Trefriw
Encyclopedia
Trefriw (ˈtrɛvrɨu) 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.
Trefriw lies on the edge of Snowdonia
, on the B5106 road to the north-west of Llanrwst
, and about 4½ miles north of Betws-y-coed
by road. It is located on the western slopes of the glaciated Conwy valley, below the ridge of Cefn Cyfarwydd
, the village having been largely built in a semicircle at the point where the river Crafnant
flows from its hanging valley to join the river Conwy. The river Crafnant still provides power for the woollen mill, and in the past provided power for a number of other industries based along its banks, such as a forge which provided quarry tools.
Most of the village lies within the Snowdonia National Park, the boundary running down the main street of the village.
Apart from its reputation as a good starting point for walks, Trefriw is today mostly known for its woollen mills, and for the nearby chalybeate
spa, first known to have been used by the Romans and further developed in about 1700. Its waters were one of very few throughout Europe to have been classified as a medicine due to their high iron content.
(Sarn Helen
) ran southwards through Trefriw from the fort at Caerhun (between Trefriw and Conwy) to the fort at Tomen-y-mur (near Trawsfynydd), and beyond, ultimately reaching Moridunum at Carmarthen
. It is likely that there were in fact two roads passing through the Trefriw area, a valley route, and a higher mountain route which went on to link to the smaller forts at Caer Llugwy (near Capel Curig
) and Pen-y-Gwryd
, near Snowdon
. The actual lines of these roads through Trefriw can only be conjecture today, but the whole route is discussed in depth in the book Sarn Helen by J. Cantrell & A. Rylance (Cicerone Press, 1992).
. There are no remains to be seen today but it is now believed that it was on the site of the Ebenezer Chapel on the main hill. Llywelyn married Siwan or Joan
, the youngest daughter of King John of England
in 1204 or 1205, when she was only about 13. Despite her relative youth, she in time grew weary of the trek up the steep hill to the church at Llanrhychwyn
(regarded by many as being the oldest in Wales), and as a result, in about 1230 Llywelyn endowed a church on the site where St Mary's, Trefriw now stands.
Llanrhychwyn (which takes its name from Rhochwyn, son of Helig ap Glannog) is now a small hamlet. In Llywelyn's time, however, and up to the early 19th century, it was larger than Trefriw itself, which consisted of "a few houses here and there". In Hanes Trefriw, Morris Jones writes in Welsh that Llywelyn "built a church for [his wife's] use, and for the use of the inhabitants, for their kindness towards him, and that he donated a number of farms from the parish of Llanrhychwyn, naming them as the parish of Tref Rhiw Las. It got this name from the slope on which it stood".
At the lower (northern) end of the village is located "Ffrwd Gwenwyn y Meirch" - ("poison the horses stream"). It is said that the stream was poisoned by Llywelyn, resulting in the deaths of many horses, at a time when he was at war with the English.
The Red Book of Hergest
(1375–1425) refers to "Kymwt Treffryw", the Commote
(Cwmwd in Welsh) of Trefriw. This is possibly the earliest written reference to the village.
It seems probable that Trefriw has links with the Gunpowder Plot
of 1605. Thomas Wiliems, who was probably born in the village, and a nephew of Sir John Wynn
of Gwydir
, went to Brasenose College, Oxford
, and returned to work as a physician. He was an authority on vegetarianism, and also published a Welsh/Latin dictionary. In 1573 he became Curate of Trefriw. He is reputed to have been a papist (he was certainly charged on that score at Bangor
in 1607) and as such would probably have known of the plot to blow up Parliament
. According to some sources it was he who, in warning his relative John Wynn not to go to the State Opening, was responsible to either a smaller or greater extent for the suspicions which ultimately caught Guy Fawkes
. This story is the basis for a short historical novel written for children by Gweneth Lilly, entitled Treason at Trefriw (Gomer Press, 1993).
The earliest mill (a pandy
, or fulling mill
) dates back to the 15th century. In 1820 a new pandy was built, this still carrying the faded name "Vale of Conwy Woollen Mill". By early in the 19th century the village had a water-powered fulling mill (replacing the former cottage industry which dated back centuries), but serious development of the industry began only after it was bought by Thomas Williams in 1859. The current woollen mill is still owned by the descendants of Thomas Williams. The current roadside mill building, sited below the original buildings, was built in the 1970s.
David Cox Jnr. (1809-85) painted Trefriw near Llanrwst, with mill.
South of Trefriw were two toll house
s, Ty'n Twll and Hen Dyrpeg, which served the road layout as it originally used to be, namely the Ty Hyll - Llanrwst road meeting those from Trefriw and Llanrhychwyn part way up the hillside behind Gwydir. Gwydir Gate, still standing today on the B5106, became the toll house when that section of road was built as a replacement. These toll houses were built on roads used by traffic heading for the quays at Trefriw.
In the 19th century Trefriw was Wales' largest inland port, the river Conwy being tidal up to neighbouring Llanrwst
. Given the fact that, at one time, Llanrwst was one of the ten largest towns in Wales, it can be seen that the Conwy Valley had great historical significance.
It was reported in 1833 that fairs were held annually on May 12, September 3, and November 7.
The parish of Trefriw was owned for a long period by the Gwydir Estate
(although under continuous mortgage), but in 1895–96 most of Llanrhychwyn and Trefriw were sold off by the ruling Barons Willoughby de Eresby
and the Earls of Ancaster
.
The Quay
At the start of the 19th century, boats of around 5 tons could only reach Trefriw quay at or near high tides. It is not known when the first quay was built, but a storehouse existed there in 1754. The quay, which belonged to the Gwydir Estate and was ruled by a resident harbourmaster, was later extended (the present structure dates from about 1811–12), and became of great significance to Trefriw, its growth, and subsequent history. Subsequent rock blasting in the 19th century downstream at Tal-y-cafn
, and dredging, enabled river boats of 50 tons and sea-going ships of 100 tons to reach Trefriw. The quays were sited opposite the Bellevue Hotel, now the Princes Arms Hotel, and remains can still be seen, best viewed from the walks on 'the Cob'.
From the quay was shipped out grain, wool, hide, oak, timber and metals from the mines of the Gwydir Forest
. A considerable amount of slate
was also shipped, this coming not just from Trefriw Quarry (SH 70639) but from as far away as Cwm Penmachno and the slopes to the north of Blaenau Ffestiniog
where Bach Quarry and Blaen-y-cwm Quarry were major suppliers. However, wharfage prices were high at Trefriw (being non-Gwydir), and even before the opening of the Rhiw Bach Tramway in 1863 (which linked to the Ffestiniog Railway
at Blaenau Ffestiniog) it was decided that it was preferable (though less easy) to cart slate via Cwm Teigl down to the quays on the river Dwyryd
, below Maentwrog
. As a consequence slate shipments from Trefriw quay fell dramatically. (Between 1818 and 1835 slate had accounted for 70% of Trefriw's total exports; between 1857 and 1877 this fell to 20%.) However, not all the trade from the quay was material heading down-river - commodities such as food, wine (ordered by the region's gentry), coal and fertilizers (especially lime) were brought in.
Bangor University Archives holds some "Trefriw Port Books", which provide details of vessels, tonnages, masters, origins, destinations, cargoes by weight and fees. Two original manuscript volumes range in date from 1826 April 3 - 1835 December 26 and 1835–47.
In the early 19th century up to 450 vessels traded from the quay, to places such as Liverpool and Dublin. Trade totalled 1,548 tons in 1818, and peaked in 1862 at a total of 16,532 tons, after which the railways contributed to the decline of trade via the quays. In 1854 the main quay acquired a weighing machine and a crane, and there was a small shipyard in the village.
Sulphur was also shipped from the Cae Coch Sulphur Mine, prior to the construction of the railway line. The mine is discussed in detail in volume 7 of The Mines of The Gwydir Forest, by John Bennett & Robert W. Vernon (Gwydir Mines Publications, 1997). The other six volumes, whilst dealing with the mines beyond Trefriw itself, are also of interest in that these mines also provided much trade for the ships.
There were smaller quays further down the river, with the Gwydir Estate owning Coed Gwydir (for stone) and Cae Coch (sulphur). Below this, other non-Gwydir quays were at The Abbey (Maenan), Porth Llwyd (Dolgarrog) and Tal-y-cafn, but Trefriw saw the most trade, by far.
The Artists' Colony
The latter 19th century saw a number of artists living in Trefriw. The art movement, which had started in Betws-y-coed
in the 1850s, popularized by David Cox
, saw a movement down the valley following the arrival of the railway in Betws-y-coed. In 1871 William Barker lived in the village, and the 1881 census recorded another 8 artists living in the village, namely John Davies, Ben Fowler, Robert Goody, Julius Hare, Henry Hilton, John Johnson, James Morland and Henry Boberts. Although artists continued to live here until after the turn of the century, like Betws-y-coed it became a victim of its own popularity. The movement therefore again re-established itself, this time at Tal-y-bont
and Llanbedr-y-cennin
, where its 40 members included those artists from Trefriw. Here in a building they set up an ‘Artists Club’, and its members were a strong influence on the formation of the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art
, which moved into Plas Mawr
, Conwy
in 1886.
Cae Robin Rock Cannon
Trefriw boasted a rock cannon
, originally sited in the open on the hill overlooking Llanrwst, but today it is surrounded by the forest of Coed Creigiau. Comprising 13 holes, each about 80 cm apart, its use in 1863 was reported in the local paper where it is recorded that "Rock and metal cannons were fired in such profusion that about 8cwt of gunpowder was consumed." This was to celebrate the marriage of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
to Princess Alexandra of Denmark
on March 10, 1863.
