Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
LLŶN PENINSULA
Jutting out into the Irish Sea from the mountains of Snowdonia, the Llŷn (pronounced 'kh-
leen' and sometimes spelt 'Lleyn') is a green finger of land, some 25 miles long and aver-
aging 8 miles in width. It's a peaceful and largely undeveloped region with isolated walk-
ing and cycling routes, good beaches, a scattering of small fishing villages and 70 miles of
wildlife-rich coastline (much of it in the hands of the National Trust, and almost 80% of it
designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Over the centuries the heaviest foot-
falls have been those of pilgrims on their way to Bardsey Island.
Welsh is the language of everyday life here. Indeed, this is about as Welsh as it gets. The
Llŷn Peninsula and Anglesey were the last stops on the Roman and Norman itineraries, and
both have maintained a separate identity, the Llŷn especially so. Isolated physically and
culturally, it's been an incubator of Welsh activism. It was the birthplace of David Lloyd
George, the first Welsh prime minister of the UK, and of Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales),
which was founded in Pwllheli in 1925 and now holds 18% of the seats in the Welsh
Assembly.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Porthmadog
POP 4190
Despite a few rough edges, busy little Porthmadog (port-
mad
-uk) has an attractive estuar-
ine setting and a conspicuously friendly, mainly Welsh-speaking populace. It straddles both
the Llŷn Peninsula and Snowdonia National Park, and has the fantastical village of Port-
meirion at its doorstep. Throw in abundant transport connections, and you've got a handy
place to base yourself for a couple of days.
Both Porthmadog and the neighbouring village of Tremadog (the latter now virtually a
suburb of the former) were founded by and named after reforming landowner William Al-
exander Madocks. In the early 19th century he laid down the mile-long Cob causeway,
drained the 400 hectares of wetlands that lay behind it, and created a brand-new harbour.
After his death, the Cob became the route for the Ffestiniog Railway: at its 1873 peak, it
transported over 116,000 tonnes of slate from the mines of Blaenau Ffestiniog to the har-
bour. In 1888 TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) was born in Tremadog, although the
