Our Nantlle Valley. more from this section

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1 This document is a snapshot of content from a discontinued BBC website, originally published between It has been made available for archival & research purposes only. Please see the foot of this document for Archive Terms of Use. 28 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Home BBC Local North West Things to do People & Places Nature & Outdoors History Religion & Ethics Arts & Culture TV & Radio Local BBC Sites News Sport Weather Travel Neighbouring Sites Mid North East Related BBC Sites Cymru Gogledd Orllewin School dinners, Snowdon, old quarries and Welsh warriors - the pupils of Ysgol Bro Lleu, Penygroes, give us the lowdown on their Nantlle Valley. What's the best thing about Dyffryn Nantlle? Lydia: Everyone is friendly towards you here - it's a close community and you can go out without any fear. It feels like a very safe place, perhaps because it's in the country. Iwan: The vale is a tightly-knit community. Many are related to each other and we're all friends. Siôn: It's a great place to go walking over the mountains and through the woods, which aren't far from our house. I also like riding my bike along Lôn Eifion. I have ridden to Caernarfon which is about five miles away - I biked 14 miles once. We also have a really good football team - Nantlle Vale. They're on top of the league at the moment, with an unbeaten record. They play at Llanllyfni, or sometimes at Penygroes. What about Ysgol Bro Lleu? Lydia: It's a small school and there aren't that many children - there are a lot more at Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle, where you have to move around from class to class - that's not necessary here. more from this section Nantlle Valley A day's fishing Ask a local Have your say Marathon runner Nantlle Vale in pictures Pen yr Orsedd Quarry Rosalie's memories School photo workshop Swapping Surrey for Pantglas The quarrymen Nantlle plot Bryn Terfel Marconi's radio Useful links Dr Thompson's Casebook interact Tell us about a web page Found a web page we should know about? Send us the details. A Friend related bbc.co.uk links Snowdon homepage related www links Welsh Highland Railway Gwen: You can't get lost here! Gwion: We get healthy food here. We have chips sometimes, but not all the time. What is there here for visitors? Siôn: The mountains and the villages are the main attractions - everyone is kind and welcoming to the English. You can go for a walk up Snowdon. I've climbed to the top - it took four hours to go up and two hours to come down. Phillip: My grandfather used to drive the train up Snowdon. I've never been on the train, but I'd like to. Iwan: All the visitors prefer Llanberis because of the train and because it's the easiest route up Snowdon. The visitors say 'there's only one way up Snowdon', but what are they on about? You can go up from Rhyd Ddu and other places - we're lucky because we can reach Snowdon along many more from North West Get in tune Tell us about your band, join a choir or find a gig you fancy. Hall of Fame Public life Meet heroes and historic figures raised in the region. Arts Be inspired Release your creativity with a look at local art and artists.

2 routes. Jemma: I've been on the steam train from Rhyd Ddu. When you go through the tunnel the steam pours in through the windows and everyone chokes. There's quite a pong, but I quite like it. Sardinia: Cymry yn 'ddiogel' Pontio: Dim prif weithredwr Elin: There's a Celtic fort in Dyffryn Nantlle. There's not a lot of it left now - just a little wall, but that is where the Celts used to live many centuries ago. Iwan: The Romans lived at Clogwyn Melyn, Penygroes. My grandfather told me so last week. What don't you like about Dyffryn Nantlle? Glesni: I think it would be better if there were more shops here. I'd like to see a clothes shop, more like you see in Caernarfon. There are only food shops here. Siôn: I don't like the big people who go along the streets at night, shouting and throwing stones at windows or at the chapel. They're scary and they wake me up all the time. Sioned: The big kids go to the play park and write all over the swings and the slides. Nobody comes to tidy up. Glesni: People smash the phone box, too - the older children can be naughty. We're not going to be like that when we're bigger. Elin: I don't like the divers and those who leave rubbish around Dorothea Quarry. Anyone can go to the quarry without charge, and litter is a big problem there, but they don't make a mess in Llanberis, where you have to pay. Who's going to stay in Dyffryn Nantlle after leaving school? Seven say they will leave, but 16 intend to stay. The old quarries and a Welsh hero... your comments Jaks Thomas Northants I would like to live here, it's simply outstanding, beauty everywhere. I spent a lot of my younger years in the Snowdonia area, my mother's family are welsh with most still living here.shame to hear of unsociable behaviour being here, must be bored youths, though where i live it comes from adults and too much drinking. Mon Jul 2 09:44: Sioned, Penygroes Just a shame the youths run riot at night and wake the children up. A beautiful little village but we are ALL fed up of the unsociable behaviour on a night time. Mon Jun 11 10:06: Barbara Schooley from Rome, NY USA

