Brynrefail, Gwynedd
Encyclopedia
Brynrefail is a small village
in Gwynedd
, Wales
that straddles the A4244 road roughly between Deiniolen
and Llanberis
.
The village is in Wales (European Parliament constituency)
the Caernarfon (UK Parliament constituency)
and the Gwynedd Council
Ward of Penisarwaen.
Brynrefail stands a short walk from the northern shore of Llyn Padarn
lake. Afon Rhythallt
leaves the lake at this point becoming Afon Seiont downstream at Pont Rhythallt, Llanrug
before meandering its historic way to the sea.
The main street (now quiet after the by-pass was built in the 1960s) is mainly traditional terraced housing, the village Post Office
, and the village's sole chapel which is still in use.
The village is policed from Llanberis and has a dedicated Community Beat Manager
.
and was apparently built to house workers for the nearby Dinorwig slate quarry.
As far as can be established the village developed around the village smithy
(yr efail in Welsh
). The building housing the smithy still exists and was has been converted from a tumbledown building into a cottage.
The village's development may well have been also influenced by the quarry railway that ran between Dinorwic Quarry
and Y Felinheli
(or the unofficial English name of Portdinorwic) and skirted around the village and along the shore of the lake.
It has been noted that on the 1933½ inch Ordnance Survey
map of the area (Sheet 11) that the village is referred to as Bryn-yr-Efail and is still shown as so on the 1948 Revision of the same map.
At one time the village was home to the Ysgol Brynrefail
before the campus was moved to the nearby village of Llanrug
in the 1960s. The school still retains the original name.
The school's site was cleared in the 1990s. In 2002 work began on a multiuse centre called Caban
. Opened in 2004, Caban is home to a cafe, a meeting room which doubles as the village's chapel and 13 business units. The cafe is mentioned in the Which?
2008 Good Food Guide
.
Until 1960 the village's main street was the main road between Caernarfon
and Llanberis
until it was by-passed by the existing road to allow machinery to be conveyed to the what was then the major construction site for the Dinorwig Power Station
. This split the village, leaving the small Local Authority housing estate
of Trem Eilian effectively stranded on the other side of what has become a very busy main road.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
that straddles the A4244 road roughly between Deiniolen
Deiniolen
Deiniolen is a village in Gwynedd, Wales, at the foot of Elidir Fawr. Deiniolen has views over Caernarfon covering the, and, on a clear day, Holyhead Mountain and occasionally the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland, can be seen...
and Llanberis
Llanberis
Llanberis is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, lying on the southern banks of Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia. It takes its name from Saint Peris, an early Welsh saint.According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llanberis was 1,954...
.
The village is in Wales (European Parliament constituency)
Wales (European Parliament constituency)
Wales is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 4 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...
the Caernarfon (UK Parliament constituency)
Caernarfon (UK Parliament constituency)
Caernarfon was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Caernarfon in Wales. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system....
and the Gwynedd Council
Gwynedd Council
Gwynedd Council is the governing body for the principal area of Gwynedd, one of the subdivisions of Wales within the United Kingdom.- Creation of the Authority :...
Ward of Penisarwaen.
Brynrefail stands a short walk from the northern shore of Llyn Padarn
Llyn Padarn
Llyn Padarn is a glacially formed lake in Snowdonia, Gwynedd, north Wales, and is an example of a moraine dammed lake. The lake is approximately long and at its deepest point is deep. At its south-eastern end it is linked to the neighbouring Llyn Peris...
lake. Afon Rhythallt
Afon Rhythallt
The River Rhythallt is a river in Gwynedd, North Wales whose source is Llyn Padarn. It flows in a northwesterly direction past the village of Brynrefail, Gwynedd and changes its name to Afon Seiont downstream of Pont Rhythallt in Llanrug. The Afon Seiont eventually reaches the sea at Caernarfon...
leaves the lake at this point becoming Afon Seiont downstream at Pont Rhythallt, Llanrug
Llanrug
Llanrug is a large village in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It lies about 4 miles to the east of Caernarfon, 7 miles south of Bangor and 3 miles to the west of Llanberis. It is the largest populated village in the Arfon area of Gwynedd, Wales. The old name term of the village was initially...
before meandering its historic way to the sea.
The main street (now quiet after the by-pass was built in the 1960s) is mainly traditional terraced housing, the village Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, and the village's sole chapel which is still in use.
