Snowdonia

Snowdonia, or Eryri (), is a mountainous region and national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon (), which is tall. These peaks are all part of the Snowdon, Glyderau, and Carneddau ranges in the north of the region. The shorter Moelwynion and Moel Hebog ranges lie immediately to the south.

The national park has an area of (the fourth-largest in the UK), and covers most of central and southern Gwynedd and the western part of Conwy County Borough. This is much larger than the area traditionally considered Snowdonia, and in addition to the five ranges above includes the Rhinogydd, Cadair Idris, and Aran ranges and the Dyfi Hills. It also includes most of the coast between Porthmadog and Aberdyfi. The park was the first of the three national parks of Wales to be designated, in October 1951, and the third in the UK after the Peak District and Lake District, which were established in April and May 1951 respectively. The park received 3.89 million visitors in 2015.

Toponymy

The name "Snowdon" means "snow hill" and is derived from the Old English elements ''"snāw''" and ''"dūn''", the latter meaning 'hill'. "Snowdonia" is simply taken from the name of the mountain.

The origins of are less clear. Two popular interpretations are that the name is related to , 'eagle', or that it means 'highlands' and is related to the Latin ('to rise'). The latter is considered more correct, for as a plural form means 'uplands', but it is not any direct form of the word in the meaning 'eagle'.

Extent

Before the boundaries of the national park were designated, "Snowdonia" was generally used to refer to a smaller upland area of northern centred on the Snowdon massif. The national park covers an area more than twice that size, extending south into the area.

This difference is apparent in books published before 1951. In George Borrow's 1907 ''Wild Wales'' he states that "Snowdon or Eryri is no single hill, but a mountainous region, the loftiest part of which scalled Y Wyddfa", making a distinction between the summit of the mountain and the surrounding massif. ''The Mountains of Snowdonia'' by H. Carr & G. Lister (1925) defines "Eryri" as "composed of the two cantrefs of Arfon and Arllechwedd, and the two commotes of Nant Conwy and Eifionydd", which corresponds to Caernarfonshire with the exception of southwest Llŷn and the Creuddyn Peninsula.

In ''Geography'' ''Volume 26'', a journal of the Geographical Association published in 1941, Thomas Cotterill Warrington, writes a section titled "Nomenclature in the Mountains of Carnarvonshire" defining both "Snowdonia" and "Eryri". "Snowdonia" was described by Warrington as a "tourist's or mountaineer's term" which encompassed the district containing Pen-y-Gwryd at its centre. Its boundaries were described as stretching from the Conwy valley to Fairy Glen gorge (near Betws-y-Coed), then from the Lledr Valley towards Dolwyddelan, and then across the hills to the valley of Ffestiniog and to Porthmadog (Portmadoc), before following the road to Caernarfon passing Dolbenmaen and Llanllyfni. While "Eryri" was defined by Warrington to encompass all of what he described as "Snowdonia" but adding the highlands between Bwlch Mawr and Yr Eifl.

In ''Snowdonia: The National Park of North Wales'' (1949), F. J. North states that "When the Committee delineated provisional boundaries, they included areas some distance beyond Snowdonia proper".

National park

Snowdonia National Park, officially Eryri National Park in English (since 2022) and in Welsh, was established in October 1951. It was the third national park in the United Kingdom, following the Peak District and Lake District in April and May of the same year. It covers in the counties of Gwynedd and Conwy, and has of coastline.

The park is governed by the Snowdonia national park authority, which has 18 members: 9 appointed by Gwynedd, 3 by Conwy, and 6 by the Welsh Government to represent the national interest. The authority's main offices are at Penrhyndeudraeth.

The park authority used ''Snowdonia'' and ''Snowdon'' when referring to the national park and mountain in English until November 2022, when it announced it would use their Welsh names, and respectively. Following a two-year transition period, the authority announced in November 2024, the change would be kept due to its success in gaining support and adoption by many businesses and media.

Unlike national parks in other countries, national parks in the UK are made up of both public and private lands under a central planning authority. The makeup of land ownership in the national park is as follows:

More than 26,000 people live within the park, of whom 58.6% could speak Welsh in 2011. While most of the land is either open or mountainous land, there is a significant amount of agricultural activity within the park.

The national park does not include the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which forms a unique non-designated enclave within the park boundaries. The town was deliberately excluded from the park when it was established because of its slate quarrying industry. Although in 2010, the national park authority leaders and the town's council called for the town to be included in the national park.

