Tal-y-bont, Conwy
Encyclopedia
Tal-y-Bont is a small village
in Conwy County Borough, Wales
. It lies in the Conwy Valley in North Wales
, west of the River Conwy
, on the B5106 road, six mile
s from Conwy
to the north, and six miles from Llanrwst
to the south.
It lies adjacent to the village of Dolgarrog
to the south, and below the small settlement of Llanbedr-y-Cennin
to the west.
The 'Bont' (the mutated form of pont, Welsh for "bridge") in the name probably refers to the bridge over the Afon Dulyn
, a tributary
of the nearby River Conwy, which runs through the village.
and the southern Carneddau
mountains. Access to the northern end of the Carneddau Range and the Roman road
over to Aberystwyth
can also reached by following the road up from Tal-y-Bont through Llanbedr-y-Cennin
- which is on the eastern edge of the Snowdonia National Park - and taking a left fork at the pub, Ye Olde Bull Inn, in Llanbedr.
Walkers can access peaks in the northern end of the Carneddau Range such as Drum
and Foel Fras, and then continue south east to reach Carnedd Llewelyn
.
There was a garage and petrol station ("Rose's Garage") run by a mechanic called Mr. Rose and later run by his son Keith Rose, which once served the village, but it is now sadly closed down.
The Lodge Hotel (around 100 Yards from the sign post's welcoming you to Tal-y-Bont from the village of Conwy)is a very friendly place with a great atmosphere, very friendly staff and beautiful rooms and food. The Lodge Hotel is run by Neil Bradshaw with his friendly and welcoming family.
Tal y Bont's memorial hall is a community supported hall with facilities such as a professional snooker table, meeting rooms, a main hall and a stage. The memorial hall has been know to accommodate weddings, birthdays and the very popular Village Gala, which is held in the summer holidays every year.
Y Bedol public house is a beautiful building run by Jennie Thomas and her partner, Keith serving wonderful food and real ale's. Y Bedol has faculties such as a Pool table, darts, disabled toilets, beer garden looking down the valley, juke-box, fruit machine and a cigarette machine. Y bedol holds a popular disco every two weeks by a well known local Disco Jockey, DJ Mike Rowlands. Y Bedol is popular with locals and tourists and has a very warm atmosphere.
hillfort. The hill occupies a commanding position above the village, with views north down the valley to Conwy
and Llandudno, and south to Llanrwst. Pen-y-Gaer can be reached by following the road that runs up through Llanbedr-y-Cennin
, taking the left fork at the Olde Bull Inn and then taking a left several miles later when the hill appears directly above to your left.
of Caerhun
, where the Roman fort of Kanovium (Circa AD60) is located.
. The art movement, which had started in Betws-y-coed
in the 1850s, saw a movement down the valley after the arrival of the railway in Betws-y-coed. Initial settlememt was in Trefriw
, and the 1871 census listed the first artist settler in Tal-y-bont/Llanbedr as J.Cole. There were 7 artists living here by the 1881 census, and 15 by 1891.
Charles Potter, an artist from Oldham (many of the artists were originally from the Manchester
area), was instrumental in setting up the Tal-y-bont Artists Club, and in raising funds to construct in 1886 the ‘Artists Club’ building at Tal-y-bont (actually Llandbedr-y-cennin), and he became its first President. The group had originally starting meeting informally at the Olde Bull Inn in 1883, then in 1884 used the upper floor of a stable building (above a carpenter’s workshop, and now demolished) as their first studio.
Named “Walden”, the building offered a studio, a gallery, a classroom, a billiard room, and entertainment space. It originally had 40 members, male artists who lived or worked locally, although there were 150 honorary members. It had a committee of 17 members. The building was also used to hold art courses for clubs from far-and-wide, and every autumn there was an exhibition, despite the fact that this was not an altogether accessible place to the average picture-buying tourist. Nevertheless, membership (including non-resident members) grew to a number approaching 150.
