Nant Gwrtheyrn is a

Welsh Language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic languages, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales by about 18% of the population, by some in England, and in (the Welsh c ...

and Heritage Centre, located near the village of Llithfaen on the northern coast of the

Llŷn Peninsula The Llŷn Peninsula ( or , ) is a peninsula in Gwynedd, Wales, with an area of about , and a population of at least 20,000. It extends into the Irish Sea, and its southern coast is the northern boundary of the Tremadog Bay inlet of Cardigan Ba ...

Gwynedd Gwynedd () is a county in the north-west of Wales. It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy, Denbighshire, and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to the west. The ci ...

, in northwest

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. The centre takes its name from the valley in which it is located, Nant Gwrtheyrn ("

Vortigern Vortigern (; , ; ; ; Old Breton: ''Gurdiern'', ''Gurthiern''; ; , , , etc.), also spelled Vortiger, Vortigan, Voertigern and Vortigen, was a 5th-century warlord in Sub-Roman Britain, Britain, known perhaps as a king of the Britons or at least ...

's stream"), which lies in isolation by the sea at the foot of Yr Eifl. It is sometimes referred to as "the Nant". The centre is built within the structures of the former

quarry A quarry is a type of open-pit mining, open-pit mine in which dimension stone, rock (geology), rock, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, gravel, or slate is excavated from the ground. The operation of quarries is regulated in some juri ...

ing village Porth y Nant, which was abandoned midway through

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

after the cessation of quarrying.

History

The quarry named Nant Gwrtheyrn opened in 1861, and was serviced by a village called Porth y Nant, on the site of the current language centre. Nant Gwrtheyrn produced setts, stone blocks used for road surfacing. The community lived an isolated existence, with product shipped and goods shipped out mainly via the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea is a body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel and to the Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland in the north by the North Ch ...

, resulting in limited contact with the outside world. The quarry closed early in World War II, partly due to a drop in demand and also to transport difficulties. The hillsides of the Nant, through their landscape scars and the ruins of quarry structures, testify to this former existence. After the quarry was closed, the community dispersed and the cottages fell into disrepair. Occupied by hippies for a time during the 1960s, the site was the subject of several plans for redevelopment, including as an approved school, when it was acquired by a local trust, head-speared by Dr. Carl Clowes who set it up to establish a Welsh language centre. There followed a £5 million redevelopment, including £3.8 million of European and Welsh government grants, to create a new Welsh language centre, including a heritage centre, conference facilities and 4-star accommodation. It was officially opened by Wales'

First Minister A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of ' ...

, Carwyn Jones, in March 2011. The

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

programme ''

Any Questions? ''Any Questions?'' is a British topical discussion programme "in which a panel of personalities from the worlds of politics, media, and elsewhere are posed questions by the audience". It is typically broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on Fridays at 20: ...

'' was broadcast from Nant Gwrtheyrn on 15 February 2019. It included a question asked in Welsh.

Language centre

The centre specialises in courses for adults who want to learn Welsh as an additional language. Courses are held throughout the year at a variety of levels from absolute beginner up to Higher and Proficiency levels, with learners' weekends and other activities to strengthen understanding. Course participants usually are offered one or two cultural experiences as well as formal teaching. Accommodation for students is available in the village, which consists of two terraces of former workmen's cottages, Trem y Môr (Sea View) and Trem y Mynydd (Mountain View). The centre is used in addition for weddings and

conferences A conference is a meeting, often lasting a few days, which is organized on a particular subject, or to bring together people who have a common interest. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always d ...

, and as a residential site for Writing students at

Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool John Moores University (abbreviated LJMU) is a public university, public research university in the city of Liverpool, England. The university can trace its origins to the Liverpool Mechanics' School of Arts, established in 1823. This ...

. The countryside surrounding Nant Gwrtheyrn is known for its outstanding natural beauty, and frequented for this by writers and photographers.

Landscape

The nearby beach can be seen from the village and it is accessible via an unpaved path. The views take in Porth Dinllaen and on a clear day South Stack lighthouse on

Anglesey Anglesey ( ; ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms the bulk of the Principal areas of Wales, county known as the Isle of Anglesey, which also includes Holy Island, Anglesey, Holy Island () and some islets and Skerry, sker ...

can be seen.

Access and transport

The remote character of the centre means that it is difficult to access. The original road down into the village was an unpaved single-track road with unprotected edges, no passing places, 6 hairpin corners and a maximum gradient of 1 in 2½: totally unsuitable for ordinary cars, for nervous or inexperienced drivers, or for bad weather conditions. Known as "Screw Hill", it was for time to time used as a motor sporting venue.

British Pathé British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and cultur ...

characterised driving up the road as "Climbing the Unclimbable" and filmed a car successfully ascending it. The road was realigned and improved in 2007. Although still single-track, it is now paved and has passing places, crash barriers protecting the edges, 2 hairpin corners and a gradient of 1 in 4. The nearest bus stop is in the nearby village of Llithfaen, and the nearest rail stations are in

Pwllheli Pwllheli ( ; ) is a market town and community on the Llŷn Peninsula (), in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It had a population of 4,076 in 2011, which declined slightly to 3,947 in 2021; a large proportion (81%) were Welsh language, Welsh speaking. ...

and Bangor. Walking to the centre from the top of the valley is also possible, but the walk down can take over forty minutes, while the strenuous walk up can take over an hour.

References

External links

*
Abandoned Communities ... Porth y NantRecords of Ymddiriedolaeth Nant Gwrtheyrn
at the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales (, ) in Aberystwyth is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the l ...

{{Welsh language Welsh language Buildings and structures in Gwynedd Quarries in Wales Pistyll Mining communities in Wales