Geology

The geology of Snowdonia is key to the area's character. Glaciation during a succession of ice ages has carved a distinctive rocky landscape from a heavily faulted and folded succession of sedimentary and igneous rocks. The last ice age ended only just over 11,500 years ago, leaving features attractive to visitors, which have also played a part in the development of geological science and continue to provide a focus for educational visits. Visiting Cwm Idwal in 1841, Charles Darwin realised that the landscape was the product of glaciation. The bedrock dates largely from the Cambrian and Ordovician periods with intrusions of Ordovician and Silurian age associated with the Caledonian Orogeny. There are smaller areas of Silurian age sedimentary rocks in the south and northeast and of Cenozoic era strata on the Cardigan Bay coast, though the latter are concealed by more recent deposits. Low grade metamorphism of Cambrian and Ordovician mudstones has resulted in the slates, the extraction of which once formed the mainstay of the area's economy.

Geography

Mountains

The principal ranges of the traditional Snowdonia are the Snowdon massif itself, the Glyderau, the Carneddau, the Moelwynion and the Moel Hebog range. All of Wales' 3000ft mountains are to be found within the first three of these massifs and are most popular with visitors. To their south within the wider national park are the Rhinogydd and the Cadair Idris and Aran Fawddwy ranges. Besides these well-defined areas are a number of mountains which are less readily grouped, though various guidebook writers have assigned them into groups such as the "Arenigs", the "Tarrens" and the "Dyfi hills".

Snowdon's summit at is the highest in Wales and the highest in Britain south of the Scottish Highlands. At , is the highest in Wales outside of northern Snowdonia; , at , is next in line.

Rivers and lakes

Rivers draining the area directly into Cardigan Bay are typically short and steep. From north to south they include:
* the and , which share a common estuary,
* the and its tributaries the Wnion and the ,
* the smaller
* and on the park's southern margin the .

A series of rivers drain to the north coast. Largest of these is the Conwy on the park's eastern margin, which along with the drains into Conwy Bay. Further west the and empty into the western end of the Menai Strait. Part of the east of the national park is within the upper Dee (Dyfrydwy) catchment and includes Bala Lake, the largest natural water body in Wales.

A fuller list of the rivers and tributaries within the area is found at List of rivers of Wales.There are few natural bodies of water of any size in Wales; Snowdonia is home to most. Besides Bala Lake, a few lakes occupy glacial troughs, including and at and south of . , and to the south and west of Snowdon feature in this category, as do and on the margins of the . There are numerous small lakes occupying glacial cirques, owing to the intensity of past glacial action in Snowdonia. Known generically as tarns, examples are and on Snowdon, within the and on .

There are two large wholly man-made bodies of water in the area, and , whilst a number of the natural lakes have had their levels artificially raised. reservoir and Power Station's are two cases where natural tarns have been dammed as part of pumped storage hydro-electric schemes.

A fuller list of the lakes within the area is found at List of lakes of Wales. In 2023, the park standardised its Welsh language lake names, to be also used in English.

Coast

The national park meets the Irish Sea coast within Cardigan Bay between the Dovey estuary in the south and the estuary. The larger part of that frontage is characterised by dune systems, the largest of which are and . These two locations have two of the largest sand/shingle spits in Wales. The and estuaries form the largest indentations, and have large expanses of intertidal sands and coastal marsh which are especially important for wildlife: see #Natural history. The northern tip of the national park extends to the north coast of Wales at Point, west of , where precipitous cliffs have led to the road and railway tunnels.

Settlements

There are only three towns within the park boundary, though there are several more immediately beyond it. is the most populous followed by Bala on the eastern boundary and then Harlech overlooking Tremadog Bay. More populous than these is the town of Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is within an exclave, that is to say it is surrounded by the national park but excluded from it, whilst the towns of Tywyn and Barmouth on the Cardigan Bay coast are within coastal exclaves. in the east, Machynlleth in the south and Porthmadog and Penrhyndeudraeth in the west are immediately beyond the boundary but still identified with the park; indeed the last of these hosts the headquarters of the Snowdonia National Park Authority. Similarly the local economies of the towns of Conwy, Bethesda, and Llanberis in the north are inseparably linked to the national park as they provide multiple visitor services. The lower terminus of the Snowdon Mountain Railway is at Llanberis. Though adjacent to it, and are less obviously linked to the park.

There are numerous smaller settlements within the national park: prominent amongst these are the eastern 'gateway' village of , Aberdyfi on the Dovey () estuary and the small village of each of which attract large numbers of visitors. Other sizeable villages are at the southwest end of Bala Lake (), Dyffryn Ardudwy, Corris, Trawsfynydd, Llanbedr, Trefriw and Dolwyddelan.