The Spa
In 1833 the old Roman mineral water caves (believed to have been discovered by soldiers of the XXth Roman Legion) were excavated in an attempt to attract people to them. In 1863 Lord Willoughby de Eresby built a small bath-house, replaced a decade later by the current building. Large numbers of people came, no doubt aided by national advertising, and the declaration by Dr. Hayward, a fashionable medical specialist from Liverpool
, that this was "Probably the best spa in the United Kingdom". Baddeley
's guidebook notes contains the quote - "inconceivably nasty and correspondingly efficaceous". In more recent times clinical trials have proven that the Spa water is a medically effective iron supplement.
In 2003, Nelsons
purchased the Spa and the rights to the Spatone mineral water produced there. Today Spatone is sold around the world, with all packaging and manufacture on site in Trefriw. For over a century the Spa was open as a tourist attraction, but in 2011 it was closed to the public, and serves today only as a commercial business.
The village was at its heyday in the early part of the 20th century, visitors arriving by both train and steamer. Many visitors to the Spa arrived by train to Llanrwst
station, which opened in the 1860s. From here transport was provided, over Gower's bridge, named after the Revd John Gower, rector of Trefriw, who came to Trefriw in 1869 (from Queen's College, Birmingham), and lived in the grand rectory, built in 1842, and located up School Bank Hill. There was a toll of 1d for pedestrians and 2d for cyclists, this money being used to finance the building of the road. The original toll bridge
had about 10 wooden piers, and was wide enough to take a horse and carriage. It was demolished in the 1940s after the Council, having bought the road, agreed to spend £1,500 on the present suspension bridge. The original toll house, Gower's House, was also demolished, but remains of its site can still be seen.
The railway
Gower built the road and the bridge to North Llanrwst railway station
after the plan to run the railway line down the western (Trefriw) side of the valley was dropped. The line was authorised in 1860 and opened in 1863. The station was originally known as "Llanrwst & Trefriw", and for over 100 years was Llanrwst's only station.
Paddle Steamers
Until 1939 the quay was used by paddle steamer
s which brought tourists up the river from Conwy
, hugely swelling the village's population by day. A regular service for passengers was started in 1847 by the St. George Steam Packet Company. St. Winifred was the first paddle steamer, joined in c. 1880 by the St. George, before being replaced a decade later by the New St. George (although a poster of the time refers to a Prince George). Around 1900 Queen of the Conwy arrived, to be followed in 1903 by the Trefriw Belle, the only screw steamer, and in 1907 by the King George, another paddler. In all, therefore, the start of the 20th century saw some five steamers plying the route, and carrying a total of over 1,000 passengers. Fare were 1/6 (7½p) single or 2/6 return (12½p). The journey from Conwy took 90 minutes, and passengers would be given this same amount of time in the village before embarking on the return trip.
The steamers were laid up in World War II
, and this spelled the end of the cruises, other than a brief couple of seasons in the 1950s when motor boats were used - at 5/- (25p) return. The steamers were beached upstream of Conway bridges, and eventually scrapped. Their passage up the river had necessitated regular river-dredging, which has no longer been continued.
The Fairy Falls
The Fairy Falls, a waterfall on the river Crafnant, was a popular visiting place. Downstream of the main falls are a number of further, lesser, falls, which old postcards also call the "Fairy Falls". Along this lower section of river the water once turned a number of waterwheels which powered various mills. The whole area of this series of falls - from the main falls through the lesser falls downstream - was known as "Fairy Glen", and was altogether more free from trees and vegetation than it is today. In Edwardian times there was a proper path alongside the river Crafnant, and a popular stroll was to walk from the banks of the river Crafnant, up through the well-known Fairy Glen, and on beside the river Crafnant up towards Llyn Crafnant
.
Recreation
The village once boasted a 9-hole golf course, this lying on land between Cowlyd Road and Crafnant Road, on the slopes uphill of the cemetery. It was laid out in 1893 on land owned by Lord Ancaster (who owned much land in the area) by Thomas Dutton (of the Belle View Hotel), who naturally gave discounts to hotel residents. An advertisement of 1903 quotes prices of 2/- (10p) a day or 5/- (25p) a week. In 1894 Fred Collins, the professional golfer from Llandudno, who later laid out Prestatyn
golf course http://www.prestatyngolfclub.co.uk/history.htm, made his first public appearance here. The course was never really successful, and after closure (by 1918) the clubhouse was transferred to the quay.
Trefriw Recreation Ground was opened in 1889 and in time came to boast croquet
lawns, tennis courts, a bowling green and a paddling pool (filled in after it kept flooding). Trefriw annually hosted the North Wales Croquet Championship, and a tennis tournament. There also used to be an annual carnival, and sheepdog trial
s (in the 1920s).
and Tal-y-bont
. This was around the time of the growth of Dolgarrog
as an electricity generating centre, and the North Wales Power & Traction Co. Ltd, a company which went on to have controlling shares in many of the region's narrow gauge railways, intending to electrify them.
Floods
Floods have always been part of Trefriw's history, being located on the edge of the flood plain of Afon Conwy. On various occasions in the 20th century defences have been built and improved, including the partial diverting of the Afon Crafnant, which itself carries a lot of water from the Crafnant catchment area.
Trefriw made national news when, in February 2004, following a period of prolonged rain in the mountain catchment areas of the river Conwy and its tributaries, the village was largely cut off by floods for three days, and some properties on the lower High Street were flooded by three feet of water. The following January saw a repeat occurrence, sections of the Cob again being breached. This second occasion failed to make national news due to simultaneous flooding in other parts of Britain, notably Carlisle.
The Environment Agency have now completed work on the new cob which now runs through Glyn Farm Caravan site and the recreational ground. Both pieces of land have undergone significant changes to accommodate the new cob. This work was undertaken after the environment agency arranged a detailed mapping of the valley, with the aim of moving the cob further back in order to give a wider "channel".
The Environment Agency
now constantly monitors water levels in the river Conwy, with a view to giving flood warnings. There are measuring stations at Betws-y-coed (Cwmlanerch) , Llanrwst and Trefriw.
As a result of the floods, Trefriw was one of the locations visited by Prince Charles in July 2004 as part of his annual summer tour of Wales.
A modern tourist destination
Trefriw's heyday as a tourist destination
may have passed, but it still attracts visitors. By car it is only a 10 minute drive to Betws-y-coed
, and within 30 minutes drivers can reach either the coast or the mountains. The village is set in a landscape of hills, forests and lakes; it has two pubs and a hotel and there is other B&B
accommodation locally. Many visitors come to walk in the area, and Llyn Geirionydd
and Llyn Crafnant
can be easily reached on foot. The latter is very popular, and many would agree that "the (view along Llyn Crafnant) is one of the most breathtaking views in all Snowdonia". (Forest Park guide, 2002). There is a series of walking trails in the area (see the "Trefriw Trails" link below) but many also start here for longer walks into the Gwydir Forest
, or the Carneddau
mountains, the latter via Llyn Cowlyd
which, although less scenic than Crafnant and Geirionydd, has a wild appeal of its own.
Many visitors came to the village to visit the Trefriw Woollen Mills and Trefriw Wells Spa.
Nearby, on the road to the neighbouring town of Llanrwst
lies Gwydir Castle
, which is set within a Grade I listed, 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) garden. Built by the Wynn family c. 1500 (see John Wynn, 1st Baronet), Gwydir is an example of a Tudor courtyard house, incorporating re-used medieval material from the dissolved Abbey of Maenan. Further additions date from c. 1600 and c. 1826. The important 1640s panelled dining room has now been reinstated, following its repatriation from the New York Metropolitan Museum. (see external link below)
Many cyclists come to the area to ride the "Marin Trail", a competition standard route in Gwydir Forest
.
The Moel Maelogan
wind farm
, commissioned in 2003, and located on the top of the ridge on the other side of the valley, is visible to varying degrees from the village.
None of the original church built by Llywelyn in the 13th century remains, except possibly for part of the wall of the south aisle, the result of heavy remodelling in the 15th and 16th centuries, and again in the 19th century. A 17th-century altar remains in the church, although the one used is a larger Victorian example. The carved hexagonal pulpit dates from 1633, and the church possesses a “Breeches” Bible of 1589, (another term for the Geneva Bible
of 1560). There is also a silver chalice inscribed “the cuppe of Trefriw, 1701”, and registers date from 1594.
First Independent Chapel
Cwmanog is a 17th-century farmhouse which, as the home of Jane Thomas, became the first meeting place of local Nonconformists. They then built a chapel, apparently made to look like a normal house in order to avoid offence to non-Independents. The current building was erected in 1862, but was replaced as a place of worship in 1881 by the Ebenezer chapel. The building then became a venue for concerts, shows, and lectures, and is today's Village Hall.
Ebenezer Chapel
The Ebenezer Chapel (at the bottom of Crafnant Road) was designed by a Liverpool architect, and built in 1881 by William Evans, of Betws-y-coed, at a cost of £1,646.
The Peniel Chapels
The old Peniel chapel (up School Bank Road) was built in Victorian times but closed in August 1910 when it became too small for its congregation. The new Peniel Chapel seated 550 people, with an attached schoolroom capable of holding 225 more. It was designed by a company from Shrewsbury
, and is somewhat reminiscent of a late-Gothic style. Its organ was water-powered.
Catholic Church
The original Catholic church was replaced by a modern Catholic church on much the same site on Top Road. This is now a private residence.
In 1930 The Belle View Spa rooms were opened, so that tourists could sample the Spa waters in the village itself, the Spa being a mile to the north.
The Ship public house (Y Llong) recalls the village's trading history.