The village is policed from Llanberis and has a dedicated Community Beat Manager
Community Beat Manager
A Community Beat Manager is a police officer within the British Police's territorial police forces, such as the Metropolitan Police Service and Greater Manchester Police. The CBM is usually responsible for a particular neighbourhood or area of a town or city. Most commonly CBMs are Constables...
.
History
The roots of the village are in the 19th century slate industrySlate industry in Wales
The slate industry in Wales began during the Roman period when slate was used to roof the fort at Segontium, now Caernarfon. The slate industry grew slowly until the early 18th century, then expanded rapidly until the late 19th century, at which time the most important slate producing areas were in...
and was apparently built to house workers for the nearby Dinorwig slate quarry.
As far as can be established the village developed around the village smithy
Smithy
Smithy may refer to:* Forge, also called a smithy, the workplace of a smith or a blacksmith* Smith , sometimes referred to as a smithy, a person involved in the shaping of metal objects...
(yr efail in Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
). The building housing the smithy still exists and was has been converted from a tumbledown building into a cottage.
The village's development may well have been also influenced by the quarry railway that ran between Dinorwic Quarry
Dinorwic Quarry
The Dinorwic Slate Quarry is a large former slate quarry, now home to the Welsh National Slate Museum, located between the villages of Llanberis and Dinorwig in north Wales. It was the second largest slate quarry in Wales, indeed in the world, after the neighbouring Penrhyn Quarry....
and Y Felinheli
Y Felinheli
Y Felinheli is a village lying beside the Menai Strait between Bangor and Caernarfon in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. The population is about 2,200.-Etymology:...
(or the unofficial English name of Portdinorwic) and skirted around the village and along the shore of the lake.
It has been noted that on the 1933½ inch Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
map of the area (Sheet 11) that the village is referred to as Bryn-yr-Efail and is still shown as so on the 1948 Revision of the same map.
At one time the village was home to the Ysgol Brynrefail
Ysgol Brynrefail
Ysgol Brynrefail is a secondary school in Llanrug, Gwynedd in North Wales. There are approximately 740 puplis and the current headmaster is Mr Eifion Jones,.Extra-curricular activities such as the annual Eisteddfod form an important aspect of school life...
before the campus was moved to the nearby village of Llanrug
Llanrug
Llanrug is a large village in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It lies about 4 miles to the east of Caernarfon, 7 miles south of Bangor and 3 miles to the west of Llanberis. It is the largest populated village in the Arfon area of Gwynedd, Wales. The old name term of the village was initially...
in the 1960s. The school still retains the original name.
The school's site was cleared in the 1990s. In 2002 work began on a multiuse centre called Caban
Caban
Caban was launched by Club Monaco as their lifestyle brand in October 2000, in three major Canadian cities; Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, with another location opening in Calgary and Edmonton. Caban established itself as an innovative and unique retailer, with a distinctive product mix and...
. Opened in 2004, Caban is home to a cafe, a meeting room which doubles as the village's chapel and 13 business units. The cafe is mentioned in the Which?
Which?
Which? is a product-testing and consumer campaigning charity with a magazine, website and various other services run by Which? Ltd ....
2008 Good Food Guide
Good Food Guide
The Good Food Guide is an annual guidebook to the best restaurants in the UK, published by Which?books.The Good Food Guide was first published in 1951 by Raymond Postgate, an enthusiastic gourmet, who was appalled by the standard of contemporary catering. He recruited an army of volunteers to...
.
Until 1960 the village's main street was the main road between Caernarfon
Caernarfon
Caernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
and Llanberis
Llanberis
Llanberis is a village in Gwynedd, North Wales, lying on the southern banks of Llyn Padarn in Snowdonia. It takes its name from Saint Peris, an early Welsh saint.According to the United Kingdom Census 2001, the population of Llanberis was 1,954...
until it was by-passed by the existing road to allow machinery to be conveyed to the what was then the major construction site for the Dinorwig Power Station
Dinorwig power station
The Dinorwig Power Station is a pumped-storage hydroelectric scheme, near Dinorwig, Llanberis in Snowdonia national park in Gwynedd, north Wales...
. This split the village, leaving the small Local Authority housing estate
Housing estate
A housing estate is a group of buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Accordingly, a housing estate is usually built by a single contractor, with only a few styles of house or building design, so they tend to be uniform in appearance...
of Trem Eilian effectively stranded on the other side of what has become a very busy main road.