Transport

Roads

Six primary routes serve Snowdonia, the busiest of which is the A55, a dual carriageway which runs along the north coast and provides strategic road access to the northern part of the national park. The most important north–south route within the park is the A470 running from the A55 south past to to . It exits the park a few miles to the southeast near . From , the A494 runs to whilst the A487 connects with . The A487 loops around the northwest of the park from via to before turning in land to meet the A470 east of . The A5 was built as a mail coach road by Thomas Telford between London and Holyhead; it enters the park near and leaves it near Bethesda. Other A class roads provide more local links; the A493 down the Dovey valley from and up the coast to then back up the valley to , the A496 from down the north side of the to Barmouth then north up the coast via to . The A4212 connecting with is relatively modern having been laid out in the 1960s in connection with the construction of . Three further roads thread their often twisting and narrow way through the northern mountains; A4085 links with , the A4086 links with via and the A498 links with the A4086 at . Other roads of note include that from up to via the high pass of , the second highest tarmacked public road in Wales and the minor road running northwest and west from towards via the high pass of .

Railways

*The double track North Wales Coast Line passes along the northern boundary of the park between Conwy and Bangor, briefly entering it at Point, where it is in a tunnel. Stations serve the communities of Conwy, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan and Bangor.
*The single-track Conwy Valley Line runs south from Llandudno Junction, and enters the park north of Betws-y-coed, which is served by a station, then continues west up the Lledr valley by way of further stations at Pont-y-pant, Dolwyddelan and Roman Bridge. After passing through a tunnel, the passenger line now terminates at Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station, where it connects with the Ffestiniog Railway.

:Before 1961 the route continued as the Bala and Ffestiniog Railway via Trawsfynydd to Bala, joining another former route along the Dee valley which ran southwest via Dolgellau to join the still extant coastal Cambrian Line south of Barmouth.
*The Pwllheli branch of the Cambrian Line splits from the Aberystwyth branch at Dovey Junction and continues northwards via stations at Aberdovey, Tywyn, Tonfanau, Llwyngwril, Fairbourne and Morfa Mawddach to Barmouth where it crosses the Mawddach estuary by the Grade II* listed wooden Barmouth Bridge, a structure which also provides for walkers and cyclists. Continuing northwards, further stations serve Llanaber, Tal-y-bont, Dyffryn Ardudwy, Llanbedr, Pensarn and Llandanwg before reaching Harlech. Tygwyn, Talsarnau and Llandecwyn stations are the last before the line exits the park as it crosses the Dwyryd estuary via Pont Briwet and turns westwards bound for Pwllheli via Penrhyndeudraeth, Porthmadog and Criccieth.

Many sections of dismantled railway are now used by walking and cycling routes and are described elsewhere. The Bala Lake Railway is a heritage railway which has been established along a section of the former mainline route between Bala and Llanuwchllyn. Other heritage railways occupy sections of former mineral lines, often narrow gauge and are described in a separate section.

Buses

The national park is served by a growing bus network, branded ''Sherpa'r Wyddfa'' (formerly Snowdon Sherpa). The network was relaunched in July 2022 with this new brand to reflect the National Park's promotion of Welsh place names. Thus the publicity and websites for the newly branded service only use these Welsh names, even though the publicity is also directed at monoglot English speakers.

Together with the network of buses, this provides a car-free option for tourists and locals wishing to travel across the National Park.

Climate

Snowdonia is one of the wettest parts of the United Kingdom; Crib Goch in Snowdonia is the wettest spot in the United Kingdom, with an average rainfall of a year over the 30-year period prior to the mid-2000s. (There is a rainfall gauge at on the slopes below Crib Goch.)

History

The earliest evidence for human occupation of the area dates from around 4000–3000 BC with extensive traces of prehistoric field systems evident in the landscape. Within these are traces of irregular enclosures and hut circles. There are burial chambers of Neolithic and Bronze Age such as Bryn Cader Faner and Iron Age hillforts such as Bryn y Castell near Ffestiniog.

The region was finally conquered by the Romans by AD 77–78. Remains of Roman marching camps and practice camps are evident. There was a Roman fort and amphitheatre at Tomen y Mur. Roads are known to have connected with (Caernarfon) and (Chester) and include the northern reaches of Sarn Helen.

There are numerous memorial stones of Early Christian affinity dating from the post-Roman period. The post-Roman hillfort of Dinas Emrys also dates to this time. Churches were introduced to the region in the 5th and 6th centuries. Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd had various stone castles constructed to protect their borders and trade routes. Edward I built several castles around the margins including those at Harlech and Conwy for military and administrative reasons. Most are now protected within a World Heritage Site. Some of Snowdonia's many stone walls date back to this period too. In the Middle Ages, the title ''Prince of Wales and Lord of Snowdonia'' () was used by ; his grandfather used the title ''Prince of north Wales and Lord of Snowdonia''.

