Llyn Cowlyd
Encyclopedia
Llyn Cowlyd is the deepest lake
in North Wales
. It lies in the Snowdonia National Park on the edge of the Carneddau
range of mountains, at a height of 1164 feet (355 m) above sea level. The lake is long and narrow, measuring nearly 2 miles (3 km) long and about a third of a mile (500 m) wide, and covers an area of 269 acres (1.1 km²). It has a mean depth of 109 feet (33 m) and at its deepest has given soundings of 229 feet (70 m), this being some 45 ft (14 m) greater than its natural depth, the water surface having been raised twice by the building of dams.
The surrounding hills drop steeply to the water's edge, from Cefn Cyfarwydd
and Creigiau Gleision
to the east, and Pen Llithrig y Wrach
to the west, and as a consequence have not been forested in the 20th century, as were the slopes of neighbouring Llyn Crafnant
. Indeed there is not a tree to be seen, and the general aspect is one of bleakness. Dependent on the weather conditions, the waters often appear dark.
The supply of water to Llyn Cowlyd is assisted at its south-western end by a leat which runs roughly east-west along the 1370' contour to the south and west of the lake, along the Ogwen Valley. It is also fed by water from Llyn Eigiau
.
Llyn Cowlyd can be reached by road from Trefriw
, some 3 miles (5 km) to the east, although the metalled road stops at a gate, the best part of a mile from the lake itself, beyond which private vehicles are not permitted. Llyn Cowlyd can also be reached by foot from Capel Curig
, some 2 miles (3 km) away, from the ridge of Cefn Cyfarwydd, or from above Dolgarrog. A good path runs along the north-western shore of the lake.
The stream which flows from Llyn Cowlyd is called Afon Ddu. This flows into the river Conwy
, passing Pont Dolgarrog on the B5106 road, just south of the village of Dolgarrog
. The gorge cut by the river at this point is popular for gorge walking.
Some sources state that the name Cowlyd comes from "Cawlwyd" or "Cawllwyd". Algernon Herbert's book Britannia after the Romans refers to Caw, Lord or Chieftain of Cwm Cawllwyd. "Cwm Cawllwyd" could therefore translate as The Cwm of Grey Caw.
Further research suggests that the name might derive originally from Caw ap Geraint Llyngesog ab Erbin ap Custennin Gorneu ap Cynfor ap Tudwal, the famous warrior who features in Culhwch and Olwen
. Caw's son Celyn ap Caw had a watchtower, Tŵr Celyn, near the Copper mountain, on Anglesey.
The Ordnance Survey
map of 1841 records the name as "Cwlyd", as does the National Gazetteer of 1868.http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CAE/LlanbedrYCennin/Gaz1868.html#NatGaz
and Colwyn Bay
, having been purchased for £55,000 by the Conwy & Colwyn Bay Join Water Supply Board, a company set up in 1891, via a pipe network some 40 miles (64.4 km) long. However, these pipes are underground, their presence only given away by the chamber covers at Siglen, and the occasional isolated pump-house along the route. These water supply pipes should not be confused with the large (5 ft 10 in diameter) black pipeline which runs for 5 miles from the dam to Dolgarrog
, and serves the power station there, built in 1925, to support the aluminum works. During World War II
a shepherd called Wil Roberts was paid a nominal sum of money to check the pipeline for bomb damage or any signs of sabotage. His only find was a crashed Anson
aircraft in February 1944.
Llyn Cowlyd is one of two reservoirs which supply hydro-electricity to the aluminium works at Dolgarrog. The other is Llyn Eigiau, which was physically connected to Llyn Cowlyd by a tunnel in 1919, and this is the water which flows into the lake by the dam. Water also flows from Llyn Eigiau more directly to Dolgarrog via Afon Porth-llwyd
and Coedty reservoir
. Llyn Eigiau lies a mile to the north of Llyn Cowlyd, and its water rights were at the time owned by the Aluminium Corporation Limited.
The history of electricity
production at Dolgarrog is tied up with that of Henry Joseph Jack (1869-1936), who was chairman of the North Wales Power and Traction Co. Ltd, and who had a dream of using this new power source to power the narrow gauge railways in North Wales. The NWPTC was the company behind the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway
(to later become the Welsh Highland Railway
) and he became Chairman of the Festiniog Railway during July 1921, putting him in control of all the passenger carrying narrow-gauge railways of that part of North Wales. In addition to this, in 1922 he became a director of the Snowdon Mountain Railway
which was also part of the Dolgarrog empire.