The Fairy Falls public house was originally named the Geirionnydd Vaults, becoming the Geirionnydd Hotel around the turn of the 20th century. The erection of the adjacent motel-style lodge increased accommodation considerably. The pub is reputedly haunted by two ghosts, named John Lucas and Lucy, who have been seen by the current landlord.
The village once had other public houses - The Union Inn - run by Catherine Owen. This was opposite the present Post Office, and can be distinguished by the blank "window" on the front of the building, which once carried the pub name, which referred to the Llanrwst Union, a union of parishes created under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
. Today the property is called Maesteg.
The Anchor was located on the main street, near the village school.
. Due to the numerous changes made over time, the oldest surviving timbers appear to date from a time when the hall had two further floors added. A three-floor construction is unprecedented in Welsh rural houses of the time, but is a pattern employed in some Cistercian granges. The Cistercian monks at Maenan had extensive land holdings in the area. The adjoining cottage, Tan-y-Celyn (Under the Holly), appears to have been built as a gatehouse, around the time of the dissolution of the monasteries
. The next oldest house in the village is reputed to be Gwyndy Cottage, parts of which date back to the 16th century.
"Tan yr Yw" (Under the Yew) was the home of Dafydd Jones, an 18th-century poet and printer (See "Famous Inhabitants"). The yew referred to is the one in the churchyard opposite, and the house is now a Grade II listed building.
Tyddyn Wilym was the home of Gwilym Cowlyd, the bard, born in 1828. Gwilym believed that the house was also the former birthplace of Dr Thomas Wiliems, who allegedly played a part in foiling the Gunpowder Plot. (See "Famous Inhabitants").
"Plas Cae Coch" "(Red Field Hall)" dates from the mid 1800's. In 1841 it was the home of Robert and Elizabeth Hill. The Hill family were the operators of the Cae Coch Sulpher Mine. The mine is situated in the Gwydyr Forest, to the rear of the property. Material from the mine was shipped from a nearby wharf on the River Conwy to the Thompson and Hill Chemical works in Liverpool.(See "History 1.4"). Plas Cae Coch and the Hill family are referred to in Volume 7 of The Mines of The Gwydir Forest, by John Bennett & Robert W. Vernon (Gwydir Mines Publications, 1997).
In his book Hanes Trefriw (1879), Morris Jones writes brief chapters on the following properties, which he considers of significance, either historical, or through connection with their inhabitants - (y) Tŷ Newydd, (y) Pandy, (y) Tŷ Isaf, Tan yr Yw, Bryn Pyll, (y) Tŷ Uchaf, Gwiga (the only thatched property), (y) Pandy Uchaf, Bron Derw and Crafnant House.
The village school was built in 1842 by Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, who owned land and mines in the nearby Gwydir Forest
.
Glanrafon stores was built at the end of the 19th century, replacing some former cottages. The top floors once operated as the Glanrafon Private Hotel and Boarding House.
The car park opposite the woollen mills, along with the Recreation grounds, were given as a gift to the villagers. This car park is called "The Singrug", derived from "Eisingrug" (eisin + crug meaning heap/pile of husks). This name is far from unique in Wales, and refers to the fact that winnowing must at one time have been undertaken here.
However, in its heyday, with some 1,000 visitors arriving daily, there were naturally many more. These were virtually all located on the main street, and a number of properties can today clearly be seen to have been former shops.
Trefriw's most famous shop was perhaps that run by Richard Thomas Ellis. Located in what is currently the Post Office, this emporium sold almost everything, including even dynamite
. Ellis also arranged funerals. An advert of 1889 advertised "A splendid assortment of useful presents for visitors".
Other shops which have long disappeared include: a post office (by Chandlers yard), a shoe shop (currently the butchers), two butcher's shops (one at Bryn Neuadd, which has also been a craft shop, the other opposite the mill), a cycle shop (lower main street), a bank (the middle shop in Glanrafon parade), a cake shop/bakers (opposite the current Post Office), a cobblers and confectionery shop (where the woollen mill is now), a sweet shop (opposite the school), a craft shop (opposite the Fairy Falls), a chemist, a taxi/garage business (later Chandlers boatyard), Neuadd cafe (next to the village hall), a chip shop (near The Ship pub) and a grocers (behind the current Post Office).
There was formerly a large abattoir
behind the public toilets.
consonant mutation
, both of these are feasible -
Tref + riw (soft mutation of rhiw, as the second part of a compound word) or Tre' + friw (mutation of briw).
The information board in the village opts for the meaning deriving from the healing waters. However, D. Geraint Lewis, who has done much research into place names, concludes that the meaning is "homestead on the hill".
The following explanation is also given:
The word 'tref' historically meant 'farm/homestead'. Today it means 'town'. The definition of the word 'town' has altered over the centuries. Certainly Trefriw, in its heyday, was undeniably a town. Today it would be described as a large village.
Over the centuries the spelling of the name Trefriw has seen numerous versions. As has been mentioned above, Hanes Trefriw records that Llywelyn named the new parish "Tref Rhiw Las". A document of 1254AD refers to the place as Treffruu. and a number of documents from the 16th century refer to Treverewe, Treffrewe, Treverow and Treffrew (as well as to Trefriw), with Trefriew appearing on a document of 1795.
By 1801 the village had a population of 301, according to the "Topographical Dictionary of the Dominion of Wales" (1811). By 1851 the population had risen to 428. The 1991 Census
records a population of 1,286, 54.9% of whom could speak Welsh. The 2001 Census records an increased population as 1,338, there being some 565 residences within the Ward, and reports that exactly half of the population is Welsh speaking.
Further credence was given to this belief when it became known that Mary Owen, Britain's oldest woman (see above), was born in Trefriw.
, which is also the name of one of the pubs (previously called The Geirionydd).
In 1880 Wirt Sikes published his book British Goblins - Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions, from which comes the following passage:
In 1993 Gomer Press published a short historical novel for children by Gweneth Lilly, entitled Treason at Trefriw. (see the reference above)
On a less factual note, Trefriw was the birthplace of Brother Cadfael, the fictional detective in a series of murder mysteries by the late Edith Pargeter
writing under the name "Ellis Peters". His full name was Cadfael ap (son of) Meilyr ap Dafydd and he was born around 1080 to a villein (serf) family. The stories are set between about 1135 and about 1145, during the civil war between the forces of King Stephen and Empress Maud.
The house called Y Wern (at the foot of Llanrhychwyn hill) features in the Welsh novel Os Dianc Rhai (by Martin Davis, published by Y Lolfa, 2003). This story is set in the mid-1930s and the Second World War.
.
The World's Largest Garden Hedge Maze is currently nearing completion at "Garden Art". Covering over 2 acres (8,093.7 m²), this beats the current record previously held by the Marquis of Bath at Longleat
. The maze was designed by Giovanni Angelo Jacovelli with assistance from respected Australian artist Bob Haberfield.
Trefriw is in the record books for a record boomerang
throw. Englishman Andrew Furniss set the British MTA Unlimited record with 75.41 secs. in the Trefriw Festival (UK, August 2001).
Trefriw is the home of Roualeyn Nurseries, which specializes in fuchsias. The nurseries are habitual winners of awards at shows such as Chelsea Flower Show
. Roualeyn was once the home of John Payne Davies, an artist and member of the Royal Cambrian Academy.
Crafnant Guesthouse was the winner of the "Best Wildlife Garden in Snowdonia" competition, 2004.
(published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1987)
The Conwy Valley – Its Long History, by Michael Senior
(published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1984)
The Crossing of the Conwy, by Michael Senior
(published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1991)
Gwydir Slate Quarries, by M.C. Williams & M.J.T. Lewis
(published by Snowdonia National Park Study Centre, 1989)
Hanes Trefriw, by Morris Jones
(published by W.J. Roberts, 1879)
Walks in the Conwy Valley, by Christopher Draper
(published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2002)
Sarn Helen, by J. Cantrell & A. Rylance
(Cicerone Press, 1992)
The Mines of The Gwydir Forest Parts 1 - 7, by John Bennett & Robert W. Vernon
(published by Gwydir Mines Publications, 1989–97)
The Rock Cannon of Gwynedd, by Griff R. Jones (2002)
The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis (1833)
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 on 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."...
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...
, a few miles south of the site of the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
fort
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
of Canovium
Canovium
Canovium was a fort in the Roman province of Britannia. Its site is located at Caerhun in the Conwy valley, in the county borough of Conwy, in North Wales....
, sited at 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:...
. The parish population in 2001 was 924.
Trefriw lies on the edge 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:...
, on the B5106 road to the north-west of 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....
, and about 4½ miles north of 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...
by road. It is located on the western slopes of the glaciated Conwy valley, below the ridge of 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....
, the village having been largely built in a semicircle at the point where the river Crafnant
River Crafnant
The River Crafnant is a tributary of the River Conwy , which is the main river of the Conwy valley in North Wales....
flows from its hanging valley to join the river Conwy. The river Crafnant still provides power for the woollen mill, and in the past provided power for a number of other industries based along its banks, such as a forge which provided quarry tools.
Most of the village lies within the Snowdonia National Park, the boundary running down the main street of the village.
Apart from its reputation as a good starting point for walks, Trefriw is today mostly known for its woollen mills, and for the nearby chalybeate
Chalybeate
Chalybeate waters, also known as ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron.-Name:The word "chalybeate" is derived from the Latin word for steel, "chalybs", which follows from the Greek word "khalups"...
spa, first known to have been used by the Romans and further developed in about 1700. Its waters were one of very few throughout Europe to have been classified as a medicine due to their high iron content.
The Romans
A major Roman roadRoman 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...
