than 700 acres, Dinorwic was one of the largest slate quarries in the world. One of its inclines has now been restored to pristine working condition. Since 1972 Dinorwic has been home to the National Slate Museum, Llanberis. The Vivian Slate Quarry is now home to a rock-climbing and diving centre, but visitors today may still see the huts or gwaliau (literally ‘lairs’) where blocks of slate were split and dressed. Another site of interest is the old Quarry Hospital, built in 1860 to offer quarrymen medical care. Now open to the public, it features a display of the innovative equipment used there, including amputation tools and an X-ray machine.
Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways
Harbour Station
Porthmadog LL49 9NF
01766 516024
www.festrail.co.uk
The Ffestiniog Railway is the oldest independent railway company in the world. On our trains you can travel by steam through the spectacular scenery of the Snowdonia National Park, between Porthmadog and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
Ffestiniog Railway Museum
Harbour Station
Porthmadog LL49 9NF
01776 512 340
www.festrail.co.uk
A bustling and busy narrow gauge slate-carrying railway between Portmadoc and Blaenau Ffestiniog that pioneered narrow gauge steam and passenger services in the 19th. century and demonstrated the utility of such railways to the world.
Great Orme Bronze Age Copper Mines
Great Orme
Llandudno LL30 2XG
01492 870447
Uncovered in 1987 during a scheme to landscape an area of the Great Orme, the copper mines discovered below the ground represent one of the most astounding archaeological discoveries of recent times. Dating back 4,000 years to the Bronze Age, they change our views about the ancient people of Britain and their civilized and structured society 2,000 years before the Roman invasion. Over the past 21 years mining engineers, cavers and archaeologists have been slowly uncovering more tunnels and large areas of the surface landscape to reveal what is now thought to be the largest prehistoric mine so far discovered in the world.
Gwynedd Archives
Caernarfon Record Office, Swyddfa�r Cyngor
Caernarfon LL55 1SH
01286 679095
www.gwynedd.gov.uk/archives
Gwynedd Archives Service welcomes the public to visit its Record Offices to use and enjoy the wide range of documents, photographs, maps and newspapers that are kept. .
Gwynedd Family History Society
12 Long Street, Gerlan
Bangor LL57 3SY
01248 600 102
The society was founded in 1980 to bring together the many people interested in Family History. It caters for those with Gwynedd ancestry and we would be happy to help anyone in need of assistance with their research.
Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery
Ffordd Gwynedd
Bangor LL57 1DT
01248 353368
www.gwynedd.gov.uk/museums
Gwynedd Museum & Art Gallery boasts a collection formed since 1884 by Bangor University. Now run by Gwynedd Council, the museum and Gallery is located near the cathedral in a Grade II listed building that was the Old Canonry dating to the 1870s.
Llandudno Museum
Llandudno Museum, 17-19 Gloddaeth Street
Llandudno LL30 2DD
01492 876517
www.conwy.gov.uk/doc.asp?cat=776&doc=1582
Llandudno Museum was established in 1927 following the bequest of FE Chardon (an artist) to the town of his magnificent collection of paintings and objets d’art from around the world.
Lloyd George Museum & Highgate Cottage
Llanystumdwy
Criccieth LL52 0SH
01766 522 071
www.gwynedd.gov.uk/museums
The Lloyd George Museum portrays the life and times of David Lloyd George, Britain’s first modern Prime Minister, who led the country during the First World War. A visit to Highgate, the Victorian cottage where he spent his childhood, is included which features a Victorian garden and shoemaker’s workshop.
Llyn Historical & Maritime Museum
Old St Mary’s Church, Stryd Llan
Nefyn LL53 6LB
01758 720 270.
www.penllyn.com/1/gallery/nefyn/2a.html
Learn about maritime history at the Llyn Historical and Maritime Museum. It is located at St Mary’s Church, Nefyn, whose tower supports a sailing ship weathervane. Through painting, photographs and artefacts is shown the local maritime history including ship building, coasting vessels, herring industry and also everyday life at the turn of the 19th century.
Nant Gwrtheyrn
Canolfan Iaith Genedlaethol, Nant Gwrtheyrn, Llithfaen
Pwllheli LL53 6PA
01758 750334
This museum is based at the heart of the community. It brings together a collection of maps, documents and artefacts from across the region and has placed them in such an order as to be able to concisely tell the story of the foundations of the community.
Penmaenmawr Museum
4, New York Cottages
Penmaenmawr LL34 6LE
01492 575571
www.conwy.gov.uk/doc.asp?cat=776&doc=1584
Built in the 1840s these were amongst the first properties built in Penmaenmawr to house quarry workers. Recently restored, the ground floor of No. 4 houses a small museum on the quarrying industry and the growth of Penmaenmawr in the 19th century.
Penrhyn Castle – National Trust
Penrhyn Castle
Bangor LL57 4HN
01248 353 084
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penrhyn-castle
This enormous neo-Norman castle sits between Snowdonia and the Menai Strait. Built by Thomas Hopper between 1820 and 1845 for the wealthy Pennant family, who made their fortune from Jamaican sugar and Welsh slate, the castle is crammed with fascinating things such as a one-ton slate bed made for Queen Victoria.
Plas yn Rhiw – National trust
Rhiw
Pwllheli LL53 8AB
01758 780219
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/plas-yn-rhiw
The house was rescued from neglect and lovingly restored by the three Keating sisters, who bought it in 1938. The views from the grounds and gardens across Cardigan Bay are among the most spectacular in Britain. The house is 16th-century with Georgian additions, and the garden contains many beautiful flowering trees and shrubs, with beds framed by box hedges and grass paths.
Porthmadog Maritime Museum
Oakley Wharf No.1, The Harbour
Porthmadog LL49 9LU
Discover the story of the world famous topsail schooners and other vessels, their builders, voyages and the men who sailed in them.
Royal Welch Fusiliers Regimental Museum
Caernarfon Castle
Caernarfon LL55 2AY
01286 673362
The museum, situated within two towers of Caernarfon Castle, tells the exciting story of over 300 years of our history using film, sound, models and exhibits. You can learn how the regiment won 14 Victoria Crosses and hear the words of famous writers who served with the Royal Welch during the First World War, such as Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves, David Jones, Frank Richards and Hedd Wyn.
Segontium – National Trust
Beddgelert Road
Caernarfon LL55 2LN
01286 675625
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/segontium
The Segontium Roman fort was an auxiliary fort built by the Romans when they spread their conquest of Britain into Wales, and dates back to 77 AD. Although it was a remote outpost, it is one of the most well known Roman sites in Britain and attracts thousands of visitors each year.
Welsh Highland Heritage Railway
Welsh Highland Railway Ltd, Gelert’s Farm Works, Madoc Street West
Porthmadog LL49 9DY
01766 513402
www.whr.co.uk
The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway is a small, friendly railway where the train ride is just part of the experience. Our vintage train also stops at the sheds, where you can get off for a free guided, hands on tour.