On the outskirts of the Pen Llyn village of Llithfaen and at the bottom of a very steep and windy road lies a secluded Victorian village filled with history dating back to 150BC. While Nant Gwrtheyrn now attracts more than 30,000 day visitors every year, it hasn't always been blessed with good fortune.
The earliest archaeological evidence of inhabitation in the area are the two well-known Iron Age hillforts which dominate the high ground above Nant Gwrtheyrn. Tre’r Ceiri and Yr Eifl were both inhabited between 150 BC and 400 AD, but little is known about these early inhabitants, other than that they depended heavily on the local iron which was exported and sold.
During the 5th century, King Gwrtheyrn fled from his enemies to Nant Gwrtheyrn. Not long after Gwrtheyrn’s death, three monks arrived in the Nant on their way to the monastery on Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island). You can get more local news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Read more: The tragic story behind the small Welsh village that's pulled in tourists for centuries
The local people, who were fishermen, took an instant dislike to the Christian newcomers, and rejected the monks’ idea of building a church in the Nant. As a result, the monks were forced to flee for their lives. It is said that the monks, disgusted by their treatment, cast three curses on the valley:
- The Nant’s ground would never be consecrated again, therefore nobody could be buried there
- Members of the same family would not be allowed to marry each other
- The Nant would succeed and fail three times, before eventually failing forever
And succeed and fail it did. In 1851 the first sett quarry was opened in Nant Gwrtheyrn under Hugh Owen from Anglesey and ten years later Kneeshaw and Lupton, a company from Liverpool took control of Nant Gwrtheyrn and opened a quarry on the southern side of the bay.
Over the next 15 years, 26 new houses were built as two terraced blocks (Mountain and Sea View) for the quarry workers, and by 1886, around 200 people were now living in the Nant. Capel Seilo was built for the Calvinistic Methodists in 1875 and by 1900 it had 40 people on its books, with 60 children attending Sunday School.
However, things took a turn for the worse after a landslide in 1925, which destroyed the workers' barracks forever. The demand for granite for roads reduced dramatically soon after the First World War. When the Second World War broke out in 1939, Nant Quarry closed for the final time, and one by one the families left the village, with the school closing for good in 1948. The final resident left in 1959.
The redundant houses, offices, chapel and shops, which were constructed during the quarry’s heyday between 1860 and 1920, when over 2,000 men worked the granite, fell to rack and ruin. For a time, a commune of hippies took over the site, with the buildings said to have been left ruined after they moved on.
However, thanks to a doctor who was determined that the Nant could thrive again, it did just that. Dr Carl Clowes was the GP in the Llithfaen area 50 years ago, having moved to the area in the 1970s from Manchester.
Dr Clowes and his wife Dorothi were determined to bring up their children as Welsh speakers but the nearby quarry at Trefor was about to close and the local primary school at Llanaelhaearn was also under threat. They both decided that new employment opportunities had to be created, and since the first Welsh Language Act in 1967, there has been an increasing demand for bilingual workers in public organisations.
The GP, who passed away in December, 2021, was of the opinion that a residential centre was needed to offer Welsh language courses to achieve this, and decided to establish a dedicated centre in Nant Gwrtheyrn. Since the original idea came about the once-derelict buildings in the village have been transformed.
It is now home to the National Welsh Language and Heritage Centre, which offers a wealth of information and fascinating displays about the history of the area, the development of the site to the present day and the history of the Welsh language. It has undergone a £5m renovation in recent years, which included construction of a new access road and the addition of a new weddings and conference centre as well as the provision of 4* accommodation for up to 120 guests.
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