During construction of Cowlyd dam, electricity for the winches was provided by the North Wales Power and Traction Co. Ltd's power station at Cwm Dyli
, near Snowdon
. The remains of the pole route along the western shore of the lake can be seen today.
Stone for the dam came from an adjacent quarry, some ¼ mile to the north of the dam site. A short incline was constructed for transfer of stone, and it ran directly from the quarry down to the dam. Remains today suggest that this was poorly constructed, but its line is easily followed, and is clearly evident from, for instance, the summit of Creigiau Gleision
. A later vehicle route also winds from the dam to the quarry. Remains of the winding drum can still be seen.
Construction workers lived in wooden barracks, a number of which afterwards found their way back to the Trefriw and Dolgarrog area to be converted into homes, and are still lived in.
Construction of the dam was assisted by the construction of a narrow gauge 2 ft (610 mm) gauge railway line, known as the Llyn Cowlyd Tramway, which was used to convey men and materials to the reservoir for construction and subsequent maintenance purposes. The line ran from near Coedty reservoir
, above Dolgarrog, up as far as the dam. This tramway was essentially a branch line of the Eigiau Tramway
, laid to aid construction of the dam at nearby Llyn Eigiau
.
This partial dam failure of the Cowlyd Dam should not be confused with that of the Dolgarrog Disaster of 1925 when the failure of the Eigiau Dam released water which went on to overtop the Coedty Dam, above Dolgarrog. This second dam also failed, releasing the huge volume of water that flooded Dolgarrog, killing 16 people.
and Arctic char
, originally taken from Llyn Peris, in Llanberis
, when that lake was drained as part of the construction of Dinorwig Power Station
.
, the most ancient of Celt
ic literature written in the 14th century in the Red Book of Hergest
, but orally dating back much further, the area was inhabited by more wildlife than seems to be there today. In one of the oldest stories, namely Culhwch and Olwen
, Culhwch is obliged to perform some difficult labours, as set by the giant Ysbaddaden in order to win the hand of his daughter Olwen in marriage. In a smart move, Culhwch recruits King Arthur
, his first cousin. One of the tasks is to find the lost Mabon, son of Modron, and a number of mythical beasts are consulted, one of whom is the Owl of Cwm Cowlyd. The owl narrates the history of its Cwm, and if any of it is to be believed, it confirms that the valley was once wooded (as was most of Snowdonia
), but that the first clearing took place much earlier than mediaeval times, which is more unusual.
The following extract is taken from The Mabinogion -
Another myth is that of the water bull who appears from the depths with -
Other tales talk of solitary walkers who have been dragged to their death, and of fairies, namely the Welsh Tylwyth Teg.
makes reference to The Mabinogion's Owl of Llyn Cowlyd in his poem "The Ancients of the World".
Gwilym Cowlyd (1828-1904), whose real name was William John Roberts, was a native of Trefriw, and one of the more colourful figures in Welsh culture and the Welsh Eisteddfod. He bardic name was taken from neighbouring Llyn Cowlyd. (See Trefriw
for more detail.)
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in North Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
. It lies in the Snowdonia National Park on the edge of the Carneddau
Carneddau
The Carneddau , are a group of mountains in Snowdonia, Wales. It includes the largest contiguous areas of high ground in Wales and England, as well as six or seven of the highest peaks in the country—the Fourteen Peaks...
range of mountains, at a height of 1164 feet (355 m) above sea level. The lake is long and narrow, measuring nearly 2 miles (3 km) long and about a third of a mile (500 m) wide, and covers an area of 269 acres (1.1 km²). It has a mean depth of 109 feet (33 m) and at its deepest has given soundings of 229 feet (70 m), this being some 45 ft (14 m) greater than its natural depth, the water surface having been raised twice by the building of dams.
The surrounding hills drop steeply to the water's edge, from Cefn Cyfarwydd
Cefn Cyfarwydd
Cefn Cyfarwydd is a ridge in Conwy county borough, north Wales. It is located above the village of Trefriw on the western side of the Conwy valley, and dramatically separates the rugged mountains of the Carneddau from the greener, lusher Conwy valley....
and Creigiau Gleision
Creigiau Gleision
Creigiau Gleision is a mountain in Snowdonia, Wales, near Capel Curig. It is the easternmost of the high Carneddau and is separated from the others by Llyn Cowlyd. Directly across this reservoir from Creigiau Gleision is Pen Llithrig y Wrach...
to the east, and Pen Llithrig y Wrach
Pen Llithrig y Wrach
Pen Llithrig y Wrach is a mountain peak in Snowdonia, North Wales. It is one of the four Marilyns that make up the Carneddau range. To the east is Creigiau Gleision, another Marilyn, while to the west is Pen yr Helgi Du and Carnedd Llewelyn...
to the west, and as a consequence have not been forested in the 20th century, as were the slopes of neighbouring Llyn Crafnant
Llyn Crafnant
Llyn Crafnant is a lake that lies in a beautiful valley in North Wales where the northern edge of the Gwydir Forest meets the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountains and, more specifically, the ridge of Cefn Cyfarwydd. The head of the valley offers a profile of crags which are silhouetted at...