(Sarn Helen
Sarn Helen
right|thumb|250px|A section of Sarn Helen near Betws-y-coed.Sarn Helen was a Roman road in Wales, running from Aberconwy in the north to Carmarthen in the south.It was some 160 miles in length...
) ran southwards through Trefriw from the fort at Caerhun (between Trefriw and Conwy) to the fort at Tomen-y-mur (near Trawsfynydd), and beyond, ultimately reaching Moridunum at Carmarthen
Carmarthen
Carmarthen is a community in, and the county town of, Carmarthenshire, Wales. It is sited on the River Towy north of its mouth at Carmarthen Bay. In 2001, the population was 14,648....
. It is likely that there were in fact two roads passing through the Trefriw area, a valley route, and a higher mountain route which went on to link to the smaller forts at Caer Llugwy (near 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...
) and Pen-y-Gwryd
Pen-y-Gwryd
Pen-y-Gwryd is a pass at the head of Nantygwryd and Nant Cynnyd rivers in Gwynedd, North Wales and a quarter of a mile from the boundary with Conwy in northern Snowdonia, close to the foot of Snowdon...
, 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 actual lines of these roads through Trefriw can only be conjecture today, but the whole route is discussed in depth in the book Sarn Helen by J. Cantrell & A. Rylance (Cicerone Press, 1992).
The Middle Ages
Llywelyn Fawr (Llywelyn the Great) chose Trefriw as the site for a hunting lodge in the 12th century. Given that he had a number of strongholds in north-west Wales, it is not possible to know how much time he spent in the village, although it is reported that he preferred his lodge at Trefriw to his Palace at AberAbergwyngregyn
Abergwyngregyn is a village of historical note in Gwynedd, a county and principal area in Wales. Under its historic name of Aber Garth Celyn it was the seat of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd....
. There are no remains to be seen today but it is now believed that it was on the site of the Ebenezer Chapel on the main hill. Llywelyn married Siwan or Joan
Joan, Lady of Wales
Joan, Princess of Wales and Lady of Snowdon was the wife of Llywelyn the Great, Prince of Wales and Gwynedd and effective ruler of most of Wales.-Early life:...
, the youngest daughter of King John of England
John of England
John , also known as John Lackland , was King of England from 6 April 1199 until his death...
in 1204 or 1205, when she was only about 13. Despite her relative youth, she in time grew weary of the trek up the steep hill to the church at Llanrhychwyn
Llanrhychwyn
LlanrhychwynConwyLlanrhychwyn is a hamlet in Conwy county borough, Wales. It lies in the Conwy valley in North Wales, less than a mile south of Trefriw, and a mile north-west of Llanrwst...
(regarded by many as being the oldest in Wales), and as a result, in about 1230 Llywelyn endowed a church on the site where St Mary's, Trefriw now stands.
Llanrhychwyn (which takes its name from Rhochwyn, son of Helig ap Glannog) is now a small hamlet. In Llywelyn's time, however, and up to the early 19th century, it was larger than Trefriw itself, which consisted of "a few houses here and there". In Hanes Trefriw, Morris Jones writes in Welsh that Llywelyn "built a church for [his wife's] use, and for the use of the inhabitants, for their kindness towards him, and that he donated a number of farms from the parish of Llanrhychwyn, naming them as the parish of Tref Rhiw Las. It got this name from the slope on which it stood".
At the lower (northern) end of the village is located "Ffrwd Gwenwyn y Meirch" - ("poison the horses stream"). It is said that the stream was poisoned by Llywelyn, resulting in the deaths of many horses, at a time when he was at war with the English.
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...
(1375–1425) refers to "Kymwt Treffryw", the Commote
Commote
A commote , sometimes spelt in older documents as cymwd, was a secular division of land in Medieval Wales. The word derives from the prefix cym- and the noun bod...
(Cwmwd in Welsh) of Trefriw. This is possibly the earliest written reference to the village.
Stuart Times
Gunpowder Plot
The Gunpowder Plot of 1605, in earlier centuries often called the Gunpowder Treason Plot or the Jesuit Treason, was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby.The plan was to blow up the House of...
of 1605. Thomas Wiliems, who was probably born in the village, and a nephew of Sir John Wynn
John Wynn
John Wynn may refer to:*John "Wynn" ap Maredudd, Head of the House of Cunedda, 1525–1559*Sir John Wynn, 1st Baronet , his descendant, Welsh baronet, Member of Parliament for Carnarvonshire, 1586*Sir John Wynn, 5th Baronet...
of Gwydir
Gwydir Castle
Gwydir Castle is situated in the Conwy valley, North Wales, a mile to the west of the ancient market town of Llanrwst and to the south of the large village of Trefriw...
, went to Brasenose College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, and returned to work as a physician. He was an authority on vegetarianism, and also published a Welsh/Latin dictionary. In 1573 he became Curate of Trefriw. He is reputed to have been a papist (he was certainly charged on that score at Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd
Bangor is a city in Gwynedd, north west Wales, and one of the smallest cities in Britain. It is a university city with a population of 13,725 at the 2001 census, not including around 10,000 students at Bangor University. Including nearby Menai Bridge on Anglesey, which does not however form part of...
in 1607) and as such would probably have known of the plot to blow up Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
. According to some sources it was he who, in warning his relative John Wynn not to go to the State Opening, was responsible to either a smaller or greater extent for the suspicions which ultimately caught Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes
Guy Fawkes , also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.Fawkes was born and educated in York...
. This story is the basis for a short historical novel written for children by Gweneth Lilly, entitled Treason at Trefriw (Gomer Press, 1993).
The 19th Century
In 1817 a free school was founded (and subsequently financially supported) in Trefriw by Lord Willoughby de Eresby, for the benefit of poor children of the village, and those from the adjoining parishes.The earliest mill (a pandy
Pandy
A pandy is another name for a fulling mill.Pandy may also refer to several places in Wales:* Pandy, Monmouthshire, a village near Abergavenny* Pandy, Wrexham, a village in the Ceiriog Valley* Pandy, Powys, a village in Powys...
, or fulling mill
Fulling
Fulling or tucking or walking is a step in woolen clothmaking which involves the cleansing of cloth to eliminate oils, dirt, and other impurities, and making it thicker. The worker who does the job is a fuller, tucker, or walker...
) dates back to the 15th century. In 1820 a new pandy was built, this still carrying the faded name "Vale of Conwy Woollen Mill". By early in the 19th century the village had a water-powered fulling mill (replacing the former cottage industry which dated back centuries), but serious development of the industry began only after it was bought by Thomas Williams in 1859. The current woollen mill is still owned by the descendants of Thomas Williams. The current roadside mill building, sited below the original buildings, was built in the 1970s.
David Cox Jnr. (1809-85) painted Trefriw near Llanrwst, with mill.
South of Trefriw were two toll house
Toll house
A tollhouse or toll house is a building with accommodation for a toll collector, beside a tollgate on a toll road or canal. Many tollhouses were built by turnpike trusts in England, Wales and Scotland during the 18th and early 19th centuries...
s, Ty'n Twll and Hen Dyrpeg, which served the road layout as it originally used to be, namely the Ty Hyll - Llanrwst road meeting those from Trefriw and Llanrhychwyn part way up the hillside behind Gwydir. Gwydir Gate, still standing today on the B5106, became the toll house when that section of road was built as a replacement. These toll houses were built on roads used by traffic heading for the quays at Trefriw.
In the 19th century Trefriw was Wales' largest inland port, the river Conwy being tidal up to neighbouring 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....
. Given the fact that, at one time, Llanrwst was one of the ten largest towns in Wales, it can be seen that the Conwy Valley had great historical significance.
It was reported in 1833 that fairs were held annually on May 12, September 3, and November 7.
The parish of Trefriw was owned for a long period by the Gwydir Estate
Gwydir Castle
Gwydir Castle is situated in the Conwy valley, North Wales, a mile to the west of the ancient market town of Llanrwst and to the south of the large village of Trefriw...
(although under continuous mortgage), but in 1895–96 most of Llanrhychwyn and Trefriw were sold off by the ruling Barons Willoughby de Eresby
Baron Willoughby de Eresby
Baron Willoughby de Eresby is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by writ in 1313 for Robert de Willoughby of Eresby Manor, near Spilsby, Lincolnshire. The fourteenth Baron was created Earl of Lindsey in 1626. His great-grandson, the fourth Earl and seventeenth Baron, was created...
and the Earls of Ancaster
Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster
Sir Gilbert Henry Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 6th Baronet, 1st Earl of Ancaster PC , known as 2nd Baron Aveland from 1867 to 1888 and as 25th Baron Willoughby de Eresby from 1888 to 1892, was a British Liberal politician and court official.Born Gilbert Henry Heathcote, he was the son of Gilbert...
.
The Quay
At the start of the 19th century, boats of around 5 tons could only reach Trefriw quay at or near high tides. It is not known when the first quay was built, but a storehouse existed there in 1754. The quay, which belonged to the Gwydir Estate and was ruled by a resident harbourmaster, was later extended (the present structure dates from about 1811–12), and became of great significance to Trefriw, its growth, and subsequent history. Subsequent rock blasting in the 19th century downstream at Tal-y-cafn
Tal-y-Cafn
Tal-y-Cafn is a small settlement in Conwy county borough, north Wales.It lies in the Conwy valley close to the Roman settlement of Canovium at Caerhun, and was the site of a Roman river-crossing point of the River Conwy...
, and dredging, enabled river boats of 50 tons and sea-going ships of 100 tons to reach Trefriw. The quays were sited opposite the Bellevue Hotel, now the Princes Arms Hotel, and remains can still be seen, best viewed from the walks on 'the Cob'.
