Dolgellau
Dolgellau | |
---|---|
Eldon Square, Dolgellau | |
Location within Gwynedd | |
Population | 2,688 (2011 census)[1] |
OS grid reference | SH728178 |
Community |
|
Principal area | |
Preserved county | |
Country | Wales |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | DOLGELLAU |
Postcode district | LL40 |
Dialling code | 01341 |
Police | North Wales |
Fire | North Wales |
Ambulance | Welsh |
UK Parliament | |
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
Dolgellau (
Etymology
The name Dolgellau is a compound of dôl 'water-meadow' and cellau, the plural of cell 'a cell', giving the meaning 'water-meadow of cells'. The dôl in the name was probably located within a bend at the confluence of the rivers Wnion and Aran. The cellau may refer to monastic cells or merchant's stalls.[4]
The earliest recorded spelling (from 1254) is Dolkelew, and a spelling Dolgethleu dates from 1294–5 (the thl is an attempt to represent Welsh /ɬ/).[5] Owain Glyndŵr's scribe wrote Dolguelli.
The town's name was commonly
In 1825 the Registers have Dolgellau, which was the form adopted by Robert Vaughan of Hengwrt in 1836. This became standard in Welsh and later also in English.
The official name for the
History and economy
The site of Dolgellau was, in the pre-Roman
After the Romans left, the area came under the control of a series of Welsh chieftains, although Dolgellau was probably not inhabited until the late 11th or 12th century, when it was established as a "serf village" (or maerdref), possibly by Cadwgan ap Bleddyn. It remained a serf village until the reign of Henry VII (1485–1509).
A church was built in the 12th century (demolished and replaced by the present building in 1716), although Cymer Abbey, founded in 1198 in nearby Llanelltyd, remained the most important religious centre locally. Dolgellau gained in importance from this period onwards, and was mentioned in the Survey of Merioneth ordered by Edward I (Llanelltyd was not). In 1404 it was the location of a council of chiefs under Owain Glyndŵr.
After a visit by
The woollen industry was long of the greatest importance to the town's economy; by the end of the 18th century, output was reckoned to be worth £50,000 to £100,000 annually. The industry declined in the first half of the 19th century, owing to the introduction of mechanical looms. Another important contributor to the local economy was tanning, which continued into the 1980s in Dolgellau, though on a much reduced scale.
The town was the centre of a minor
]Dolgellau was the county town of Merionethshire (Welsh: Meirionydd, Sir Feirionnydd) until 1974 when, following the Local Government Act of 1972, it became the administrative centre of Meirionnydd, a district of the county of Gwynedd. This was abolished in 1996 by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994.
Today, the economy of Dolgellau relies chiefly on tourism (see below), although agriculture still plays a role; a farmers' market is held in the town centre on the third Sunday of every month.
It is believed that Dolgellau Cricket Club, founded in 1869 by Frederick Temple, is one of the oldest cricket clubs in Wales.[10]
For nearly a century Dolgellau was the home of
Shortly before the closure of the town's railway station it displayed signs reading variously Dolgelly, Dolgelley and Dolgellau.
Education
Dolgellau is home to a
Dolgellau Grammar School, a boys' school, had been established in 1665 by the then
On 1 September 2017, Ysgol Y Gader amalgamated with the village's primary school and seven other schools in the area to become a new middle school for pupils aged 3–16.[14] The combined schools were named Ysgol Bro Idris.[15] As of 2019, there were 581 pupils on roll. 229 of those pupils are of secondary school age and 352 of those pupils are of primary school age. The area school is located across six sites, with two of those sites located within Dolgellau itself.
The school is categorised linguistically by Welsh Government as a category 2A school, meaning that at least 80% of subjects, apart from English and Welsh, are taught only through the medium of Welsh to all pupils.
Literary connections
Near Dolgellau is the house of
In 1971 John Elwyn Jones, a retired teacher who had taught Russian, German and Welsh at Dr Williams School, published Pum Cynnig i Gymro ("Five Tries for a Welshman"),
Local attractions
The surrounding area is known for its wild but beautiful countryside and places of historical interest. It is popular with tourists who enjoy activities such as walking,
The
The site of
Dolgellau is a good centre for visiting a number of nearby narrow-gauge heritage railways, including the Corris Railway, the Fairbourne Railway and the Talyllyn Railway.
