Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Nant Gwrtheyrn

As promised in my last post - a bit more history.......  hope you don't mind!

We ate our picnic on a grassy area at the side of the small car park over looking the mountain of Yr Eifl.  A man asked us if we were 'going up' as the views from the top were stunning.  We'd noticed one or two people following the path up the side of the mountain but we weren't really properly shod to risk the climb but I'd love to go back again and walk to the top to see the three summits, known in english as The Rivals, and the iron age hill for at the top of the summit Tre'r Ceiri.

Instead we took the road down to the bay and the old Victorian Quarry village of Nant Gwrtheyrn known also as Vortigern's Creek.  There were just a few farmhouses on the hillside until the quarry opened in 1861.  The village of Porthy y Nant grew up nearby.

It is now a centre for Welsh language and creative writing courses and is also used  for events like weddings and conferences.

The old chapel is now a Heritage Centre overlooking the sea.

The former cottages of the village are now used as accommodation by groups of people attending courses and conferences.


Inside the Heritage Centre is a model of how the village used to look at the height of the quarrying industry.


Plus lots of other information about the history of the village before and after the quarry was established and the memories of people who lived and worked there.  The quarry closed during the second world war and the community gradually dispersed. 


We only had a short time here but it is somewhere I'd like to explore further next time we visit as there are many coastal walks and waymarked paths both down to the beach and up into the hills.

 I still have three photos to find for this July's Photo Scavenger Hunt so I'd better get a move on as it is August next week!  Where has this month gone?

14 comments:

  1. What a glorious day you had!
    That glass chapel reminds me of the book Oscar and Lucinda. Have you read it?

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  2. We really must visit that area.I am thinking of having another go at learning Welsh.I have done two years in the past but would need to start again.its a very difficult language.

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  3. You do visit some wonderful places Rosie. You take us to places where we may have never seen or known about. The views are wonderful. x

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  4. Beautiful posts Rosie & a lovely way to learn about places to visit...

    That chapel is amazing (can you hear me whinging I want?!

    Lx

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  5. I'm with Simone. Some of the places I've been with you, I know I will never see except thru you. thank you, Rosie!

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  6. Thank you for the virtual visit! I love the glass addition to the heritage centre. What a lovely corner of the world.

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  7. Thanks for your comments, everyone I'm glad you are still enjoying reading about the places we visited in Wales.

    Pamela - I have read a book by Peter Carey called 'Jack Maggs'. I haven't read Oscar and Lucinda I must look our for it at the library:)

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  8. That's on my list for when we go in a few weeks. Thanks for sharing your Welsh experiences. I'm having my holiday twice this way!

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  9. Not only this month - this year is flying by. It looks a lovely place Rosie. Who eas your singer at Tramlines? xxx

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  10. What a great place! Thank you for sharing it with us. Vivxx

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  11. Morning AJ - Are you going up?:) Hope you enjoy visiting - I though it was a wonderful place:)

    Diane - the year is rolling on pretty quickly! He's from your 'neck of the woods':)

    Viv - thanks for visiting, glad you enjoyed reading:)

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  12. Nant Gwrtheyrn was my home and childhood paradise from 1948 to 1953 before we moved up to Ty-Chuaf in Llithfaen until we moved to Newcastle on Tyne.I visit nant every year, it holds such fond memories for me and all my family.
    " a lottle piece of heaven-on Earth"
    Alan Piper.

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  13. Hello Alan, How wonderful to live there - I thought it was it was a magical place:)

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  14. Yes Rosie, Nant Gwrtheyrn is a very magical place, if like me someone has had the pleasure of living there they will know what I mean. "Memories never fade away though I was just a boy, they comfort me in troubled times and fill my heart with joy" part of a poem taken from my life story, VALLEY OF DREAMS

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