Gwynedd

Geography
Area - Total - % Water	Ranked 2nd 2,548 km2 ? %
Admin HQ	Caernarfon
Largest City	Bangor
ISO 3166-2	GB-GWN
ONS code	00NC (ONS) W06000002 (GSS)
Demographics
Population: - (2011) - Density	Ranked 14th 121,900 Ranked 20th 47 / km2
Ethnicity	99.0% White
Welsh language - Any skills	Ranked 1st 76.1%
Politics
The Arms of the former Gwynedd County Council 1974–1996 http://www.gwynedd.gov.uk/
Control	TBA (council NOC)
MPs	Guto Bebb Elfyn Llwyd Hywel Williams
AMs	Dafydd Elis-Thomas Gareth Jones Alun Ffred Jones (Constituency) North Wales (Part), Mid and West Wales (Part) (Regional)
MEPs	Wales

Gwynedd (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈɡwɨ̞nɛð]) is an area in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. As a local government area it is the second biggest in terms of geographical area and also one of the most sparsely populated. A large proportion of the population is Welsh-speaking. The name Gwynedd is also used for a preserved county, covering the two local government areas of Gwynedd and the Isle of Anglesey. Culturally and historically, the name can also be used for most of North Wales (for instance, the area covered by the Gwynedd Constabulary), corresponding to the approximate territory of the Kingdom of Gwynedd at its greatest extent. The current area is 2,548 square km (Slightly smaller than Luxembourg).

Gwynedd is the home of Bangor University and includes the scenic Llŷn Peninsula, and most of the Snowdonia National Park.

History [edit]

View of Tremadog bay.

Gwynedd as a county from 1974 to 1996 when it included the Island of Anglesey

Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th Century when it was conquered and subjugated by England. The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties originally created on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, based on the principal territory of the former realm. It covered the entirety of the old counties of Anglesey, and Caernarfonshire along with all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd), and also a few parishes in Denbighshire: Llanrwst, Llansanffraid Glan Conwy, Eglwysbach, Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan.

The county was divided into five districts: Aberconwy, Arfon, Dwyfor, Meirionnydd and Anglesey.

The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished the 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parts) passed to the new Conwy County Borough. The remainder of the county was constituted a principal area with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire, reflecting that it covered most of the areas of those two counties. As one of its first actions, the Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council. As a unitary authority the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain in use as area committees.

The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy. In 2003 the boundary with Clwyd was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey, and the area of Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd.

A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 from the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police.

The Snowdonia National Park was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough, and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council does still appoint 9 of the 18 members of the Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints 3; and the National Assembly for Wales appoints the remaining 6).

Welsh language [edit]

Percentage of Welsh speakers by principal area

In Gwynedd, more than two-thirds of the population reports being able to speak Welsh. The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd slightly declined from 1991 to 2001,^[1] from 72.1% to 68.7%, respectively.^[1] This occurred even as the proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade, to 20.5%. In 2003, however, a survey of schools showed that just over 94% of children between 3 and 15 were able to speak Welsh. Nevertheless, there have been concerns that an influx of English speakers to the area is damaging the standing of Welsh.

Political controversy over housing market and Welsh language [edit]

In 1996 there were large protests, backed by Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, against the construction of 800 houses at Morfa Bychan near Porthmadog.^[2] The protests followed a High Court decision that planning permission given in 1964 was still valid, which Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg described as a "scandal" in a 1998 report.^[3] The owners of the site later entered a legal agreement with the council which allowed building of a caravan site on part of the site, but which set aside the earlier permission for the houses; the council later also settled a compensation claim by the developers for its handling of the matter.^[4]

In 2001 nearly a third of all properties in Gwynedd were bought by buyers from out of the county, and with some communities reporting as many as a third of local homes used as holiday homes, whose owners spend less than six months of the year locally.^[5][6] Controversial comments by former Gwynedd county councillor Seimon Glyn of Plaid Cymru focused attention on the relationship between the property market and use of the Welsh language.^[7] Glyn was commenting on a report underscoring the problem of rocketing house prices outstripping what locals could pay, with the report warning that '...traditional Welsh communities could die out..." as a consequence.^[8] Concerned for the Welsh language under these pressures, Glyn said "Once you have more than 50% of anybody living in a community that speaks a foreign language, then you lose your indigenous tongue almost immediately".^[9] Plaid Cymru had long advocated controls on second homes, and a 2001 task force headed by Dafydd Wigley recommended land should be allocated for affordable local housing, and called for grants for locals to buy houses, and recommended council tax on holiday homes should double, following similar measures in the Scottish Highlands.^[6][9][10] However the Welsh Labour-Liberal Democrat Assembly coalition rebuffed these proposals, with Assembly housing spokesman Peter Black stating that "we [cannot] frame our planning laws around the Welsh language", adding "Nor can we take punitive measures against second home owners in the way that they propose as these will have an impact on the value of the homes of local people".^[9]

By autumn 2001 the Exmoor National Park authority in England began consideration to limit second home ownership there which was also driving up local housing prices by as much as 31%. Elfyn Llwyd, Plaid Cymru's Parliamentary Group Leader, said that the issues in Exmoor National Park were the same as in Wales, however in Wales there is the added dimension of preserving the language and culture. Reflecting on the controversy Glyn's comments caused earlier in the year, Llwyd observed "What is interesting is of course it is fine for Exmoor to defend their community but in Wales when you try to say these things it is called racist..." Llwyd called on other parties to join in a debate to bring the Exmoor experience to Wales when he said "... I really do ask them and I plead with them to come around the table and talk about the Exmoor suggestion and see if we can now bring it into Wales".^[11] By spring 2002 both the Snowdonia National Park (Welsh: Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri) and Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Welsh: Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro) authorities began limiting second home ownership within the parks, following the example set by Exmoor.^[12] According to planners in Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire, applicants for new homes must demonstrate a proven local need or the applicant had strong links with the area.