. Indeed there is not a tree to be seen, and the general aspect is one of bleakness. Dependent on the weather conditions, the waters often appear dark.
The supply of water to Llyn Cowlyd is assisted at its south-western end by a leat which runs roughly east-west along the 1370' contour to the south and west of the lake, along the Ogwen Valley. It is also fed by water from Llyn Eigiau
Llyn Eigiau
Llyn Eigiau is a lake on the edge of the Carneddau range of mountains in Snowdonia, North Wales.The name Eigiau is thought to refer to the shoals of fish which once lived here. Early maps refer to it as Llynyga...
.
Llyn Cowlyd can be reached by road from Trefriw
Trefriw
Trefriw is a village in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It lies on the river Conwy in North Wales, a few miles south of the site of the Roman fort of Canovium, sited at Caerhun. The parish population in 2001 was 924....
, some 3 miles (5 km) to the east, although the metalled road stops at a gate, the best part of a mile from the lake itself, beyond which private vehicles are not permitted. Llyn Cowlyd can also be reached by foot from Capel Curig
Capel Curig
Capel Curig is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales. It lies in the heart of Snowdonia, on the River Llugwy, and has a population of 226...
, some 2 miles (3 km) away, from the ridge of Cefn Cyfarwydd, or from above Dolgarrog. A good path runs along the north-western shore of the lake.
The stream which flows from Llyn Cowlyd is called Afon Ddu. This flows into the river Conwy
River Conwy
The River Conwy is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is a little over long. "Conwy" is sometimes Anglicized as "Conway."...
, passing Pont Dolgarrog on the B5106 road, just south of the village of Dolgarrog
Dolgarrog
Dolgarrog is a small village in the Conwy County Borough in North Wales situated between Llanrwst and Conwy, very close to the Conwy River. The village is well known for its industrial history since the 18th century and the Eigiau dam disaster, which occurred in 1925...
. The gorge cut by the river at this point is popular for gorge walking.
Origins of the name
Further research suggests that the name might derive originally from Caw ap Geraint Llyngesog ab Erbin ap Custennin Gorneu ap Cynfor ap Tudwal, the famous warrior who features in Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. 1400, and a fragmented version in the White Book of Rhydderch, ca. 1325. It is the longest of the surviving Welsh prose...
. Caw's son Celyn ap Caw had a watchtower, Tŵr Celyn, near the Copper mountain, on Anglesey.
The 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 1841 records the name as "Cwlyd", as does the National Gazetteer of 1868.http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/CAE/LlanbedrYCennin/Gaz1868.html#NatGaz
A Reservoir
The lake is a reservoir, providing water for the towns of ConwyConwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
and Colwyn Bay
Colwyn Bay
- Demography :Prior to local government reorganisation on 1 April 1974 Colwyn Bay was a municipal borough with a population of c.25,000, but in 1974 this designation disappeared leaving five separate parishes, known as communities in Wales, of which the one bearing the name Colwyn Bay encompassed...
, having been purchased for £55,000 by the Conwy & Colwyn Bay Join Water Supply Board, a company set up in 1891, via a pipe network some 40 miles (64.4 km) long. However, these pipes are underground, their presence only given away by the chamber covers at Siglen, and the occasional isolated pump-house along the route. These water supply pipes should not be confused with the large (5 ft 10 in diameter) black pipeline which runs for 5 miles from the dam to Dolgarrog
Dolgarrog
Dolgarrog is a small village in the Conwy County Borough in North Wales situated between Llanrwst and Conwy, very close to the Conwy River. The village is well known for its industrial history since the 18th century and the Eigiau dam disaster, which occurred in 1925...
, and serves the power station there, built in 1925, to support the aluminum works. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
a shepherd called Wil Roberts was paid a nominal sum of money to check the pipeline for bomb damage or any signs of sabotage. His only find was a crashed Anson
Anson
-People:Surname* Adelbert John Robert Anson , Canadian Anglican Bishop* Albert Edward Anson , British actor* Andy Anson, British businessman* Augustus Anson , British Victoria Cross recipient and politician...
aircraft in February 1944.
