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Blaenau Ffestiniog Tourist Guide

Area Guides: Blaenau Ffestiniog
Website: http://www.staysnowdonia.co.uk/tourist/areaguide/Blaenau Ffestiniog


Details: Blaenau Ffestiniog is a small town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. It has a population of 4,830 according to the 2001 census.

Geography

Located in the mountains of Snowdonia, the town was once a major centre of the slate mining industry. This industry declined during the early 20th century. The town's economy is now largely dependent on tourism. Although the town is in the centre of the Snowdonia National Park, the boundaries of the Park are specifically arranged to omit the town with its substantial slate waste heaps from the Park.

The hills around Blaenau Ffestiniog form the watershed between the River Conwy flowing to the north and the River Dwyryd flowing to the west.

Education

Ysgol y Moelwyn is the main secondary school in the area, covering Blaenau, Manod, Tanygrisiau, Llan Ffestiniog, Trawsfynydd, Gellilydan, and even stretching into the Vale of Ffestiniog. There are many primary schools in the area, many are due for closure or mergers with other schools.

Tourism

Blaenau Ffestiniog boasts several major tourist attractions, including the Ffestiniog Railway, and also the Llechwedd Slate Caverns, a former slate mine open to visitors. Llechwedd is regularly listed as one of Wales' top 5 visitor attractions.

History

Blaenau Ffestiniog hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1898. It was formerly part of the ancient county of Merionethshire.

Pronunciation

The official Welsh-English pronunciation of Blaenau Ffestiniog suggested by BBC Pronouncing Dictionary of British Names is IPA: /ˈblaɪnaɪ fɛsˈtɪnjɒg/ but the first word is more commonly pronounced [ˈblaɪna] by local Welsh speakers.

Transport links

The main access route to Blaenau Ffestiniog is via the A470 road which runs from the north to the south of Wales. The A497, which runs West to East, feeds the Llŷn Peninsula into the A487 (which runs from Bangor through Caernarfon and into Porthmadog, which in turn connects with the north-south A470. Immediately to the north of the town the A470 climbs steeply to the Crimea Pass and meets the A5 at Betws-y-Coed.

At various times the town has been the terminus for four independent railway lines, each with its own station or stations:

The Ffestiniog Railway
The Festiniog and Blaenau Railway
The Conwy Valley Line of the London and North Western Railway, and
The Bala Ffestiniog Line of the Great Western Railway.

Today Blaenau Ffestiniog railway station on the site of the former Great Western station serves as a combined station for the Ffestiniog Railway and the Conwy Valley line, their previous stations being no longer in use.

Tourist Information
Address:
Snowdonia National Park Information Centre,
Unit 3, Stryd Fawr, Blaenau Ffestiniog,
Gwynedd. LL41 3ES

Telephone: 01766 830360
Fax: 01766 830360
E-mail: TIC.Blaenau@eryri-npa.gov.uk

Opening Times:
Easter to October - daily 9.30 - 5.30

See our attractions in Blaenau Ffestiniog
Llechwedd Caverns

Accommodation in Blaenau Ffestiniog
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For more information on some of the other towns and villages in and around Snowdonia, please see links below.

Bala|Bangor|Barmouth|Beddgelert|Bethesda|Betws-y-Coed|Betws Garmon|Blaenau Ffestiniog|Caernarfon|Capel Curig|Dolgellau|Dolwyddelan|Ffestiniog|Harlech|Llanberis|Llandudno|Llanrwst|Porthmadog|SNOWDONIA

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