Swallow Falls on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
Swallow Falls (; ; or ; ) is a multiple
The name derives from the fact that the flow of the river is separated by a prominent rock into two streams of water that look like a
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
system in 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 ...
, located on the River Llugwy
River Llugwy () is a tributary of the River Conwy, and has its source at Ffynnon Llugwy, a lake in the Carneddau range of mountains in Snowdonia in north-west Wales.
Location and catchment area
The average annual rainfall in the catchment ...
near 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 ...
, in Conwy County Borough
Conwy County Borough () is a Principal areas of Wales, county borough in the north Wales, north of Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south and Denbighshire to the east. The largest settlement is Colwyn Bay, and Conwy is the administrativ ...
.
Name
The name derives from the fact that the flow of the river is separated by a prominent rock into two streams of water that look like a swallow
The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...
's tail. The similar sounding is a later coinage based on the adjective ''ewynnol'' 'foaming', which itself seems to have been coined at the end of the eighteenth century
The 18th century lasted from 1 January 1701 (represented by the Roman numerals MDCCI) to 31 December 1800 (MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the Atlantic Revolutions. Revolutions began to cha ...
.
It has been suggested that this name was 'prompted by a desire to demonstrate W lshlinguistic ownership of a popular tourist attraction and a concern that ''Rhaeadr y Wennol'' would be perceived as a deferential translation of what came to be the better known name Swallow Falls'. The name, in its variant forms, is attested from the 1770s onwards.
History
It was suggested in 1899 that the falls could be used to generate electricity for the nearby village of , as well as overhead lighting for the falls. In 1913 the second Lord Ancaster, the landowner, gave the Swallow Falls to the local council, who decided to charge for visiting it in order to pay off some of the £15,000 debt incurred through the installation of water and electricity supplies to the village. Once the debt of costs of installation was cleared the parish retained the fee, resulting in having the lowestrates
Rate or rates may refer to:
Finance
* Rate (company), an American residential mortgage company formerly known as Guaranteed Rate
* Rates (tax), a type of taxation system in the United Kingdom used to fund local government
* Exchange rate, rate ...
in the country. By the 1930s, the waterfall had become a popular tourist destination, although there were few visitors during the winter off-season. A writer in the '' Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer'' on 17 January 1933, described the waterfall as coming "over the rocks in a perfect torrent, peerless white in the dusk."
In 1939, Richard Morris, the former chairman of the local council, was charged with making false entries in the upkeep of the tolls. There was a total deficiency of £67 15s 6d; by the time the charge was laid, Morris had already repaid the sum. The cheap water and electricity rates ended after local government reorganisation in 1974.
See also
*List of waterfalls
This list of notable waterfalls of the world is sorted by continent, then country, then province, state or territory. A waterfall is included if it is at least tall and has an existing Wikipedia article, or it is considered historically sig ...
* List of waterfalls in Wales
Wales is a mountainous country with a wet climate and hence home to many hundreds of waterfalls. Some are popular visitor attractions, many are celebrated in legend whilst others are relatively unknown.
Naming of falls
As might be expected in th ...
References
{{Waterfalls of Wales Betws-y-Coed Capel Curig Waterfalls of Conwy County Borough Waterfalls of Snowdonia