Llyn Cowlyd is one of two reservoirs which supply hydro-electricity to the aluminium works at Dolgarrog. The other is Llyn Eigiau, which was physically connected to Llyn Cowlyd by a tunnel in 1919, and this is the water which flows into the lake by the dam. Water also flows from Llyn Eigiau more directly to Dolgarrog via Afon Porth-llwyd
Afon Porth-llwyd
Afon Porth-llwyd is a river in Snowdonia, North Wales. It flows from Llyn Eigiau on the south-eastern edge of the Carneddau range to join the river Conwy.Its waters are trapped at Coedty reservoir before flowing down to pass under Pont Newydd in Dolgarrog...
and Coedty reservoir
Coedty Reservoir
Coedty Reservoir is a reservoir in Snowdonia, North Wales. It is fed by the waters of Afon Porth-llwyd which flows from Llyn Eigiau. The reservoir lies at a height of , and measures some in size. It contains brown trout....
. Llyn Eigiau lies a mile to the north of Llyn Cowlyd, and its water rights were at the time owned by the Aluminium Corporation Limited.
The history of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
production at Dolgarrog is tied up with that of Henry Joseph Jack (1869-1936), who was chairman of the North Wales Power and Traction Co. Ltd, and who had a dream of using this new power source to power the narrow gauge railways in North Wales. The NWPTC was the company behind the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway
Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway
The Porthmadog, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway was a narrow gauge railway intended to connect Porthmadog with the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways link terminus at Rhyd Ddu...
(to later become the Welsh Highland Railway
Welsh Highland Railway
The Welsh Highland Railway is a long restored narrow gauge heritage railway in North Wales, operating from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passing through a number of popular tourist destinations including Beddgelert and the Aberglaslyn Pass. At Porthmadog it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway...
) and he became Chairman of the Festiniog Railway during July 1921, putting him in control of all the passenger carrying narrow-gauge railways of that part of North Wales. In addition to this, in 1922 he became a director of the Snowdon Mountain Railway
Snowdon Mountain Railway
The Snowdon Mountain Railway is a narrow gauge rack and pinion mountain railway in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It is a tourist railway that travels for from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon, the highest peak in England and Wales....
which was also part of the Dolgarrog empire.
The Dam
Llyn Cowlyd has a 30' high dam at its north-eastern end, which consists of a rock and earth embankment with a concrete core. A concrete and stone apron protects the dam from wave action, which comes from the direction of the prevailing winds. The dam, which replaced a lower, earlier one, was completed in 1921, and it was officially opened on 20 September, 1922.During construction of Cowlyd dam, electricity for the winches was provided by the North Wales Power and Traction Co. Ltd's power station at Cwm Dyli
Cwm Dyli
Cwm Dyli is the location of a hydro-electric power station on the southern flank of the Snowdon range in North Wales. The station was built in 1905 by the Porthmadog, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway company, backed by North Wales Power and Traction Co Ltd to supply electricity to its own...
, near Snowdon
Snowdon
Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales, at an altitude of above sea level, and the highest point in the British Isles outside Scotland. It is located in Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, and has been described as "probably the busiest mountain in Britain"...
. The remains of the pole route along the western shore of the lake can be seen today.
Stone for the dam came from an adjacent quarry, some ¼ mile to the north of the dam site. A short incline was constructed for transfer of stone, and it ran directly from the quarry down to the dam. Remains today suggest that this was poorly constructed, but its line is easily followed, and is clearly evident from, for instance, the summit of Creigiau Gleision
Creigiau Gleision
Creigiau Gleision is a mountain in Snowdonia, Wales, near Capel Curig. It is the easternmost of the high Carneddau and is separated from the others by Llyn Cowlyd. Directly across this reservoir from Creigiau Gleision is Pen Llithrig y Wrach...
. A later vehicle route also winds from the dam to the quarry. Remains of the winding drum can still be seen.
Construction workers lived in wooden barracks, a number of which afterwards found their way back to the Trefriw and Dolgarrog area to be converted into homes, and are still lived in.
Llyn Cowlyd Tramway
- Main article : Cowlyd TramwayCowlyd TramwayThe Cowlyd Tramway was a narrow gauge gauge railway line used to convey men and materials to Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir, near Trefriw in North Wales during the enlargement of the dam, and thereafter for maintenance purposes.-History:...
