Everything about The Lleyn Peninsula totally explained
The
Lleyn Peninsula (
Welsh Llŷn) extends thirty miles into the
Irish Sea from north west
Wales, southwest of the island of
Anglesey. It is part of the modern county and historic region of
Gwynedd. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root —
Laighin in modern
Irish — as the word
Leinster.
Historically, the peninsula was used by
pilgrims en route to
Bardsey Island (Welsh
Ynys Enlli), and its relative isolation has helped to conserve the
Welsh language and culture, for which the locality is now famous. This perceived remoteness from urban life has lent the area an unspoilt image which has made Lleyn a popular destination for both tourists and holiday home owners, although holiday homes remains a bone of contention among locals forced out of the housing market by incomers. In the 1970s, 80s and 90s, shadowy terrorist group
Meibion Glyndŵr launched a number of arson attacks on holiday homes using incendiary devices.
Tân yn Llŷn 1936
Concern for the Welsh language was ignited in 1936 when the UK government settled on establishing a bombing school at
Penyberth on the Peninsula. The events surrounding the protest became known as
Tân yn Llŷn (
Fire in Llŷn). The UK government settled on Llŷn as the site for its new bombing school after similar locations
Northumberland and
Dorset were met with protests.
However, UK Prime Minister
Stanley Baldwin refused to hear the case against the bombing school in Wales, despite a deputation representing half a million Welsh protesters. Protest against the bombing school was summed up by
Saunders Lewis when he wrote that the UK government was intent upon turning one of the 'essential homes of
Welsh culture,
idiom, and
literature' into a place for promoting a barbaric method of warfare.
On 8 September 1936 the bombing school building was set on fire and in the investigations which followed Saunders Lewis,
Lewis Valentine, and
D.J. Williams claimed responsibility. The trial at Caernarfon failed to agree on a verdict and the case was sent to the
Old Bailey in London. The "Three" were sentenced to nine months' imprisonment in
Wormwood Scrubs, and on their release they were greeted as heroes by fifteen thousand Welsh at a pavilion in
Caernarfon.
2001 census and housing
According to the 2001 census the number of Welsh speakers in Wales increased for the first time in over 100 years, with 20.5% in a population of over 2.9 million claiming fluency in Welsh, or one in five. Additionally, 28% of the population of Wales claimed to understand Welsh. However, the number of Welsh speakers declined in
Gwynedd from 72.1% in 1991 to 68.7% in 2001.
The decline in Welsh speakers in Gwynedd may be attributable to non Welsh speaking residents moving to North Wales, driving up property rates above what local Welsh speakers may afford, according to former Gwynedd county councilor
Seimon Glyn of Plaid Cymru, whose controversial comments in 2001 focused attention on the issue. 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.
Much of the rural Welsh property market was driven by buyers looking for second homes for use as
holiday homes, or for retirement. Many buyers were drawn to Wales from England because of relatively inexpensive house prices in Wales as compared to house prices in England. The rise in home prices outpaced the average earnings income in Wales and meant that many local people couldn't afford to purchase their first home. Holiday home owners spend less then six months of the year in the local community.
The issue of locals being priced out of the local housing market is common to many rural communities throughout Britain, but in Wales the added dimension of language further complicated the issue, as many new residents didn't learn the Welsh language,
and in 1996 there had been large protests, backed by
Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, against the construction of 800 houses at Morfa Bychan near Porthmadog.
Concerned for the Welsh language under these pressures, Glyn said "Once you've more than 50% of anybody living in a community that speaks a foreign language, then you lose your indigenous tongue almost immediately".
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. According to planners in Snowdonia and Pembroke applicants for new homes must demonstrate a proven local need or the applicant had strong links with the area.
By 2003 however, a survey of schools showed that just over 94% of children between 3 and 15 were able to speak
Welsh, making Llŷn one of the foremost heartlands for the language, though — as with the rest of Northwest Wales — there have been concerns that the influx of
English speakers are damaging the standing of Welsh.
Geographic notability
Geographically, Llŷn is notable for its large number of protected sites — including a
National Nature Reserve at Cors Geirch, a National
Heritage Coastline and a European Marine Special Area of Conservation as well as twenty
Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Much of the coastline and the ex-volcanic hills are part of the Llŷn
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), confirming the peninsula as one of the most scientifically important in both Wales and Britain. The
Llŷn Coastal Path long distance footpath enables walkers to fully explore both coasts of the peninsular.
Settlements
Settlements on the Llŷn peninsula include:
Hills
Hills in Llŷn include:
Yr Eifl
Gyrn Ddu
Carn Fadryn
Mynydd Rhiw
Garn Boduan
On 19 July 1984 there was an earthquake beneath the peninsula. It measured 5.4 on the Richter Scale and was felt in many parts of Ireland and western Britain; see 1984 Lleyn Peninsula earthquake.
The Welsh Language and Heritage Centre of Nant Gwrtheyrn is situated on the north coast.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Lleyn Peninsula'.
|
External Link Exchanges
Do you know how hard it is to get a link from a large encyclopaedia? Well we're different and will prove it. To get a link from us just add the following HTML to your site on a relevant page:
<a href="http://lleyn_peninsula.totallyexplained.com">Lleyn Peninsula Totally Explained</a>
Then simply click through this link from your web page. Our crawlers will verify your link, extract the title of your web page and instantly add a link back to it. If you like you can remove the words Totally Explained and embed the link in article text.
As long as your link remains in place, we'll keep our link to you right here. Please play fair - our crawlers are watching. Your site must be closely related to this one's topic. Any kind of spamming, dubious practises or removing the link will result in your link from us being dropped and, potentially, your whole site being banned. |
