Dyffryn Ogwen
Dyffryn Ogwen (also: Ogwen Valley , Welsh [ ˌɗəfrɪnˈoɡwen ]) is a valley in the area of the Welsh counties Gwynedd and Conwy .
geography
The valley lies to the south of Bangor and extends from Capel Curig following the valley of the River Llugwy . It is bounded to the south by the Glyderau massif , while the Carneddau massif borders to the north . The River Ogwen (Afon Ogwen) is created in Llyn Ogwen, a lake that is fed by many streams and rivers. The main tributaries are Nant Gwern y Gof , Afon Denau , Nant Bochlwyd and Afon Lloer . Directly after the outflow of the Llyn Ogwen, the Afon Idwal flows to the Ogwen, which rises a little further south in the Llyn Idwal , below the Glyder Fawr . From there, the river falls through the Ogwen Falls (Rhaeadr Ogwen) and continues to flow in the Nant Ffrancon Valley. The valley is part of the Snowdonia National Park . The highest peaks nearby are: Tryfan (918 m) and Glyder Fawr (1001 m) in the south, and Pen Yr Ole Wen (978 m) and Carnedd Dafydd (1044 m) in the north. The upper section of the valley, east of Llyn Ogwen, belongs to Conwy.
economy
The valley was dependent on the production of slate and shingle and accordingly suffered from the decline of this trade in the 1960s. The only remaining industry is sheep breeding. Unemployment is around 20%.
Freetime activities
The Ogwen Valley is popular as a destination for hikers, climbers, and backpackers. The Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organization was founded due to occasional mountain accidents . This charity was started by Ron James from Ogwen Cottage . Clwb Rygbi Bethesda (Bethesda Rugby Club) is the only local club. All the boys from the valley play rugby.
population
In the northern part of the valley is Dort Bethesda , which is known for its slate quarry. Originally it belonged to Lord Douglas Penrhyn, hence the name The Penrhyn quarry . Other smaller villages are Tregarth , Mynydd Llandygai and Rachub . At its heyday in the early 20th century, more than 20,000 people lived in the valley. Today there are only around 6,500 left. Three quarters of the population speak Welsh. According to the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation , all of the counties in the valley are among the poorest 10% in Wales, with one in the poorest 3%.
The inhabitants of the Ogwen Valley are often ridiculed as "Howgets" because they have little education and speak little English. Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen is the only secondary school in the valley.
Web links
- Plas-y-Brenin website
- Pen-y-Gwryd website
- The Snowdonia Society website
- Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organization site
Coordinates: 53 ° 7 ′ 30 ″ N , 4 ° 0 ′ 0 ″ W.