Yr Eifl
Encyclopedia
Yr Eifl is a mountain
on the north coast of the Llŷn peninsula
in Gwynedd
, north-western Wales
.
It has three summits, each quite separate from the others, and this is often supposed to be the source of the English
name The Rivals. But this is merely an anglicised
form of Yr Eifl, meaning "the forks" or "the strides" .
On a clear day, the views from the top summit reach as far as the Isle of Man
, the Wicklow mountains
in Ireland
and the Lake District
, as well as the entire sweep of Cardigan Bay
.
The view of Yr Eifl is especially striking from the SW coast of Anglesey, for instance from Llanddwyn island
.
Garn Ganol, the central summit, is the highest point on Llŷn, with an ancient cairn, and it houses the trig point
;
Across the pass "Bwlch yr Eifl", and overlooking the sea, is Garn For, the northern summit. It has a microwave radio relay station on it, as well as cairns and granite
quarries (producing the material for the curling event
at the 2006 Winter Olympics
), and a cliff face leading down to the Irish Sea
.
The third summit, Tre'r Ceiri, on the south-eastern side, is the location of an Iron Age
hill fort
. This name is believed to mean "home of the giants", from cewri, plural of cawr, giant. It is regarded as one of the best examples in Europe of a prehistoric hill fort. There is a path leading up to this summit.
to the south, Llanaelhaearn
to the east and Trefor
to the north. On the western slopes of Yr Eifl, beneath the menacing shadow of Graig Ddu (a cliff on the W slope of Garn Ganol), is a small valley leading down to the sea. This is Nant Gwrtheyrn
("Vortigern's Valley"), a valley with no public roads, with a former quarry village, which is now home to a Welsh-language
teaching centre.
Another quarry, Trefor granite
quarry, can be found to the north of Garn Ganol.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
on the north coast of the Llŷn peninsula
Llyn Peninsula
The Llŷn Peninsula extends into the Irish Sea from north west Wales, south west of the Isle of Anglesey. It is part of the modern county and historic region of Gwynedd. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root Laigin in Irish as the word Leinster...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, north-western 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 has three summits, each quite separate from the others, and this is often supposed to be the source of the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
name The Rivals. But this is merely an anglicised
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
form of Yr Eifl, meaning "the forks" or "the strides" .
On a clear day, the views from the top summit reach as far as the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, the Wicklow mountains
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...
in Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
, as well as the entire sweep of Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay
Cardigan Bay is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales....
.
The view of Yr Eifl is especially striking from the SW coast of Anglesey, for instance from Llanddwyn island
Ynys Llanddwyn
Ynys Llanddwyn or Llanddwyn Island is a small tidal island off the west coast of Anglesey, North Wales. The nearest town is Newborough.-Geology and geography:...
.
The three peaks
There are three peaks:- Tre'r Ceiri (485 metres (1,591.2 ft)),
- Garn Ganol (564 metres (1,850.4 ft)) and
- Garn For (444 metres (1,456.7 ft)).
Garn Ganol, the central summit, is the highest point on Llŷn, with an ancient cairn, and it houses the trig point
Trig point
A triangulation station, also known as a triangulation pillar, trigonometrical station, trigonometrical point, trig station, trig beacon or trig point, and sometimes informally as a trig, is a fixed surveying station, used in geodetic surveying and other surveying projects in its vicinity...
;
Across the pass "Bwlch yr Eifl", and overlooking the sea, is Garn For, the northern summit. It has a microwave radio relay station on it, as well as cairns and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
quarries (producing the material for the curling event
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics
Curling at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held in the town of Pinerolo, Italy from February 13 to February 24. It proved to be the sleeper hit in terms of television ratings in Italy. According to a CBC feature, curling at the 2006 Winter Games drew 5 million viewers, eclipsing ice hockey and figure...
at the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
), and a cliff face leading down to the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
.
The third summit, Tre'r Ceiri, on the south-eastern side, is the location of an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
. This name is believed to mean "home of the giants", from cewri, plural of cawr, giant. It is regarded as one of the best examples in Europe of a prehistoric hill fort. There is a path leading up to this summit.
Surroundings
Routes lead onto the hill from the nearby villages of LlithfaenLlithfaen
Llithfaen is a small village on the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. It is located around 4 miles north-east of Nefyn and lies just south-west of Yr Eifl mountain. There used to be three quarries close to the village, the last of which closed in 1963.-References:...
to the south, Llanaelhaearn
Llanaelhaearn
Llanaelhaearn is a village and community in the Welsh county of Gwynedd, located on the Llŷn Peninsula. The community includes the village of Trefor, and has a population of 1,067....
to the east and Trefor
Trefor
Trefor is a village on the north coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales. Its population, with nearby Llanaelhaearn is 1,560.-Location and amenities:...
to the north. On the western slopes of Yr Eifl, beneath the menacing shadow of Graig Ddu (a cliff on the W slope of Garn Ganol), is a small valley leading down to the sea. This is Nant Gwrtheyrn
Nant Gwrtheyrn
Nant Gwrtheyrn is a Welsh Language and Heritage Centre, located near near the village of Llithfaen on the northern coast of the Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, in northwest Wales....
("Vortigern's Valley"), a valley with no public roads, with a former quarry village, which is now home to a Welsh-language
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
teaching centre.
Another quarry, Trefor granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
quarry, can be found to the north of Garn Ganol.