The 18th century saw the start of industrial exploitation of the area's resources, assisted by the appearance in the late part of the century of turnpike trusts making it more accessible. The engineer Thomas Telford left a legacy of road and railway construction in and around Snowdonia. A new harbour at Porthmadog linked to slate quarries at Ffestiniog via a narrow gauge railway. At its peak in the 19th century the slate industry employed around 12,000 men. A further 1000 were employed in stone quarrying at Graiglwyd and Penmaenmawr. Mining for copper, iron and gold was undertaken during the 18th and 19th centuries, leaving a legacy of mine and mill ruins today. Ruins of the gold industry are found at Cefn Coch on the Dolmelynllyn estate.

The Snowdonia Society is a registered charity formed in 1967; it is a voluntary group of people with an interest in the area and its protection.

Amory Lovins led the successful 1970s opposition to stop Rio Tinto digging up the area for a massive mine.

Natural history

The park's entire coastline is a Special Area of Conservation, which runs from the Llŷn Peninsula down the mid-Wales coast, the latter containing valuable sand dune systems.

The park's natural forests are of the mixed deciduous type, the commonest tree being the Welsh oak. Birch, ash, mountain-ash and hazel are also common. The park also contains some large (planted) coniferous forested areas such as Gwydir Forest near Betws-y-Coed, although some areas, once harvested, are now increasingly being allowed to regrow naturally.

Flora

Northern Snowdonia is the only place in Britain where the Snowdon lily (''Gagea serotina''), an arctic–alpine plant, is found and the only place in the world where the Snowdonia hawkweed '' Hieracium snowdoniense'' grows.

One of the major problems facing the park in recent years has been the growth of '' Rhododendron ponticum''. This fast-growing invasive species has a tendency to take over and stifle native species. It can form massive towering growths and has a companion fungus that grows on its roots producing toxins that are poisonous to any local flora and fauna for a seven-year period after the ''Rhododendron'' infestations have been eradicated. As a result, there are a number of desolate landscapes.

Fauna

Mammals in the park include otters, polecats, feral goats, and pine martens. Birds include raven, red-billed chough, peregrine, osprey, merlin and the red kite. The rainbow-coloured Snowdon beetle ('' Chrysolina cerealis'') is only found in northern Snowdonia.

The feral goats found in Snowdonia are adapted to the rough and steep terrain. Thought to be descended from domesticated herds of goats, which were brought to the area by Neolithic farmers approximately 5,000 years ago. The goats are said to have become feral after being left and abandoned by farmers and now live in small herds. One herd that reside above Llanberis consists of more than 50 goats as of 2003, despite a cull in 2006 to control their population.

Conservation designations

Snowdonia has a particularly high number of protected sites in respect of its diverse ecology; nearly 20% of its total area is protected by UK and European law. Half of that area was set aside by the government under the European Habitats Directive as a Special Area of Conservation. There are a large number of Sites of special scientific interest (or 'SSSIs'), designated both for fauna and flora but also in some cases for geology. Nineteen of these sites are managed as national nature reserves by Natural Resources Wales. The park also contains twelve Special Areas of Conservation (or 'SACs'), three Special Protection Areas (or 'SPAs') and three Ramsar sites. Some are wholly within the park boundaries, others straddle it to various degrees.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest

There are numerous SSSIs within the park, the most extensive of which are Snowdonia, Estuary, and .

National nature reserves

The following NNRs are either wholly or partly within the park:
(in multiple parts), (in 2 parts), and Snowdon.

Special Areas of Conservation

The twelve SACs are as follows:
*Afon Eden – Cors Goch Trawsfynydd
*Afon Gwyrfai a (''and'') Llyn Cwellyn
* Part of the Berwyn a Mynyddoedd De Clwyd / Berwyn and South Clwyd Mountains SAC.
* Cadair Idris (in two parts)
*Coedydd Derw a Safleoedd Ystlumod Meirion / Meirionydd Oakwoods and Bat Sites: a series of sites between , and and and extending up the . It also includes many of the oakwoods of the and its tributaries.
*Corsydd Eifionydd (''Eifionydd Fens'') (north of Garndolbenmaen)
*Eryri/Snowdonia, which covers much of the , and the Snowdon massif
* Migneint-Arenig-Dduallt
*Mwyngloddiau Fforest Gwydir / Gwydyr Forest Mines (north of Betws-y-Coed)
* The Pen Llyn a'r Sarnau / Lleyn Peninsula and the Sarnau SAC covers the entire Cardigan Bay coastline of the park and the sea area and extends above the high water mark at and around the Dovey and estuaries.
*Rhinog
* River Dee and Bala Lake / Afon Dyfrdwy a Llyn Tegid

Special Protection Areas

The three SPAs are Dovey Estuary / (of which a part is within the park), (of which a part is within the park) and .

Ramsar sites

The three designated Ramsar site