Cwm Penmachno (historically called Tre-Gynwal) is a village at the head of
Cwm Machno in
North Wales
North Wales ( ) is a Regions of Wales, region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdon ...
.
History
The village was built in the 1860s as a quarry settlement. The
Penmachno quarry
The Penmachno quarry (also known as Cwm Machno quarry, Rhiwfachno quarry, or Tan-y-Rhiw quarry) was a slate quarry near Cwm Penmachno, Conwy, North Wales. It was directly below the Rhiwbach Quarry. It was worked between 1818 and 1962.
Histo ...
lay immediately south and above the settlement. Higher up the valley was the
Rhiwbach slate quarry, which was formerly linked by the
Rhiwbach Tramway
The Rhiwbach Tramway was a Welsh narrow gauge slate railways, Welsh industrial, Narrow gauge railway, narrow gauge railway connecting the remote slate industry, slate quarries east of Blaenau Ffestiniog with the Ffestiniog Railway. It was in ...
to the
Ffestiniog Railway
The Ffestiniog Railway () is a heritage railway based on Narrow-gauge railway, narrow-gauge, located in Gwynedd, Wales. It is a major tourist attraction located mainly within the Snowdonia#Snowdonia National Park, Snowdonia National Park.
The ...
at
Blaenau Ffestiniog
Blaenau Ffestiniog () is a town in Gwynedd, Wales. Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire, it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,0 ...
.
Streams flow from the steep-sided valley, forming the source of the
River Machno
River Machno () is a river in Snowdonia in north-west Wales, United Kingdom. It is the first major tributary of the River Conwy, which it joins south of Betws-y-coed, past the Pandy Falls and the Machno Falls.
The river originates in the hills ...
, which flows through the larger village of
Penmachno
Penmachno is a village in the isolated upland Machno valley, south of Betws-y-Coed in the county of Conwy, North Wales. The B4406 road runs through part of the village. The village is at the confluence of the Glasgwm and Machno rivers. It ha ...
before joining the
River Conwy
The River Conwy (; ) is a river in north Wales. From its source to its discharge in Conwy Bay it is long and drains an area of 678 square km. "Conwy" was formerly anglicised as "Conway."
The name 'Conwy' derives from the old Welsh words ''c ...
south of
Betws-y-Coed
Betws-y-Coed () is a village and community (Wales), community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The village is located near the confluence of the River Conwy and the River Llugwy and is on the eastern edge of Snowdonia. The population of the co ...
.
Facilities
The village attracts tourists, particularly mountain bikers, kayakers, canoeists and walkers. The Penmachno Mountain Bike Trail starts at the car park located between Cwm Penmachno and Penmachno.
There is a community centre and Heritage Room in the village at the former Shiloh Chapel.
Situated near the end of the valley is
The Latymer School's outdoor centre, Ysgol Latymer Outdoor Pursuits Centre (occupying the buildings of the former primary school). The school runs residential trips each year for year 7 and year 9 pupils, as well as various Geography and PE trips. The Latymer School purchased this centre in Snowdonia National Park so that its pupils could get to know each other better and to discover their individual skills.
References
External links
Photographs of Cwm Penmachno Slate Quarry
Bro Machno
Villages in Conwy County Borough
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