Construction of the dam was assisted by the construction of a narrow gauge 2 ft (610 mm) gauge railway line, known as the Llyn Cowlyd Tramway, which was used to convey men and materials to the reservoir for construction and subsequent maintenance purposes. The line ran from near Coedty reservoir
Coedty Reservoir
Coedty Reservoir is a reservoir in Snowdonia, North Wales. It is fed by the waters of Afon Porth-llwyd which flows from Llyn Eigiau. The reservoir lies at a height of , and measures some in size. It contains brown trout....
, above Dolgarrog, up as far as the dam. This tramway was essentially a branch line of the Eigiau Tramway
Eigiau Tramway
The Eigiau Tramway might refer to the Eigiau Quarry Tramway or to the Eigiau Reservoir Tramway.- Eigiau Quarry Tramway :The Eigiau Quarry Tramway was a narrow gauge mile-long horse-powered tramway which operated from c1863 to c1888 and served the Eigiau slate quarry [ref SH702635], near Llyn Eigiau...
, laid to aid construction of the dam at nearby Llyn Eigiau
Llyn Eigiau
Llyn Eigiau is a lake on the edge of the Carneddau range of mountains in Snowdonia, North Wales.The name Eigiau is thought to refer to the shoals of fish which once lived here. Early maps refer to it as Llynyga...
.
Failure of the Dam
During a storm on 31 December, 1934, there was a partial failure of the dam when the downstream side was washed out. The damage was kept fairly secret, and rebuilding it provided more useful work for the tramway.This partial dam failure of the Cowlyd Dam should not be confused with that of the Dolgarrog Disaster of 1925 when the failure of the Eigiau Dam released water which went on to overtop the Coedty Dam, above Dolgarrog. This second dam also failed, releasing the huge volume of water that flooded Dolgarrog, killing 16 people.
Fishing
Fly fishing (by permit) is permitted in the lake, which contains brown troutBrown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
and Arctic char
Arctic char
Arctic char or Arctic charr is both a freshwater and saltwater fish in the Salmonidae family, native to Arctic, sub-Arctic and alpine lakes and coastal waters. No other freshwater fish is found as far north. It is the only species of fish in Lake Hazen, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic...
, originally taken from Llyn Peris, in 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...
, when that lake was drained as part of the construction of 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...
.
Myths and Fables
According to The MabinogionMabinogion
The Mabinogion is the title given to a collection of eleven prose stories collated from medieval Welsh manuscripts. The tales draw on pre-Christian Celtic mythology, international folktale motifs, and early medieval historical traditions...
, the most ancient of Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic literature written in the 14th century in the Red Book of Hergest
Red Book of Hergest
The Red Book of Hergest is a large vellum manuscript written shortly after 1382, which ranks as one of the most important medieval manuscripts written in the Welsh language. It preserves a collection of Welsh prose and poetry, notably the tales of the Mabinogion, Gogynfeirdd poetry...
, but orally dating back much further, the area was inhabited by more wildlife than seems to be there today. In one of the oldest stories, namely Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen
Culhwch and Olwen is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts: a complete version in the Red Book of Hergest, ca. 1400, and a fragmented version in the White Book of Rhydderch, ca. 1325. It is the longest of the surviving Welsh prose...
, Culhwch is obliged to perform some difficult labours, as set by the giant Ysbaddaden in order to win the hand of his daughter Olwen in marriage. In a smart move, Culhwch recruits King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, his first cousin. One of the tasks is to find the lost Mabon, son of Modron, and a number of mythical beasts are consulted, one of whom is the Owl of Cwm Cowlyd. The owl narrates the history of its Cwm, and if any of it is to be believed, it confirms that the valley was once wooded (as was most of Snowdonia
Snowdonia
Snowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
), but that the first clearing took place much earlier than mediaeval times, which is more unusual.
The following extract is taken from The Mabinogion -
Another myth is that of the water bull who appears from the depths with -
Other tales talk of solitary walkers who have been dragged to their death, and of fairies, namely the Welsh Tylwyth Teg.
Poetry
The poet R. S. ThomasR. S. Thomas
Ronald Stuart Thomas was a Welsh poet and Anglican clergyman, noted for his nationalism, spirituality and deep dislike of the anglicisation of Wales...
makes reference to The Mabinogion's Owl of Llyn Cowlyd in his poem "The Ancients of the World".
Gwilym Cowlyd (1828-1904), whose real name was William John Roberts, was a native of Trefriw, and one of the more colourful figures in Welsh culture and the Welsh Eisteddfod. He bardic name was taken from neighbouring Llyn Cowlyd. (See Trefriw
Trefriw
Trefriw is a village in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It lies on the river Conwy in North Wales, a few miles south of the site of the Roman fort of Canovium, sited at Caerhun. The parish population in 2001 was 924....
for more detail.)