Nant Gwrtheyrn facts for kids
Nant Gwrtheyrn is a special place in northwest Wales where people can learn the Welsh Language and discover Welsh history. It's located near a village called Llithfaen, right on the coast of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd.
The centre gets its name from the valley it sits in, which is called Nant Gwrtheyrn. This means "Vortigern's stream." It's a very quiet place, tucked away by the sea at the foot of a mountain called Yr Eifl. Sometimes, people just call it "the Nant." The buildings you see today were once part of a village called Porth y Nant. This village was abandoned during World War II after the local stone quarry closed down.
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History of Nant Gwrtheyrn
From Quarry Village to Language Centre
A stone quarry opened at Nant Gwrtheyrn in 1861. It had its own village, Porth y Nant, right where the language centre is now. The quarry produced "setts," which are strong stone blocks used to build roads. The people living there were quite cut off from the rest of the world. They mainly sent their stone and received supplies by boat across the Irish Sea.
The quarry closed early in World War II. This happened because fewer people needed the stone, and it was hard to transport it. If you visit the Nant, you can still see marks on the hillsides and old ruined buildings that show where the quarry used to be.
After the quarry closed, the people moved away, and the small cottages started to fall apart. For a short time in the 1960s, some people known as hippies lived there. Later, there were many ideas for what to do with the site. Finally, a local group led by Dr. Carl Clowes bought the land. Their big idea was to create a centre for learning the Welsh language.
A lot of money was spent to rebuild the village. This project created a new Welsh language centre, a place to learn about history, rooms for meetings, and comfortable places to stay. The First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, officially opened it in March 2011.
Learning Welsh at the Centre
Nant Gwrtheyrn is famous for its courses that help adults learn Welsh. You can find classes for all levels, from complete beginners to advanced speakers. These courses run all year round. There are also special weekends and activities to help people practice and improve their Welsh.
Students often get to enjoy cultural experiences as part of their course. You can stay right in the village while you learn. The village has two rows of old cottages that used to house quarry workers. They are called Trem y Mor (Sea View) and Trem y Mynydd (Mountain View).
Besides language courses, the centre is also used for weddings and business meetings. Students from Liverpool John Moores University sometimes stay here for writing courses. The area around Nant Gwrtheyrn is known for its amazing natural beauty. Many writers and photographers visit to enjoy the scenery.
Beautiful Landscape
From the village, you can see the nearby beach. You can get to it by walking down an unpaved path. The views from Nant Gwrtheyrn are stunning! On a clear day, you can see Porth Dinllaen and even the South Stack lighthouse on Anglesey.
Getting to Nant Gwrtheyrn
The Road Less Traveled
Because the centre is in such a remote spot, it can be a bit tricky to reach. The original road leading down into the village was very difficult. It was a narrow, unpaved track with no safety barriers, many sharp turns, and a very steep slope. It was not suitable for most cars or nervous drivers! This road was even used for motor sports sometimes. A film company called British Pathé once filmed a car trying to drive up it, calling it "Climbing the Unclimbable."
Luckily, the road was made much better in 2007. It's still a single-track road, but it's now paved. It also has safe passing places, crash barriers, and fewer, less steep turns.
The closest bus stop is in the nearby village of Llithfaen. The nearest train stations are in Pwllheli and Bangor. You can also walk to the centre from the top of the valley. The walk down takes about forty minutes, but walking back up can be a tough climb, taking over an hour!
