People looking to cool off in the heatwave are being warned to stay away from a Welsh beauty spot pool with a concealed entrance. The pool lies close to a pontoon that almost buckled under the weight of teenagers looking to escape record-breaking temperatures on Monday.
The sheer number of people visiting Llŷn Padarn in Llanberis, Gwynedd, this week has prompted fears some will seek alternative sites for a cooling dip. Gwynedd Council is urging visitors not to put themselves in “unnecessary danger” by breaking into the fenced Glyn Rhonwy site to swim in its quarry pool.
It follows reports that people are scaling the 6ft steel perimeter fence or cutting holes in the wire. Despite a large landslip there in the summer of 2020, which saw hundreds of tonnes of rock cascade into the lake, it continued to be used, NorthWalesLive reports.
Read more: Tourist in campervan beaten up, stripped and forced naked into west Wales pub
During World War Two one of Glyn Rhonwy’s two quarries was used as a bomb storage site. A new pumped hydroelectric energy storage scheme is planned there with Snowdonia Pumped Hydro seeking a development consent order in May.
Some worry it will lead to the loss of an illicit amenity. “Are they going ahead with the pumped hydro project?” asked a Facebook user with a sad face emoji. “That’s the secret lake swimming out the window if so.”
Some construction work is ongoing nearby. “If it’s for the hydro project they will use the 'secret lake' as one of the reservoirs,” he added. “The hole in the fence has been fixed (but there’s another secret one).”
In the past Gwynedd Council has made North Wales Police aware of its concerns. It’s asking anyone who sees people trespassing on the site to contact the police immediately.
The council also wants parents to make their children aware of the dangers. As well as underwater currents and sudden deep water other threats lurk for the unwary, said Gwynedd councillor Nia Jeffreys.
She said: “The former industrial site at Glyn Rhonwy is closed off for a reason. In the past people have unfortunately ignored signs that were placed on the perimeter fencing, putting themselves in danger.
“The quarry pools that have been used for swimming by trespassers contain a number of potential hazards which could cause serious injury or worse including under-water debris and jagged slate shards. It should also be remembered that the water temperature in these pools is usually dangerously cold even during prolonged periods of warm weather.”
READ NEXT:
-
15 amazing Welsh myths and legends that will send a shiver down your spine
-
A lot of people agree what this care-free seal off the Welsh coast should be called
-
The incredible images of Wales held at the world's biggest museum
-
12 Welsh walks that uncover legends, waterfalls, nature trails and caves
-
The Welsh beach plagued by 'defecation, drugs and verbal abuse'