From the quay was shipped out grain, wool, hide, oak, timber and metals from the mines of the Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area....
. A considerable amount of slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
was also shipped, this coming not just from Trefriw Quarry (SH 70639) but from as far away as Cwm Penmachno and the slopes to the north of Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It has a population of 5,000, including Llan Ffestiniog, which makes it the third largest town in Gwynedd, behind Caernarfon & Porthmadog. Although the population reached 12,000 at the peak of the slate industry, the population fell due to...
where Bach Quarry and Blaen-y-cwm Quarry were major suppliers. However, wharfage prices were high at Trefriw (being non-Gwydir), and even before the opening of the Rhiw Bach Tramway in 1863 (which linked to the Ffestiniog Railway
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway is a narrow gauge heritage railway, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia National Park....
at Blaenau Ffestiniog) it was decided that it was preferable (though less easy) to cart slate via Cwm Teigl down to the quays on the river Dwyryd
River Dwyryd
The Afon Dwyryd is a river in Gwynedd, North Wales, which flows principally westwards draining to the sea into Tremadog Bay south of Porthmadog....
, below Maentwrog
Maentwrog
Maentwrog is a village and community in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, lying in the Vale of Ffestiniog, within the Snowdonia National Park. The River Dwyryd runs alongside the village...
. As a consequence slate shipments from Trefriw quay fell dramatically. (Between 1818 and 1835 slate had accounted for 70% of Trefriw's total exports; between 1857 and 1877 this fell to 20%.) However, not all the trade from the quay was material heading down-river - commodities such as food, wine (ordered by the region's gentry), coal and fertilizers (especially lime) were brought in.
Bangor University Archives holds some "Trefriw Port Books", which provide details of vessels, tonnages, masters, origins, destinations, cargoes by weight and fees. Two original manuscript volumes range in date from 1826 April 3 - 1835 December 26 and 1835–47.
In the early 19th century up to 450 vessels traded from the quay, to places such as Liverpool and Dublin. Trade totalled 1,548 tons in 1818, and peaked in 1862 at a total of 16,532 tons, after which the railways contributed to the decline of trade via the quays. In 1854 the main quay acquired a weighing machine and a crane, and there was a small shipyard in the village.
Sulphur was also shipped from the Cae Coch Sulphur Mine, prior to the construction of the railway line. The mine is discussed in detail in volume 7 of The Mines of The Gwydir Forest, by John Bennett & Robert W. Vernon (Gwydir Mines Publications, 1997). The other six volumes, whilst dealing with the mines beyond Trefriw itself, are also of interest in that these mines also provided much trade for the ships.
There were smaller quays further down the river, with the Gwydir Estate owning Coed Gwydir (for stone) and Cae Coch (sulphur). Below this, other non-Gwydir quays were at The Abbey (Maenan), Porth Llwyd (Dolgarrog) and Tal-y-cafn, but Trefriw saw the most trade, by far.
The Artists' Colony
The latter 19th century saw a number of artists living in Trefriw. 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, popularized by David Cox
David Cox (artist)
- David Cox Junior :David Cox had a son of the same name who followed his calling as a watercolour painter. He was born in Dulwich, but educated in Hereford. He exhibited in London from 1827, although today he is known mainly through association with his father. He died in Streatham on 4 December...
, saw a movement down the valley following the arrival of the railway in Betws-y-coed. In 1871 William Barker lived in the village, and the 1881 census recorded another 8 artists living in the village, namely John Davies, Ben Fowler, Robert Goody, Julius Hare, Henry Hilton, John Johnson, James Morland and Henry Boberts. Although artists continued to live here until after the turn of the century, like Betws-y-coed it became a victim of its own popularity. The movement therefore again re-established itself, this time at Tal-y-bont
Tal-y-bont, Conwy
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 miles from Conwy to the north, and six miles from Llanrwst to the south....
and 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. ...
, where its 40 members included those artists from Trefriw. Here in a building they set up an ‘Artists Club’, and its members were 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.
Cae Robin Rock Cannon
Rock cannon
A rock cannon, also known in Welsh as a cerrig cannan, craig cannan, or in the 19th century, craig fagnel , is a rock or boulder which has been bored with holes which can be partly loaded with black powder and ignited to make explosive sounds during traditional celebrations...
, originally sited in the open on the hill overlooking Llanrwst, but today it is surrounded by the forest of Coed Creigiau. Comprising 13 holes, each about 80 cm apart, its use in 1863 was reported in the local paper where it is recorded that "Rock and metal cannons were fired in such profusion that about 8cwt of gunpowder was consumed." This was to celebrate the marriage of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales
Edward VII of the United Kingdom
Edward VII was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910...
to Princess Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark
Alexandra of Denmark was the wife of Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
on March 10, 1863.
The Spa
In 1833 the old Roman mineral water caves (believed to have been discovered by soldiers of the XXth Roman Legion) were excavated in an attempt to attract people to them. In 1863 Lord Willoughby de Eresby built a small bath-house, replaced a decade later by the current building. Large numbers of people came, no doubt aided by national advertising, and the declaration by Dr. Hayward, a fashionable medical specialist from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, that this was "Probably the best spa in the United Kingdom". Baddeley
M. J. B. Baddeley
Mountford John Byrde Baddeley was a distinguished English guidebook writer of the late 19th and early 20th century. His guides appeared in the 'Thorough Guide' series, edited by Baddeley and his colleague, Charles Slegg Ward, and included guides to Scotland , Devon and Cornwall Mountford John...
's guidebook notes contains the quote - "inconceivably nasty and correspondingly efficaceous". In more recent times clinical trials have proven that the Spa water is a medically effective iron supplement.
In 2003, Nelsons
Nelsons (homeopathy)
Nelsons is an alternative medicine company based in the United Kingdom, with subsidiaries in Germany and the United States. It is a market leader for homeopathic remedies. The head office and manufacturing facilities are located in Wimbledon, London, with retail pharmacies in Central London and...
purchased the Spa and the rights to the Spatone mineral water produced there. Today Spatone is sold around the world, with all packaging and manufacture on site in Trefriw. For over a century the Spa was open as a tourist attraction, but in 2011 it was closed to the public, and serves today only as a commercial business.
The Victorian/Edwardian heyday
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....
station, which opened in the 1860s. From here transport was provided, over Gower's bridge, named after the Revd John Gower, rector of Trefriw, who came to Trefriw in 1869 (from Queen's College, Birmingham), and lived in the grand rectory, built in 1842, and located up School Bank Hill. There was a toll of 1d for pedestrians and 2d for cyclists, this money being used to finance the building of the road. The original toll bridge
Toll bridge
A toll bridge is a bridge over which traffic may pass upon payment of a toll, or fee.- History :The practice of collecting tolls on bridges probably harks back to the days of ferry crossings where people paid a fee to be ferried across stretches of water. As boats became impractical to carry large...
had about 10 wooden piers, and was wide enough to take a horse and carriage. It was demolished in the 1940s after the Council, having bought the road, agreed to spend £1,500 on the present suspension bridge. The original toll house, Gower's House, was also demolished, but remains of its site can still be seen.
The railway
Gower built the road and the bridge to North Llanrwst railway station
North Llanrwst railway station
North Llanrwst railway station is the only train passing station on the Conwy Valley Line between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog in Wales. The station has had several previous names, including Llanrwst and Trefriw, Llanrwst and Llanrwst North...
after the plan to run the railway line down the western (Trefriw) side of the valley was dropped. The line was authorised in 1860 and opened in 1863. The station was originally known as "Llanrwst & Trefriw", and for over 100 years was Llanrwst's only station.
Paddle Steamers
Until 1939 the quay was used by paddle steamer
Paddle steamer
A paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
s which brought tourists up the river 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...
, hugely swelling the village's population by day. A regular service for passengers was started in 1847 by the St. George Steam Packet Company. St. Winifred was the first paddle steamer, joined in c. 1880 by the St. George, before being replaced a decade later by the New St. George (although a poster of the time refers to a Prince George). Around 1900 Queen of the Conwy arrived, to be followed in 1903 by the Trefriw Belle, the only screw steamer, and in 1907 by the King George, another paddler. In all, therefore, the start of the 20th century saw some five steamers plying the route, and carrying a total of over 1,000 passengers. Fare were 1/6 (7½p) single or 2/6 return (12½p). The journey from Conwy took 90 minutes, and passengers would be given this same amount of time in the village before embarking on the return trip.
The steamers were laid up in 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...
, and this spelled the end of the cruises, other than a brief couple of seasons in the 1950s when motor boats were used - at 5/- (25p) return. The steamers were beached upstream of Conway bridges, and eventually scrapped. Their passage up the river had necessitated regular river-dredging, which has no longer been continued.
The Fairy Falls
- See main article : Fairy FallsFairy Falls, TrefriwThe Fairy Falls is a waterfall in the village of Trefriw, north Wales.The falls are on the river Crafnant which has its source at Llyn Crafnant, being joined upstream by a tributary, the river Geirionydd...
The Fairy Falls, a waterfall on the river Crafnant, was a popular visiting place. Downstream of the main falls are a number of further, lesser, falls, which old postcards also call the "Fairy Falls". Along this lower section of river the water once turned a number of waterwheels which powered various mills. The whole area of this series of falls - from the main falls through the lesser falls downstream - was known as "Fairy Glen", and was altogether more free from trees and vegetation than it is today. In Edwardian times there was a proper path alongside the river Crafnant, and a popular stroll was to walk from the banks of the river Crafnant, up through the well-known Fairy Glen, and on beside the river Crafnant up towards 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...
.
