Arthog

Village in Gwynedd, Wales

Human settlement in Wales

Arthog

Gwynedd

CountryWalesSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townFAIRBOURNEPostcode districtLL38Post townARTHOGPostcode districtLL39Post townDOLGELLAUPostcode districtLL40Dialling code01341PoliceNorth WalesFire North Wales AmbulanceWelsh UK Parliament

Dwyfor Meirionnydd

Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament

Dwyfor Meirionnydd

List of places: UK; Wales; Gwynedd

52°42′40″N 4°00′32″W / 52.711°N 4.009°W / 52.711; -4.009

Arthog (Welsh pronunciation^ⓘ) is a village, post town and community in the Meirionnydd area in Gwynedd, north Wales including the villages of Fairbourne and Friog. It is located on the A493, approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Dolgellau, and had a population of 1,010 in 2001,^[1] increasing slightly to 1,031 at the 2011 census.^[2]

Etymology

The village was named after the Welsh ruler Arthog ap Ceredig ^[3]

History

In 1894, Solomon Andrews, a Cardiff entrepreneur, bought land overlooking the Mawddach estuary. On the site he completed Mawddach Crescent in 1902. The row of terraced properties was the start of a purpose-built holiday resort he intended for the area. However the planned development went no further because the surrounding land proved unsuitable for urban planning. During the Second World War, the Royal Marines commandeered Mawddach Crescent. It became known as Iceland Camp. The marines also built huts on nearby Fegla Fawr, the foundation bases can still be seen between the trees above the estuary.

It is well known for its outdoor activity centres and the nearby Llynnau Cregennen. The Arthog Outdoor Education Centre is owned by Telford and Wrekin Council and is primarily used in term-time by schools from the Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin Local Education Authorities.

Population

According to the 2011 census, 28.3% of the community's residents were able to speak Welsh. Consequently, Arthog had the lowest percentage of Welsh speakers of any community in Gwynedd.^[4] 70.6% of the community's residents were born outside Wales.^[5]

Transport

The village was served by Arthog railway station (on the Barmouth - Ruabon line) until the complete closure of the line in 1964. The line is now a footpath known as the Mawddach Trail (Welsh: Llwybr Mawddach), and is popular with both walkers and cyclists. Morfa Mawddach railway station is on the western outskirts of the village. The station is situated on the Cambrian Line with direct trains northbound to Pwllheli via Barmouth and Porthmadog and southbound to Birmingham International via Machynlleth and Shrewsbury.^[6]

References

^ "Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Gwynedd". Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2009.
^ "Community population 2011". Retrieved 17 May 2015.
^ Price, Thomas (1842). "Hanes Cymru, a chenedl y Cymry, o'r cynoesoedd hyd at farwolaeth Llewelyn ap Gruffydd: Ynghyd a rhai cofiaint perthynol i'r amseroedd o'r pryd hynny i waered".
^ "2011 Census results by Community". Welsh Language Commissioner. ONS. 2011. Archived from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
^ "Map Gwlad Enedigol". Statiaith. ONS. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
^ "Morfa Mawddach Station | Train Times | Transport for Wales". Transport for Wales Rail.