TheLlŷn Peninsula (Welsh:Penrhyn Llŷn orPen Llŷn,Welsh pronunciation:[ɬɨːn]) is a peninsula inGwynedd, Wales, with an area of about 400 km2 (150 sq mi), and a population of at least 20,000. It extends 30 miles (50 km) into theIrish Sea, and its southern coast is the northern boundary of theTremadog Bay inlet ofCardigan Bay. The peninsula was acantref within the medievalkingdom of Gwynedd, and became part ofCaernarfonshire from 1284 until that county was abolished for administrative purposes in 1974. It bordersArfon andEifionydd to the east, but the boundary is vague.
Historically, the peninsula was travelled bypilgrims en route toBardsey Island (Welsh:Ynys Enlli), and its relative isolation has helped to conserve theWelsh 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 Llŷn a popular destination for both tourists and holiday home owners. Holiday homes remain contentious among locals, many of whom feel they are priced out of the housing market by incomers. From the 1970s to the 1990s, a group known asMeibion Glyndŵr claimed responsibility for several hundred arson attacks on holiday homes using incendiary devices, some of which took place in Llŷn.
The LlŷnArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty covers approximately 62 sq mi (160 km2).[1]
The name Llŷn is sometimes spelledLleyn in English, although this spelling is now less common. The name is thought to be of Irish origin, and to have the same root –Laigin (Laighin) inIrish – as the wordLeinster and which also occurs inPorth Dinllaen on the north coast.[2]
Following the death ofOwain Whitetooth (Owain Danwyn),king of Gwynedd, Owain's sonSaint Einion seems to have ruled Llŷn as a kingdom separate from his brotherCuneglasus' kingdom inRhos. He is credited with having sponsoredSaint Cadfan'smonastery onBardsey Island, which became a major centre ofpilgrimage during medieval times. There are numerous wells throughout the peninsula, many dating back to the pre-Christian era. Many haveholy connotations and they were important stops for pilgrims heading to the island.
TheWelsh Triads record regional resistance toEdwin of Northumbria's incursions intoGwynedd by a regional rulerBelyn ap Cynfelyn and hisGosgordd who were allied withCadwallon ap Cadfan.[3] In subsequent years Llŷn was raided byvikings, most notably byOlaf in the late 10th century.[4]
The most rural parts are characterised by small houses, cottages and individual farms, resembling parts of south westIreland. There are small compact villages, built of traditional materials. The only large-scale industrial activities were quarrying and mining, which have now largely ceased. The granite quarries of northern Llŷn have left a legacy of inclines and export docks and were the reason for the growth of villages such asLlithfaen andTrefor.Copper,zinc andlead were mined aroundLlanengan, while 196,770 long tons (199,930 t) ofmanganese were produced atY Rhiw between 1894 and 1945. ThePenrhyn Dû Mines have also been extensively mined since the seventeenth century aroundAbersoch. Shipbuilding was important atNefyn,Aberdaron, Abersoch andLlanaelhaearn, although the industry collapsed after the introduction of steel ships from 1880. Nefyn was also an important herring port, and most coastal communities fished forcrab andlobster.
Farming was originally simple and organic but underwent major changes after theSecond World War as machines came into widespread use. Land was drained and fields expanded and reseeded. From the 1950s onwards, extensive use was made of artificial fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides, leading to drastic changes in the appearance of the landscape.
Tourism developed after the railway toPwllheli was built in 1867. The town expanded rapidly, with several large houses and hotels constructed, and a tramway was built linking the town toLlanbedrog. After the Second World War,Butlins established a holiday camp atPenychain, which attracted visitors from the industrial cities ofNorth West England and theWest Midlands. As car ownership increased, the tourist industry spread to the countryside and to coastal villages such as Aberdaron, Abersoch, Llanbedrog and Nefyn, where many families supplemented their income by letting out rooms and houses.[5]
During theMiddle Ages thecantref of Llŷn was divided into 3cymydau, those being Dinllaen, Cafflogion and Cymydmaen, with their respective capitals at Din Llaen, Denio and Neigwl.[6] After theEdwardian Conquest some of these settlements became free boroughs likeDenio and other like Neigwl faded into obscurity.[7]
Llŷn is an extensive plateau dominated by numerous volcanic hills and mountains. The largest of these isYr Eifl, althoughGarn Boduan,Garn Fadrun andMynydd Rhiw are also distinctive. Large stretches of the northern coast consist of steep cliffs and rugged rocks with offshore islands and stacks, while there are more extensive sandy beaches on the southern coast, such asPorth Neigwl and Castellmarch Beach. North of Abersoch a series of sand dunes have developed. The landscape is divided into a patchwork of fields, with the traditional field boundaries, stone walls, hedgerows andcloddiau, a prominent feature.
The geology of Llŷn is complex: the majority is formed from volcanic rocks of theOrdovician period. Rocks ofCambrian origin occur south of Abersoch. Numerousgranite intrusions and outcrops ofrhyolite form prominent hills such as Yr Eifl, whilstgabbro is found at the west end ofPorth Neigwl. The western part of the peninsula (northwest of a line drawn from Nefyn to Aberdaron) is formed fromPrecambrian rocks, the majority of which are considered to form a part of the Monian Complex and thus to be closely related to the rocks ofAnglesey. Numerousfaults cut the area and a majorshear zone – the Llyn Shear Zone – runs northeast to southwest through the Monian rocks. In 1984 there was anearthquake beneath the peninsula, which measured 5.4 on theRichter scale and was felt in many parts ofIreland and westernBritain.[8]
The area was overrun by Irish Sea ice during the ice ages and this has left a legacy ofboulder clay and of meltwater channels.