Recreation
The village once boasted a 9-hole golf course, this lying on land between Cowlyd Road and Crafnant Road, on the slopes uphill of the cemetery. It was laid out in 1893 on land owned by Lord Ancaster (who owned much land in the area) by Thomas Dutton (of the Belle View Hotel), who naturally gave discounts to hotel residents. An advertisement of 1903 quotes prices of 2/- (10p) a day or 5/- (25p) a week. In 1894 Fred Collins, the professional golfer from Llandudno, who later laid out Prestatyn
Prestatyn
Prestatyn is a seaside resort, town and community in Denbighshire, North Wales. It is located on the Irish Sea coast, to the east of Rhyl. At the 2001 Census, Prestatyn had a population of 18,496.-Prehistory:...
golf course http://www.prestatyngolfclub.co.uk/history.htm, made his first public appearance here. The course was never really successful, and after closure (by 1918) the clubhouse was transferred to the quay.
Trefriw Recreation Ground was opened in 1889 and in time came to boast croquet
Croquet
Croquet is a lawn game, played both as a recreational pastime and as a competitive sport. It involves hitting plastic or wooden balls with a mallet through hoops embedded into the grass playing court.-History:...
lawns, tennis courts, a bowling green and a paddling pool (filled in after it kept flooding). Trefriw annually hosted the North Wales Croquet Championship, and a tennis tournament. There also used to be an annual carnival, and sheepdog trial
Sheepdog trial
A Sheepdog trial is a competitive dog sport in which herding dog breeds move sheep around a field, fences, gates, or enclosures as directed by their handlers. Such events are particularly associated with hill farming areas, where sheep range widely on largely unfenced land...
s (in the 1920s).
The 20th century onwards
In the 20th century the village was set to be further boosted by the building of a railway from Conwy (plans exist dated 1908), the line coming via RowenRowen, Conwy
Rowen is a small village on the western slopes of the Conwy valley in Conwy county borough, north Wales. It lies off the B5106 road, between Dolgarrog and Conwy....
and Tal-y-bont
Tal-y-bont, Conwy
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 miles from Conwy to the north, and six miles from Llanrwst to the south....
. This was around the time of the growth 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...
as an electricity generating centre, and the North Wales Power & Traction Co. Ltd, a company which went on to have controlling shares in many of the region's narrow gauge railways, intending to electrify them.
Floods
Floods have always been part of Trefriw's history, being located on the edge of the flood plain of Afon Conwy. On various occasions in the 20th century defences have been built and improved, including the partial diverting of the Afon Crafnant, which itself carries a lot of water from the Crafnant catchment area.
Trefriw made national news when, in February 2004, following a period of prolonged rain in the mountain catchment areas of the river Conwy and its tributaries, the village was largely cut off by floods for three days, and some properties on the lower High Street were flooded by three feet of water. The following January saw a repeat occurrence, sections of the Cob again being breached. This second occasion failed to make national news due to simultaneous flooding in other parts of Britain, notably Carlisle.
The Environment Agency have now completed work on the new cob which now runs through Glyn Farm Caravan site and the recreational ground. Both pieces of land have undergone significant changes to accommodate the new cob. This work was undertaken after the environment agency arranged a detailed mapping of the valley, with the aim of moving the cob further back in order to give a wider "channel".
The Environment Agency
Environment Agency
The Environment Agency is a British non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and an Assembly Government Sponsored Body of the Welsh Assembly Government that serves England and Wales.-Purpose:...
now constantly monitors water levels in the river Conwy, with a view to giving flood warnings. There are measuring stations at Betws-y-coed (Cwmlanerch) , Llanrwst and Trefriw.
As a result of the floods, Trefriw was one of the locations visited by Prince Charles in July 2004 as part of his annual summer tour of Wales.
A modern tourist destination
Trefriw's heyday as a tourist destination
Tourist destination
A tourist destination is a city, town, or other area that is dependent to a significant extent on the revenues accruing from tourism. It may contain one or more tourist attractions and possibly some "tourist traps."...
may have passed, but it still attracts visitors. By car it is only a 10 minute drive to 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...
, and within 30 minutes drivers can reach either the coast or the mountains. The village is set in a landscape of hills, forests and lakes; it has two pubs and a hotel and there is other B&B
Bed and breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
accommodation locally. Many visitors come to walk in the area, and Llyn Geirionydd
Llyn Geirionydd
Llyn Geirionydd lies in a valley in North Wales where the northern edge of the Gwydyr Forest meets the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountains. The lake is almost a mile long and covers an area of , but is never any deeper than according to Jehu’s survey ...
and 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...
can be easily reached on foot. The latter is very popular, and many would agree that "the (view along Llyn Crafnant) is one of the most breathtaking views in all Snowdonia". (Forest Park guide, 2002). There is a series of walking trails in the area (see the "Trefriw Trails" link below) but many also start here for longer walks into the Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area....
, or 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...
mountains, the latter via Llyn Cowlyd
Llyn Cowlyd
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 above sea level. The lake is long and narrow, measuring nearly long and about a third of a mile wide, and covers an area of...
which, although less scenic than Crafnant and Geirionydd, has a wild appeal of its own.
Many visitors came to the village to visit the Trefriw Woollen Mills and Trefriw Wells Spa.
Nearby, on the road to the neighbouring town of 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....
lies Gwydir Castle
Gwydir Castle
Gwydir Castle is situated in the Conwy valley, North Wales, a mile to the west of the ancient market town of Llanrwst and to the south of the large village of Trefriw...
, which is set within a Grade I listed, 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) garden. Built by the Wynn family c. 1500 (see John Wynn, 1st Baronet), Gwydir is an example of a Tudor courtyard house, incorporating re-used medieval material from the dissolved Abbey of Maenan. Further additions date from c. 1600 and c. 1826. The important 1640s panelled dining room has now been reinstated, following its repatriation from the New York Metropolitan Museum. (see external link below)
Many cyclists come to the area to ride the "Marin Trail", a competition standard route in Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area....
.
The Moel Maelogan
Moel Maelogan
thumb|300px|right|The first 3 turbines at Moel MaeloganMoel Maelogan is a hill on the western edge of Mynydd Hiraethog in north Wales, and overlooking the Conwy Valley...
wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
, commissioned in 2003, and located on the top of the ridge on the other side of the valley, is visible to varying degrees from the village.
Churches
St Mary's ChurchNone of the original church built by Llywelyn in the 13th century remains, except possibly for part of the wall of the south aisle, the result of heavy remodelling in the 15th and 16th centuries, and again in the 19th century. A 17th-century altar remains in the church, although the one used is a larger Victorian example. The carved hexagonal pulpit dates from 1633, and the church possesses a “Breeches” Bible of 1589, (another term for the Geneva Bible
Geneva Bible
The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into the English language, preceding the King James translation by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of the 16th century Protestant movement and was the Bible used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John...
of 1560). There is also a silver chalice inscribed “the cuppe of Trefriw, 1701”, and registers date from 1594.
First Independent Chapel
Cwmanog is a 17th-century farmhouse which, as the home of Jane Thomas, became the first meeting place of local Nonconformists. They then built a chapel, apparently made to look like a normal house in order to avoid offence to non-Independents. The current building was erected in 1862, but was replaced as a place of worship in 1881 by the Ebenezer chapel. The building then became a venue for concerts, shows, and lectures, and is today's Village Hall.
Ebenezer Chapel
The Ebenezer Chapel (at the bottom of Crafnant Road) was designed by a Liverpool architect, and built in 1881 by William Evans, of Betws-y-coed, at a cost of £1,646.
The Peniel Chapels
The old Peniel chapel (up School Bank Road) was built in Victorian times but closed in August 1910 when it became too small for its congregation. The new Peniel Chapel seated 550 people, with an attached schoolroom capable of holding 225 more. It was designed by a company from Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury
Shrewsbury is the county town of Shropshire, in the West Midlands region of England. Lying on the River Severn, it is a civil parish home to some 70,000 inhabitants, and is the primary settlement and headquarters of Shropshire Council...
, and is somewhat reminiscent of a late-Gothic style. Its organ was water-powered.
Catholic Church
The original Catholic church was replaced by a modern Catholic church on much the same site on Top Road. This is now a private residence.
Pubs and hotels
The Princes Arms Hotel started life as the Belle View Hotel, which was built about 1846. Run in its early days by James Long, in its heyday it was run by the Dutton family (in conjunction with the Castle Hotel, Conwy). Trade was very brisk in the era of the steamers, and many passengers called in for a meal, where David Francis, the blind harpist, often played. In 1968 the Hotel became the Prince's Hotel, and thence the Prince's Arms Hotel.In 1930 The Belle View Spa rooms were opened, so that tourists could sample the Spa waters in the village itself, the Spa being a mile to the north.
The Ship public house (Y Llong) recalls the village's trading history.
The Fairy Falls public house was originally named the Geirionnydd Vaults, becoming the Geirionnydd Hotel around the turn of the 20th century. The erection of the adjacent motel-style lodge increased accommodation considerably. The pub is reputedly haunted by two ghosts, named John Lucas and Lucy, who have been seen by the current landlord.
The village once had other public houses - The Union Inn - run by Catherine Owen. This was opposite the present Post Office, and can be distinguished by the blank "window" on the front of the building, which once carried the pub name, which referred to the Llanrwst Union, a union of parishes created under the Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
Poor Law Amendment Act 1834
The Poor Law Amendment Act 1834, sometimes abbreviated to PLAA, was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed by the Whig government of Lord Melbourne that reformed the country's poverty relief system . It was an Amendment Act that completely replaced earlier legislation based on the...
. Today the property is called Maesteg.
The Anchor was located on the main street, near the village school.