The artist colony was a strong influence on the formation of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art
, which moved into Plas Mawr
, Conwy
in 1886.
The colony came to an end at the onset of World War I
, and in the 1920s the building became a private home.
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 Conwy County Borough, 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...
. It lies in the Conwy Valley 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...
, west of 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."...
, on the B5106 road, six mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
s from Conwy
Conwy
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...
to the north, and six miles from Llanrwst
Llanrwst
Llanrwst is a small town and community on the A470 road and the River Conwy in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It takes its name from the 5th century to 6th century Saint Grwst, and the original parish church in Cae Llan was replaced by the 12th-century church....
to the south.
It lies adjacent to 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...
to the south, and below the small settlement of Llanbedr-y-Cennin
Llanbedr-y-Cennin
Llanbedr-y-Cennin is a small village in Conwy county borough, Wales.It lies in the foothills on the western side of the Conwy valley, in North Wales. The river Conwy runs through the valley, running into the sea to the north, at the town of Conwy, which is about five miles north of the village. ...
to the west.
The 'Bont' (the mutated form of pont, Welsh for "bridge") in the name probably refers to the bridge over the Afon Dulyn
Afon Dulyn
Afon Dulyn is the outflow from Llyn Dulyn, a lake in the Carneddau mountains in North Wales. It is a tributary of the river Conwy....
, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the nearby River Conwy, which runs through the village.
Access to Snowdonia and the Carneddau
Tal-y-Bont is the starting point for the road to Llyn EigiauLlyn 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...
and the southern 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...
mountains. Access to the northern end of the Carneddau Range and the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
over to Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....
can also reached by following the road up from Tal-y-Bont through Llanbedr-y-Cennin
Llanbedr-y-Cennin
Llanbedr-y-Cennin is a small village in Conwy county borough, Wales.It lies in the foothills on the western side of the Conwy valley, in North Wales. The river Conwy runs through the valley, running into the sea to the north, at the town of Conwy, which is about five miles north of the village. ...
- which is on the eastern edge of the Snowdonia National Park - and taking a left fork at the pub, Ye Olde Bull Inn, in Llanbedr.
Walkers can access peaks in the northern end of the Carneddau Range such as Drum
Drum (Wales)
Drum is a summit in the Carneddau mountains in north Wales, 2 km north-east of Foel-fras. It is 770 m high. It is also known as Carnedd Penyborth-Goch....
and Foel Fras, and then continue south east to reach Carnedd Llewelyn
Carnedd Llewelyn
Carnedd Llewelyn, usually spelt Carnedd Llywelyn in Welsh, is a mountain massif in the Carneddau range in Snowdonia, north-west Wales...
.
Facilities
The village has a chapel, a primary school Ysgol Tal-y-Bont, a hotel named The Lodge, a public house named Y Bedol (The Horseshoe), a butchers T. Parry-Jones and Daughters, a local shop and a memorial hall with recreational grounds (including tennis courts and a MUGA (Multi Use Games Area)).There was a garage and petrol station ("Rose's Garage") run by a mechanic called Mr. Rose and later run by his son Keith Rose, which once served the village, but it is now sadly closed down.
The Lodge Hotel (around 100 Yards from the sign post's welcoming you to Tal-y-Bont from the village of Conwy)is a very friendly place with a great atmosphere, very friendly staff and beautiful rooms and food. The Lodge Hotel is run by Neil Bradshaw with his friendly and welcoming family.
Tal y Bont's memorial hall is a community supported hall with facilities such as a professional snooker table, meeting rooms, a main hall and a stage. The memorial hall has been know to accommodate weddings, birthdays and the very popular Village Gala, which is held in the summer holidays every year.