3 My great Grandfather, John J. Hughes, was from Bryn Dyffryn Talysarn. I do not speak any Welsh and would like to know what that means. I know the town is Talysarn, but I am stuck on Bryn Dyffryn. I really enjoyed reading your comments about the valley. Fri Mar 9 09:23: Laura Peter, Wirral I do like reading all your diverse views. I am so glad that more than double of you intend to stay than leave ; a great community obviously. You must feel very privileged to live in such a beautiful and reknowned area. Mon Sep 18 10:41:

4 28 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Home Last updated: 28 April 2006 BBC Local North West Things to do People & Places Nature & Outdoors History Religion & Ethics Arts & Culture TV & Radio Local BBC Sites News Sport Weather Travel Neighbouring Sites Mid North East Related BBC Sites Cymru Gogledd Orllewin What about the history of the local quarries? Iwan: There were more than 30 quarries at one time, but only one at Pen-yr-Orsedd and another at Tanrallt are still working today. Every single house in Hyfrydle Road in Talysarn was a quarryman's house. They were small houses, but they've been extended since then. Glesni: In the old days they didn't have machines and things to ensure that workers were safe, so they always worked with a partner. They weren't paid much either, and they worked very long hours. Elin: They had heavy boots and hard hats. When they split slates many years ago they breathed in the dust, and many died because of that. Siôn: They had to put water on the slates before splitting them to prevent the dust from making people ill. Iwan: They say that there are ghosts in the old quarry at Dorothea in Talysarn, especially in the quarry owner's old house. You can feel them near - even if it's warm you can go cold very suddenly. Did Owain Glyndwr have any connections with the valley? Iwan: Owain Glyndwr used to come to this valley often. He had to go to Caernarfon many times and he stayed in Dyffryn Nantlle. more from this section Nantlle Valley A day's fishing Ask a local Have your say Marathon runner Nantlle Vale in pictures Pen yr Orsedd Quarry Rosalie's memories School photo workshop Swapping Surrey for Pantglas The quarrymen Nantlle plot Bryn Terfel Marconi's radio Useful links Dr Thompson's Casebook interact Tell us about a web page Found a web page we should know about? Send us the details. A Friend more from North West In Pictures Slideshows Our A-Z takes in everything from aerial views to zoos. Just as you go into Parc Glynllifon there's a statue bearing Glyndwr's flag. There was also some mention of the River Llifon in Owain Glyndwr's history - perhaps he stayed in that area. Weird Strange sights Spotted anything strange in your neighbourhood lately? Siôn: Owain Glyndwr brought government to and he made Machynlleth into the capital of the country. He fought for the English at the beginning, but when he heard that an Englishman had stolen money from the Welsh, he decided to fight for the Welsh. He wanted a war against the English, to keep them out. He sent a boat to Ireland to summon help against the English, and they came. In the end he ran away and hid inside a cave - they say his spirit is still inside the cave, since no-one knows how or where he died. Your Say Talking points Share your views, gripes and passions and make your voice heard. Sardinia: Cymry yn 'ddiogel' Pontio: Dim prif weithredwr

5 Iwan: They won some battles, but there was battle after battle, one after another. Today, the English are taking over, moving in and taking houses from local people who need homes - just so they can have holiday homes. It's not fair. It would be nice to have a government just for, and for the Welsh language to be secure for the future. Glesni: Our language is beginning to go. Although many people speak Welsh in this area, more and more English people are coming in. What put the 'lleu' in Nantlle...

6 28 February 2012 Accessibility help Text only BBC Homepage Home BBC Local North West Things to do People & Places Nature & Outdoors History Religion & Ethics Arts & Culture TV & Radio Local BBC Sites News Sport Weather Travel Neighbouring Sites Mid North East Related BBC Sites Cymru Gogledd Orllewin Last updated: 28 April 2006 What's behind the 'lleu' in nant'lle'? Phillip: Dyffryn Nantlle comes from Dyffryn Nant'lleu' - that's why this school is called Ysgol Bro Lleu. We have an owl and an eagle on the school badge, as there is in the story of Blodeuwedd. Elin: Gwydion, Lleu's father, made him a girlfriend out of flowers - Blodeuwedd. Later she wanted to kill Lleu, because she didn't want to marry him - she fancied another man. So she tried to discover a way of killing Lleu - she knew there was a special way of doing that. He told her and she killed him. Lleu turned into an eagle when he was killed and Gwydion turned Blodeuwedd into an owl, as punishment. Then, Lleu turned back into a man and chased after the man whom Blodeuwedd liked. He threw a spear at him, and the spear went through a big rock, killing him as it went. To this day there's a rock by the river with a hole in it. An artist came to the school and we made a mural telling the story, in the entrance hall. more from this section Nantlle Valley A day's fishing Ask a local Have your say Marathon runner Nantlle Vale in pictures Pen yr Orsedd Quarry Rosalie's memories School photo workshop Swapping Surrey for Pantglas The quarrymen Nantlle plot Bryn Terfel Marconi's radio Useful links Dr Thompson's Casebook interact Tell us about a web page Found a web page we should know about? Send us the details. A Friend