Other notable buildings & locations
The oldest existing house in Trefriw is believed to be Hafod Country House, which has been confirmed to be of Medieval origin by Neil Johnstone, an archaeologist employed by Menter Môn. It was built as a hall house, with a solar and a tower which followed a pattern used in the castles of the 13th century Princes of GwyneddKingdom of Gwynedd
Gwynedd was one petty kingdom of several Welsh successor states which emerged in 5th-century post-Roman Britain in the Early Middle Ages, and later evolved into a principality during the High Middle Ages. It was based on the former Brythonic tribal lands of the Ordovices, Gangani, and the...
. Due to the numerous changes made over time, the oldest surviving timbers appear to date from a time when the hall had two further floors added. A three-floor construction is unprecedented in Welsh rural houses of the time, but is a pattern employed in some Cistercian granges. The Cistercian monks at Maenan had extensive land holdings in the area. The adjoining cottage, Tan-y-Celyn (Under the Holly), appears to have been built as a gatehouse, around the time of the dissolution of the monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
. The next oldest house in the village is reputed to be Gwyndy Cottage, parts of which date back to the 16th century.
"Tan yr Yw" (Under the Yew) was the home of Dafydd Jones, an 18th-century poet and printer (See "Famous Inhabitants"). The yew referred to is the one in the churchyard opposite, and the house is now a Grade II listed building.
Tyddyn Wilym was the home of Gwilym Cowlyd, the bard, born in 1828. Gwilym believed that the house was also the former birthplace of Dr Thomas Wiliems, who allegedly played a part in foiling the Gunpowder Plot. (See "Famous Inhabitants").
"Plas Cae Coch" "(Red Field Hall)" dates from the mid 1800's. In 1841 it was the home of Robert and Elizabeth Hill. The Hill family were the operators of the Cae Coch Sulpher Mine. The mine is situated in the Gwydyr Forest, to the rear of the property. Material from the mine was shipped from a nearby wharf on the River Conwy to the Thompson and Hill Chemical works in Liverpool.(See "History 1.4"). Plas Cae Coch and the Hill family are referred to in Volume 7 of The Mines of The Gwydir Forest, by John Bennett & Robert W. Vernon (Gwydir Mines Publications, 1997).
In his book Hanes Trefriw (1879), Morris Jones writes brief chapters on the following properties, which he considers of significance, either historical, or through connection with their inhabitants - (y) Tŷ Newydd, (y) Pandy, (y) Tŷ Isaf, Tan yr Yw, Bryn Pyll, (y) Tŷ Uchaf, Gwiga (the only thatched property), (y) Pandy Uchaf, Bron Derw and Crafnant House.
The village school was built in 1842 by Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, who owned land and mines in the nearby Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest
Gwydir Forest, also spelled Gwydyr, is located in Conwy county borough and the Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. It takes its name from the ancient Gwydir Estate, established by the John Wynn family of Gwydir Castle, which owned this area....
.
Glanrafon stores was built at the end of the 19th century, replacing some former cottages. The top floors once operated as the Glanrafon Private Hotel and Boarding House.
The car park opposite the woollen mills, along with the Recreation grounds, were given as a gift to the villagers. This car park is called "The Singrug", derived from "Eisingrug" (eisin + crug meaning heap/pile of husks). This name is far from unique in Wales, and refers to the fact that winnowing must at one time have been undertaken here.
Shops & commerce
Trefriw today has just two shops - Glanrafon stores/cafe, and Marilyn's the butchers/grocers.However, in its heyday, with some 1,000 visitors arriving daily, there were naturally many more. These were virtually all located on the main street, and a number of properties can today clearly be seen to have been former shops.
Trefriw's most famous shop was perhaps that run by Richard Thomas Ellis. Located in what is currently the Post Office, this emporium sold almost everything, including even dynamite
Dynamite
Dynamite is an explosive material based on nitroglycerin, initially using diatomaceous earth , or another absorbent substance such as powdered shells, clay, sawdust, or wood pulp. Dynamites using organic materials such as sawdust are less stable and such use has been generally discontinued...
. Ellis also arranged funerals. An advert of 1889 advertised "A splendid assortment of useful presents for visitors".
Other shops which have long disappeared include: a post office (by Chandlers yard), a shoe shop (currently the butchers), two butcher's shops (one at Bryn Neuadd, which has also been a craft shop, the other opposite the mill), a cycle shop (lower main street), a bank (the middle shop in Glanrafon parade), a cake shop/bakers (opposite the current Post Office), a cobblers and confectionery shop (where the woollen mill is now), a sweet shop (opposite the school), a craft shop (opposite the Fairy Falls), a chemist, a taxi/garage business (later Chandlers boatyard), Neuadd cafe (next to the village hall), a chip shop (near The Ship pub) and a grocers (behind the current Post Office).
There was formerly a large abattoir
Slaughterhouse
A slaughterhouse or abattoir is a facility where animals are killed for consumption as food products.Approximately 45-50% of the animal can be turned into edible products...
behind the public toilets.
Name Origins & Population
The name 'Trefriw' is variously attributed to 'tref' + 'rhiw' (farm/homestead + hill) or to 'tref' + 'briw' (a wound, i.e. a reference to the healing waters of the Spa). Given the nature of WelshWelsh 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...
consonant mutation
Consonant mutation
Consonant mutation is when a consonant in a word changes according to its morphological and/or syntactic environment.Mutation phenomena occur in languages around the world. A prototypical example of consonant mutation is the initial consonant mutation of all modern Celtic languages...
, both of these are feasible -
Tref + riw (soft mutation of rhiw, as the second part of a compound word) or Tre' + friw (mutation of briw).
The information board in the village opts for the meaning deriving from the healing waters. However, D. Geraint Lewis, who has done much research into place names, concludes that the meaning is "homestead on the hill".
The following explanation is also given:
The word 'tref' historically meant 'farm/homestead'. Today it means 'town'. The definition of the word 'town' has altered over the centuries. Certainly Trefriw, in its heyday, was undeniably a town. Today it would be described as a large village.
Over the centuries the spelling of the name Trefriw has seen numerous versions. As has been mentioned above, Hanes Trefriw records that Llywelyn named the new parish "Tref Rhiw Las". A document of 1254AD refers to the place as Treffruu. and a number of documents from the 16th century refer to Treverewe, Treffrewe, Treverow and Treffrew (as well as to Trefriw), with Trefriew appearing on a document of 1795.
By 1801 the village had a population of 301, according to the "Topographical Dictionary of the Dominion of Wales" (1811). By 1851 the population had risen to 428. The 1991 Census
United Kingdom Census 1991
A nationwide census, commonly known as Census 1991, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday 21 April 1991. This was the 19th UK census....
records a population of 1,286, 54.9% of whom could speak Welsh. The 2001 Census records an increased population as 1,338, there being some 565 residences within the Ward, and reports that exactly half of the population is Welsh speaking.
Famous Inhabitants
- Thomas Wiliems (1545 or 1546 – 1620?). Referred to above in connection with the Gunpowder Plot.
- Evan EvansEvan EvansEvan Evans may refer to:*Evan Alfred Evans, US judge*Evan Evans , off-road champion racing in Championship Off-Road Racing*Evan Evans Evan Evans may refer to:*Evan Alfred Evans, US judge*Evan Evans (racer), off-road champion racing in Championship Off-Road Racing*Evan Evans (academic) Evan Evans...
("Ieuan Glan Geirionydd") was born in Trefriw in 1795, the son of a former shipwright. He was of Nonconformist parentage, and his parents are credited with founding the Calvinistic MethodistCalvinistic MethodistsCalvinistic Methodists are a body of Christians forming the Presbyterian Church of Wales and claiming to be the only denomination of the Presbyterian order in Wales which is of purely Welsh origin.-Early history:...
movement in the area. He started life as a schoolmaster, but attracted attention by his successes in poetry at various Eisteddfodau, his early imagination being charmed by the picturesque surroundings of his home area. He subsequently decided to move into the church, and was ordained in 1826. He was a hymn writer, but suffered from bad health - possibly a reason why his hymns, most in the form of prayers, are considered rather sad and deep. He held successively the curacies of ChristletonChristletonChristleton is a small village and civil parish on the outskirts of Chester in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. The 2001 Census recorded a population for the entire civil parish of 2,112....
and InceInceInce is a village and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. It is situated immediately to the east of the Stanlow Oil Refinery. It shares Ince and Elton railway station with the village of Elton, which it runs into...
, in Cheshire. Ill-health compelled him to leave Ince, and he spent some time in retirement among his beloved hills in Trefriw. When he had partially recovered, he was appointed to the curacy of RhylRhylRhyl is a seaside resort town and community situated on the north east coast of Wales, in the county of Denbighshire , at the mouth of the River Clwyd . To the west is the suburb of Kinmel Bay, with the resort of Towyn further west, Prestatyn to the east and Rhuddlan to the south...
. He died on 21 January 1855, and is buried in the village cemetery. His poetical works were published under the title of Geirionydd.
- Dafydd JonesDafydd JonesDafydd Jones is a retired Welsh rugby union footballer, who played in the back row for the Llanelli Scarlets in the Magners League. He has also played for Wales...
(1703–85) was a poet who wrote most of his works between 1750 and 1780. He lived at Tan yr yw in the village, as referred to above, and sometimes wrote under the name of Dewi Fardd. He progressed from publishing his own work to setting up on his own as a printer - some say that this was the first printing press in Wales. Some sources refer to Dafydd Jones as the Anglicised form "David Jones". The very first Welsh language publication of a purely political nature was a translation by him of a pamphlet on the American dispute.