Notable people from Gwynedd [edit]

• Wayne Hennessey footballer, current Welsh national team goalkeeper, playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
• T. E. Lawrence, "Lawrence of Arabia"
• David Lloyd George, statesman, born in Manchester but lived in Llanystumdwy from infancy
• Owain Fôn Williams, footballer, currently playing for Tranmere Rovers.
• Elin Fflur, Welsh singer
• Duffy, soul singer-songwriter.
• Chico Slimani, of X Factor fame, resided for a short time in Llanystumdwy.
• Opera singer Bryn Terfel.
• Opera singer Gwyn Hughes Jones (Llanbedrgoch, 25-10-1969)
• Hedd Wyn, born Ellis Evans, the famous poet came from the village of Trawsfynydd.
• Bryn Fôn, popular Welsh Singer and actor
• Group Captain Leslie Bonnet, RAF officer, writer and originator of the Welsh Harlequin Duck; and his wife Joan Hutt, artist
• Clough Williams-Ellis, architect of Portmeirion
• Sasha, DJ

See also [edit]

• List of Lord Lieutenants of Gwynedd
• List of High Sheriffs of Gwynedd
• List of places in Gwynedd for all villages, towns and cities in Gwynedd.
• List of schools in Gwynedd
• Snowdonia National Park
• Llŷn Peninsula

References [edit]

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gwynedd

• Gwynedd at the Open Directory Project
• Gwynedd Lleol 'Local'
• Gwynedd.com
• Bangor University
• Gwynedd Council

v t e Gwynedd Principal settlements Bala Bangor Barmouth Bethesda Blaenau Ffestiniog Caernarfon Criccieth Dolgellau Ffestiniog Harlech Nefyn Porthmadog Pwllheli Tywyn Towns and villages Aberangell Aberdaron Aberdesach Aberdyfi Abererch Abergeirw Abergwyngregyn Abergynolwyn Aberllefenni Abersoch Abertrinant Afon Wen Anelog Arthog Beddgelert Bethania Bethel Bethesda Betws Garmon Bodferin Boduan Bontddu Bontnewydd Botwnnog Bryncroes Bryn-crug Brynrefail Buan Bwlch-derwin Caeathro Capel Celyn Carmel Carnguwch Ceidio Chwilog Clwt-y-bont Clynnog Fawr Corris Uchaf Corris Croesor Cwm y Glo Deiniolen Dinas Dinas Dinlle Dinas Mawddwy Dinorwig Dolbenmaen Dolmelinllyn Dwygyfylchi Edern Efailnewydd Eisingrug Fairbourne Friog Frongoch Ganllwyd Garndolbenmaen Garneddwen Gellilydan Glasinfryn Groeslon Llan Ffestiniog Llanaber Llanaelhaearn Llanarmon Llanbedr Llanbedrog Llanberis Llandanwg Llandegwning Llandeiniolen Llandudwen Llandwrog Llandygai Llanegryn Llanelltyd Llanengan Llanfaelrhys Llanfaglan Llanfair Llanfihangel Bachellaeth Llanfihangel-y-Pennant Llanfihangel-y-Pennant, Dolbenmaen Llanfrothen Llangelynnin Llangian Llangwnnadl Llangybi Llaniestyn Llanigian Llanllechid Llanllyfni Llannor Llanrug Llanuwchllyn Llanwnda Llanymawddwy Llanystumdwy Llithfaen Llwyndyrys Llwyngwril Maentwrog Mallwyd Mellteyrn Minffordd Morfa Bychan Morfa Nefyn Mynydd Llandygai Mynydd Nefyn Mynytho Nantlle Valley Rhostryfan Nantmor Nasareth Nebo Pant Glas Penffridd Penisa'r Waun Penllech Penllyn Penmaenpool Pennal Penrhos Penrhyndeudraeth Pentre Gwynfryn Penygroes Pen-y-meinl Pistyll Pontrug Porthdinllaen Portmeirion Prenteg Rachub Rhiwddolion Rhosgadfan Rhoshirwaun Rhoslefair Rhos-y-gwaliau Rhyd Ddu Rhyd Rhydyclafdy Sarn Meyllteyrn Soar Talsarnau Tal-y-bont (near Bangor) Tal-y-bont (near Barmouth) Tal-y-llyn Talysarn Tanygrisiau Trawsfynydd Trefor Tregarth Tremadog Tudweiliog Tywyn Waunfawr Y Felinheli Y Ffor Y Fron Y Rhiw Education Bangor University Coleg Harlech Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor Coleg Menai Schools Castles and forts Caernarfon Castle Castell y Bere Criccieth Castle Dolbadarn Castle Harlech Castle Fort Belan Rivers Afon Aber River Adda Afon Artro Afon Cegin Afon Cwmnantcol Afon Daron Afon Dwyfor Afon Dwyryd Afon Dysynni Afon Fathew Afon Glaslyn Afon Llyfni Afon Mawddach Afon Ogwen Afon Rhythallt Afon Seiont Afon Tryweryn Islands Bardsey Island Ynys Gifftan Topics Parliamentary constituencies Places SSSIs Country houses History Lord Lieutenants High Sheriffs Museums

Coordinates: 52°50′N 3°55′W / 52.833°N 3.917°W / 52.833; -3.917