Cultural events
Sesiwn Fawr
Since 1992 Dolgellau has held
Gwyl Cefn Gwlad
Every summer, Dolgellau is also host to the Gŵyl Cefn Gwlad ("Festival of the Countryside"), a mix of agricultural show and fête. Entry is free, but the money raised on the various stalls is given to good causes.
Eisteddfod
In 1949 Dolgellau hosted the National Eisteddfod of Wales; in 1960 and 1994 it hosted the Urdd National Eisteddfod. The old market hall, Neuadd Idris, hosts the National Centre for Folk Music, known as Tŷ Siamas.[21]
Twin-town
Dolgellau is
Notable people
- Sir Robert Vaughan, 2nd Baronet (1768–1843), landowner and politician, MP for Merioneth for 40 years from 1792 to 1836.
- Thomas Richards (1800–1877), surgeon, author, journalist, editor
- Sir Cadwaladr Bryner Jones (1872–1954), agricultural educationist, was educated at Dolgellau Grammar School.[22]
- Mary Morris (1873–1925), doctor, first female inspector of schools in Bath and suffragette.
- Mary Alice Eleanor Richards (1885–1977), botanist and prolific collector of Zambianplants.
- film actor.
- Dilys Elwyn-Edwards (1918–2012), composer, lecturer and accompanist.
- Marion Eames (1921–2007), Welsh-language novelist, author of Y Stafell Ddirgel.
- Ioan Bowen Rees (1929–1999) Welsh-language poet, mountaineer and political activist.
- Alan Llwyd (born 1948), occasional bardic name 'Meilir Emrys Owen', prolific Welsh-language poet, literary critic and editor.
- Gwyndaf Evans (born 1959), rally driver, winner of the 1996 British Rally Championship.
- Martin Philips (born 1960), Welsh darts captain and 2014 World Masters champion.
- Elfyn Evans (born 1988), rally driver (son of Gwyndaf Evans).
Geography
Gallery
-
Bridge over the River Wnion in Dolgellau, 1830 by artist Henry Gastineau (1791–1876) and engraver Samuel Lacey (1787–1859)
-
'Dolgelle' 1806 by William Marshall Craig, fl. 1788–1828
-
Large farmhouse in Dolgellau, woman feeding chickens in yard, 1815 by Cornelius Varley (1781–1873) and engraver Francis Stevens
-
'Dolgelley and Cader Idris' c. 1840 by George Pickering (c. 1794–1857) and lithographer George Hawkins (1809–1852)
-
'Dolgelly, north Wales' 1835?
See also
References
- ^ "Town Population 2011". Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ a b "dolgellau". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- ^ CollinsDictionary.com. HarperCollins. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
- OCLC 191731809.
- OCLC 191731809.
- ^ E.g., in Collocott T. C. & Thorne J. O. Chambers's World Gazetteer & Geographical Dictionary. Chambers, Edinburgh and London 1965
- ^ "It's Dolgellau from now on". Western Mail. Cardiff. 6 March 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
- ^ "The Quakers of Dolgellau". bbc.co.uk. BBC. Archived from the original on November 8, 2006. Retrieved May 5, 2018.
- ^ "Snowdonia National Park Authority". Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved April 18, 2007.
- ^ "Archives Network Wales – Dolgellau Cricket Club Records". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
- ^ "Dr Williams' School, Dolgellau". People's Collection Wales. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
- ^ Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor Archived 7 November 2006 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Ysgol y Gader". Archived from the original on 28 September 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2006.
- ^ "Ysgol Bro Idris". mylocalschool.gov.wales. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "Welcome to Ysgol Bro Idris' website". www.ysgolbroidris.cymru. Ysgol Bro Idris. 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
- ^ Tri chynnig i Gymro ("three tries for a Welshman") is a more or less equivalent saying to the English "third time lucky". The book title is a play on this phrase.
- ISBN 0-86381-074-8
- from the original on 28 August 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ "Blooms with a view: 10 of Britain's best spring walks". the Guardian. 14 March 2021. Archived from the original on 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ "No Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau in 2009". Liverpool Daily Post. 5 March 2009.
- ^ "Folk centre 'must attract more'". BBC. 20 March 2008. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
- ^ Jones, John Morgan (2001). "JONES, Sir CADWALADR BRYNER (1872 - 1954)". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales.
External links
- History of Dolgellau
- Dolgellau Archives
- Dolgellau Town Council English
- public domain: "Dolgelley". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 8 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 388. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the
- Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. VII (9th ed.). 1878. p. 345. .