- Gwilym Cowlyd, a native of Trefriw, was one of the most colourful figures in Welsh culture, and one who was very fond of the Cerdd Dant Festival. William John Roberts (1828–1904) was his real name, and the one he used in his day job as a printer and bookseller. However, he had a bee in his bonnet when it came to the National Eisteddfod and he would assume the bardic name of Gwilym Cowlyd when levelling severe criticism at the Gorsedd for being too Anglicised. Eventually, in 1865, he founded a separate festival to rival the big National Eisteddfod. He called it Arwest Glan Geirionydd (‘Music Festival on the Banks of the Lake Geirionydd’), and the meeting point was the Taliesin Memorial which now overlooks the lake.
- Mary Owen was born in Trefriw in 1803, and lived to the age of 108. She moved away to live at Fron Olew, Mynydd Llwydiarth, PentraethPentraethPentraeth is a village on the island of Anglesey , north Wales, at . The Royal Mail postcode begins LL75.Its Welsh name means at the end of a beach, and it is located near Traeth Coch . There is a small river, Afon Nodwydd which runs through it. The village's ancient name was Llanfair Betws Geraint...
, overlooking Red Wharf BayTraeth CochTraeth Coch is a wide sandy bay and an area of outstanding natural beauty on the east coast of the island of Anglesey in Wales. The bay is also known in English as Red Wharf Bay and lies between the villages of Pentraeth and Benllech.Each year the Red Wharf Bay Sailing Club Anglesey Offshore...
on AngleseyAngleseyAnglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
. By May 1911 she broke the record to become the oldest person to live in Wales, indeed in Britain. She died in 1911 and was buried in the graveyard at Pentraeth.
- In 1831 James Hughes was born in the village. Proficient on the harp, violin and flute, he became a harp-maker of renown. He died in Manchester in 1878 and is buried in the village churchyard.
- T.R. Williams y Ffatri was famous throughout the land as a festival conductor. He composed tunes and anthems, and four of them are in the Independent Hymnbook. He was organist in the Ebenezer Church and a deacon for 15 years. He died in 1922 and there is a stained-glass window there to commemorate him.
- William Jones, poet, was born in Trefriw in 1896. He studied at the University College of North Wales and became a CongregationalCongregational churchCongregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing Congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its own affairs....
minister before changing denomination and joining the Calvinistic Methodists. He lived and worked in TremadogTremadogTremadog is a village on the outskirts of Porthmadog, in Gwynedd, north west Wales. It was a planned settlement, founded by William Madocks, who bought the land in 1798...
. He published two collections of poetry, Adar Rhiannon a Cherddi Eraill in 1947 and Sonedau a Thelynegion in 1950. As a poet and a person, he has been compared to R. Williams-Parry, who was a great friend of his. He died in 1961.
- Pierino Algieri, the renowned local photographer, was born in Trefriw in 1955.
- Dafydd Parri, author of the Welsh children's series Cyfres y Llewod, lived here. His children, which include Eisteddfod-winning poet Myrddin ap Dafydd and broadcaster/journalist Iolo ap Dafydd also lived in the village.
- Kate Roberts, the authoress, was first cousin to Hugh Griffith Roberts, who came from Trefriw.
- Richard Owen Roberts, the father of Gwilym RobertsGwilym RobertsGwilym Edffrwd Roberts is a British Labour Party politician.Roberts was educated at Brynrefail Grammar School and the University of Wales. He was a lecturer in scientific management techniques and served as a councillor on Luton Borough Council from 1965.Roberts contested Ormskirk in 1959 and...
the story-teller, was born in Llanrhychwyn.
- Dylan Cernyw, Welsh harpist and three-time EisteddfodNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
winner (1989, 1991 & 1994), was a former tenant of the Fairy Falls pub.
- Although not a resident, Alfred BestallAlfred BestallAlfred Edmeades "Fred" Bestall, MBE , was the author and illustrator of Rupert Bear for the London Daily Express, from 1935 to 1965.-Early life:...
, author and illustrator of the Rupert BearRupert BearRupert Bear is a children's comic strip character, who features in a series of books based around his adventures. The character was created by the English artist Mary Tourtel and first appeared in the Daily Express on 8 November 1920. Rupert's initial purpose was to win sales from the rival...
stories, holidayed in Trefriw in 1912 and 1913. It was at this time that he first visited BeddgelertBeddgelertBeddgelert, or in older English spelling often Bedgellert, is a village and community in the Snowdonia area of Gwynedd, Wales. It is reputed to be named after the legendary hound Gelert. Population 617.- History:...
, where he subsequently bought a house, and which provided much of the inspiration for his illustrations.
The Healthiest Place in Wales?
In his book Hanes Trefriw (1879), Morris Jones writes: (translated from the Welsh)Further credence was given to this belief when it became known that Mary Owen, Britain's oldest woman (see above), was born in Trefriw.
Fairies
Trefriw's links with fairies are noted in the name of the main waterfalls in the village - The Fairy FallsFairy Falls, Trefriw
The Fairy Falls is a waterfall in the village of Trefriw, north Wales.The falls are on the river Crafnant which has its source at Llyn Crafnant, being joined upstream by a tributary, the river Geirionydd...
, which is also the name of one of the pubs (previously called The Geirionydd).
In 1880 Wirt Sikes published his book British Goblins - Welsh Folk-lore, Fairy Mythology, Legends and Traditions, from which comes the following passage:
In literature
In 1879 Morris Jones wrote Hanes Trefriw, fel y bu ac fel y mae, Disgrifiad Cryno o'r Aral a'r Trigolion (A history of Trefriw, then and now, a short description of the area and its inhabitants). Published by W.J. Roberts, Heol Watling, Llanrwst. This book is in Welsh.In 1993 Gomer Press published a short historical novel for children by Gweneth Lilly, entitled Treason at Trefriw. (see the reference above)
On a less factual note, Trefriw was the birthplace of Brother Cadfael, the fictional detective in a series of murder mysteries by the late Edith Pargeter
Edith Pargeter
Edith Mary Pargeter, OBE, BEM , also known by her nom de plume Ellis Peters, was a British author of works in many categories, especially history and historical fiction, and was also honoured for her translations of Czech classics; she is probably best known for her murder mysteries, both...
writing under the name "Ellis Peters". His full name was Cadfael ap (son of) Meilyr ap Dafydd and he was born around 1080 to a villein (serf) family. The stories are set between about 1135 and about 1145, during the civil war between the forces of King Stephen and Empress Maud.
The house called Y Wern (at the foot of Llanrhychwyn hill) features in the Welsh novel Os Dianc Rhai (by Martin Davis, published by Y Lolfa, 2003). This story is set in the mid-1930s and the Second World War.
In the Record Books
In 2006 Trefriw won the award for North Wales Calor Village of the YearCalor Village of the Year
The Calor Village of the Year comprised 4 annual competitions organised by gas provider Calor to identify the villages that best met the following criteria: "a well-balanced, pro-active, caring community which has made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for...
.
The World's Largest Garden Hedge Maze is currently nearing completion at "Garden Art". Covering over 2 acres (8,093.7 m²), this beats the current record previously held by the Marquis of Bath at Longleat
Longleat
Longleat is an English stately home, currently the seat of the Marquesses of Bath, adjacent to the village of Horningsham and near the towns of Warminster in Wiltshire and Frome in Somerset. It is noted for its Elizabethan country house, maze, landscaped parkland and safari park. The house is set...
. The maze was designed by Giovanni Angelo Jacovelli with assistance from respected Australian artist Bob Haberfield.
Trefriw is in the record books for a record boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
throw. Englishman Andrew Furniss set the British MTA Unlimited record with 75.41 secs. in the Trefriw Festival (UK, August 2001).
Trefriw is the home of Roualeyn Nurseries, which specializes in fuchsias. The nurseries are habitual winners of awards at shows such as Chelsea Flower Show
Chelsea Flower Show
The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, formally known as the Great Spring Show, is a garden show held for five days in May by the Royal Horticultural Society in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea in Chelsea, London...
. Roualeyn was once the home of John Payne Davies, an artist and member of the Royal Cambrian Academy.
Crafnant Guesthouse was the winner of the "Best Wildlife Garden in Snowdonia" competition, 2004.
Quotes
Over the years, the following quotes have been made about Trefriw:Further reading
The Conwy Valley & the lands of history, by K. Mortimer Hart(published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1987)
The Conwy Valley – Its Long History, by Michael Senior
(published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1984)
The Crossing of the Conwy, by Michael Senior
(published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1991)
Gwydir Slate Quarries, by M.C. Williams & M.J.T. Lewis
(published by Snowdonia National Park Study Centre, 1989)
Hanes Trefriw, by Morris Jones
(published by W.J. Roberts, 1879)
Walks in the Conwy Valley, by Christopher Draper
(published by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 2002)
Sarn Helen, by J. Cantrell & A. Rylance
(Cicerone Press, 1992)
The Mines of The Gwydir Forest Parts 1 - 7, by John Bennett & Robert W. Vernon
(published by Gwydir Mines Publications, 1989–97)
The Rock Cannon of Gwynedd, by Griff R. Jones (2002)
The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)
A Topographical Dictionary of Wales by Samuel Lewis (1833)
External links
- Conway Valley Maze
- The Trefriw Village website
- Large Postcard Collection of Trefriw
- Trefriw Tourist Association website
- Trefriw Trails
- Princes Arms Hotel
- The Old Ship / Yr Hen Long
- Fairy Falls Hotel
- Gwydir Castle
- Trefriw Wells Spa
- Trefriw Woollen Mills
- GENUKI Genealogy site : Trefriw
- Rhiwbach Quarry and the Rhiwbach Tramway
- www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Trefriw and surrounding area