Llyn-y-Foel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Llyn-y-Foel |
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Location | Snowdonia, Wales |
Coordinates | 53°04′23″N 3°55′10″W / 53.07313°N 3.91949°W |
Type | natural |
Basin countries | United Kingdom |
Max. length | 240 m (790 ft) |
Max. width | 120 m (390 ft) |
Max. depth | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
Surface elevation | 535 m (1,755 ft) |
Llyn-y-Foel (which means "lake of the mountain" in Welsh) is a beautiful lake located in Snowdonia, Wales. It sits high up at 535 meters (about 1,755 feet) above sea level. This lake is about 240 meters (787 feet) long and 120 meters (394 feet) wide. It's not very deep, only up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) at its deepest point. You can find it at the bottom of the main ridge of Moel Siabod, a famous mountain in the area.
The Lake's Water Journey
The water from Llyn-y-Foel flows out from its southeast side. This outflow forms one of the main streams that feed into a river called Afon Ystumiau. Afon Ystumiau then joins another river, Afon Lledr. Finally, the water from Afon Lledr flows into the larger Afon Conwy.
Unique Fish in the Lake
The water in Llyn-y-Foel has a deep brown color. This color comes from the peat (a type of soil made from decayed plants) in the area around the lake. Because of this special environment, a unique type of brown trout lives here. These particular brown trout can only be found in Llyn-y-Foel.
The Legend of the Ox's Eye
Even though the lake is known as Llyn-y-Foel, it has another old name: Llyn Llygad yr Ych. This means "the Lake of the Ox's Eye." This name comes from an old Welsh tale. The story tells of a strong ox that was trying to pull a scary creature called an afanc from Betws-y-Coed. The afanc was a monster often described as a giant beaver or crocodile. During this hard task, the ox lost one of its eyes. This happened on the way to Glaslyn, a lake below Snowdon.