Y Bedol public house is a beautiful building run by Jennie Thomas and her partner, Keith serving wonderful food and real ale's. Y Bedol has faculties such as a Pool table, darts, disabled toilets, beer garden looking down the valley, juke-box, fruit machine and a cigarette machine. Y bedol holds a popular disco every two weeks by a well known local Disco Jockey, DJ Mike Rowlands. Y Bedol is popular with locals and tourists and has a very warm atmosphere.
Bronze Age Fort
To the west is a hill named Pen-y-Gaer, on top of which can be found remains of a Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
hillfort. The hill occupies a commanding position above the village, with views north down the valley to Conwy
Conwy
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 Llandudno, and south to Llanrwst. Pen-y-Gaer can be reached by following the road that runs up through Llanbedr-y-Cennin
Llanbedr-y-Cennin
Llanbedr-y-Cennin is a small village in Conwy county borough, Wales.It lies in the foothills on the western side of the Conwy valley, in North Wales. The river Conwy runs through the valley, running into the sea to the north, at the town of Conwy, which is about five miles north of the village. ...
, taking the left fork at the Olde Bull Inn and then taking a left several miles later when the hill appears directly above to your left.
Roman Fort
Half a mile to the north of Tal-y-Bont is the hamletHamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
of Caerhun
Caerhun
Caerhun is a village and rural community on the west bank of the River Conwy, to the south of Henryd and to the north of Dolgarrog, in Conwy County Borough, north Wales. The population was 1200 at the 2001 Census.-Features:...
, where the Roman fort of Kanovium (Circa AD60) is located.
Artists' Colony
The latter 19th century saw a number of artists living in Tal-y-bont and neighbouring Llanbedr-y-cenninLlanbedr-y-Cennin
Llanbedr-y-Cennin is a small village in Conwy county borough, Wales.It lies in the foothills on the western side of the Conwy valley, in North Wales. The river Conwy runs through the valley, running into the sea to the north, at the town of Conwy, which is about five miles north of the village. ...
. The art movement, which had started in Betws-y-coed
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed is a village and community in the Conwy valley in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It has a population of 534. The name Betws or Bettws is generally thought to be derived from the Anglo-Saxon Old English 'bed-hus' - i.e. a bead-house - a house of prayer, or oratory...
in the 1850s, saw a movement down the valley after the arrival of the railway in Betws-y-coed. Initial settlememt was in 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....
, and the 1871 census listed the first artist settler in Tal-y-bont/Llanbedr as J.Cole. There were 7 artists living here by the 1881 census, and 15 by 1891.
Charles Potter, an artist from Oldham (many of the artists were originally from the Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
area), was instrumental in setting up the Tal-y-bont Artists Club, and in raising funds to construct in 1886 the ‘Artists Club’ building at Tal-y-bont (actually Llandbedr-y-cennin), and he became its first President. The group had originally starting meeting informally at the Olde Bull Inn in 1883, then in 1884 used the upper floor of a stable building (above a carpenter’s workshop, and now demolished) as their first studio.
Named “Walden”, the building offered a studio, a gallery, a classroom, a billiard room, and entertainment space. It originally had 40 members, male artists who lived or worked locally, although there were 150 honorary members. It had a committee of 17 members. The building was also used to hold art courses for clubs from far-and-wide, and every autumn there was an exhibition, despite the fact that this was not an altogether accessible place to the average picture-buying tourist. Nevertheless, membership (including non-resident members) grew to a number approaching 150.
The artist colony was a strong influence on the formation of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art
Royal Cambrian Academy of Art
The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art is a centre of excellence for art in Wales. Its main gallery is located in Conwy and it has over a hundred members.thumb|right|240px|Plas Mawr, Conwy-Early history:...
, which moved into Plas Mawr
Plas Mawr
right|thumb|250px|Plas MawrPlas Mawr is a historic house in Conwy, north Wales, dating from the 16th century. The house has been restored to its original appearance, with assistance from Cadw, in whose care it is now...
, Conwy
Conwy
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...
in 1886.
The colony came to an end at the onset of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and in the 1920s the building became a private home.