Llŷn is notable for its large number of protected sites, including anational nature reserve atCors Geirch, aNational Heritage Coastline and aEuropean Marine Special Area of Conservation, and 20Sites of Special Scientific Interest. The peninsula is home to a rare species of mason bee (Osmia xanthomelana), found nowhere else.[9] Much of the coastline and hills are part of the LlŷnArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty. TheLlŷn Coastal Path, along distance footpath, enables walkers to fully explore both coasts of the peninsula.
The peninsula is the original home of theLleyn breed of sheep. This is a hardy and prolific breed that has become much more prominent over the last 20 years[when?] due to its excellent prolificacy and mothering ability. The sheep are white-faced; on average, ewes weigh about 70 kilograms (150 lb) and rams 90 kilograms (200 lb).[citation needed]
Until at least the 1960s, a number ofWelsh monoglots still lived in the Llŷn Peninsula.[10] However, before 2001 there had been a decline in Welsh speakers inGwynedd, which includes the Llŷn Peninsula.[11] According to the 2001 census the number of Welsh speakers in Wales increased for the first time in over 100 years, with 20.5 per cent of a population of over 2.9 million claiming fluency in Welsh. The 2001 Census also showed that 73.1 per cent of the population of Llŷn could speak Welsh. Additionally, 28 per cent of the population of Wales claimed to understand Welsh. However, the number of Welsh speakers declined in Gwynedd from 72.1 per cent in 1991 to 68.7 per cent in 2001.[11] By 2003, however, a survey of schools showed that just over 94 per cent of children between the ages of 3 and 15 were able to speak Welsh, making Llŷn one of the foremostheartlands of the language, although, as in the rest ofNorth West Wales, many people are concerned that the influx ofEnglish speakers is damaging the standing of Welsh and threatening its future as a living community language in the area.[12] The Welsh Language and Heritage Centre ofNant Gwrtheyrn is situated on the north coast.
Concern for the Welsh language was ignited in 1936 when the United Kingdom government settled on establishing a bombing school atPenyberth on the peninsula. The events surrounding the protest became known asTân yn Llŷn (Fire in Llŷn).[13] The government had settled on Llŷn as the site for its new bombing school after similar locations inNorthumberland andDorset were met with protests.[14] However, British Prime MinisterStanley 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 bySaunders Lewis when he wrote that the British government was intent upon turning one of the "essential homes ofWelsh culture,idiom, andliterature" into a place for promoting a barbaric method of warfare. On 8 September 1936 the bombing school building was set on fire by Saunders Lewis,Lewis Valentine andD. J. Williams, who immediately gave themselves up to the police and claimed responsibility. The trial atCaernarfon failed to agree on a verdict and the case was sent to theOld Bailey in London. The "Three" were sentenced to nine months imprisonment inWormwood Scrubs, and on their release they were greeted as heroes by 15,000 people at a pavilion in Caernarfon.[14]
The decline in the use of the Welsh language in Llŷn has been attributed to a rise in property prices. Local Welsh speakers are increasingly unable to afford housing in the area as the rise in house prices has outpaced average earnings in Wales. On the other hand, there has been an influx of non-Welsh speakers purchasing properties for retirement or holiday homes.[15][16] 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 complicates the issue, as many new residents do not learn the Welsh language.[17][18][19][20]
The whole of Llŷn is governed byCyngor Gwynedd, aunitary authority established in 1996. The area had traditionally formed part ofCaernarfonshire, for which an elected county council had been formed in 1889. Caernarfonshire was abolished in 1974 and incorporated into the new county ofGwynedd, which became a unitary authority under the 1996 reorganisation.[21]
Llŷn Rural District, based inPwllheli, was created under theLocal Government Act 1894 from the area ofPwllheli Rural Sanitary District. At the time it covered 91,449 acres (37,008 hectares) and consisted of 30civil parishes, although the number was subsequently reduced. At the 1901 census, it had a population of 16,816. Under aCounty Review Order in 1934, 18 parishes were abolished with their areas distributed among other parishes; a new parish ofBuan was formed by the merger ofCeidio andLlanfihangel Bachellaeth; and the parish ofDolbenmaen was transferred fromGlaslyn Rural District. Five years later, in 1939,Edern was abolished and incorporated intoNefyn.[22] The rural district was abolished in 1974, with its area being included in theDwyfor District of Gwynedd, which was itself abolished in 1996 when Gwynedd became aunitary authority. At the time of abolition, the rural district covered 114,232 acres (46,228 ha) and had a population at the 1971 census of 15,190.[22]
Pwllheli Municipal Borough was the successor to a free borough which was granted a charter byEdward the Black Prince in 1355. The corporation was abolished by theMunicipal Corporations Act 1835, and replaced by an elected council, which existed untilPwllheli was included in Dwyfor in 1974, as a result of theLocal Government Act 1972.[23] At the 1841 census Pwllheli had a population of 2,367.[24] By the time of abolition the borough covered 1,211 acres (490 ha) and had a population at the 1961 census of 3,647.[25]
Criccieth Urban District was created under the Local Government Act 1894,[26] and covered the area of the former borough, which had been abolished in 1886 by the Municipal Corporations Act 1883.[27] The borough charter had been granted byEdward I in 1284.[28] The urban district covered 472 acres (191 ha) and at the 1901 census had a population of 1,406.[29] By the time of abolition and incorporation into Dwyfor in 1974, it covered 1,721 acres (696 ha), and had a population at the 1961 census of 1,672.[26]
 | ||
1Proposed to be replaced by aGlyndŵr National Park,2Partly inEngland | ||
| National parks |
| .svg) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty |
| |||
| Heritage coasts | ||||
| Nature reserves | ||||
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | ||||
| European designations (–2020) | ||||
| Other designations | ||||
