| Chwilog | |
|---|---|
 The B4354 running through Chwilog | |
  Chwilog Location withinGwynedd | |
| Population | 640 |
| OS grid reference | SH433383 |
| • Cardiff | 156.72 mi |
| Community | |
| Principal area | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | PWLLHELI |
| Postcode district | LL53 |
| Dialling code | 01766 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
| 52°55′08″N4°19′48″W / 52.919°N 4.330°W /52.919; -4.330 | |
Chwilog (Welsh pronunciation:[ˈχwiːlɔɡ]) is a village inGwynedd, north Wales, and located on theLlŷn Peninsula. It is in thecommunity ofLlanystumdwy, nearCriccieth, and in the medievalcommote (Welsh:cwmwd) ofEifionydd, named after a 5th-century ruler. It is within theDwyfor Meirionnydd constituency in the UK Parliament andin the Senedd (Welsh Parliament). The name means 'abounding in beetles' and was perhaps transferred from an earlier name of the river (or a part of it).[1][2][3]
It had a population of 640 in 311 households as of the 2011 UK census, with 78% born in Wales.[4] In the 2021 census of the UK, the Llanustumdwy community with a 60km sq radius, which includes Chwilog had a population of 1917 inhabitants.[5]
The village is fairly linear, built up around the B4354 which used to be a turnpike/toll road crossing the peninsula toPorthdinllaen. TheAfon Wen or its original name Afon Carrog flows through the lower part of the village on its way to the sea at Afonwen, less than 1 mile (1.6 km) away.[6]
Nearby isY Lôn Goed (English:Tree Lane) is a 7-mile tree-lined path. It was first nicknamed by the local population. It is a wide tree-lined avenue created in the 18th century for transportinglime,coal, andpeat from the coast to the upland farms ofEifionydd, includingPlas Hen locally. The track is no longer used for this purpose but is now popular with walkers.[7][8][9]
During the 16th century, a residence namedPlas Chwilog was established in the vicinity. The family was descendants ofRhodri, son ofKingOwain Gwynedd (c. 12th century), and also thePowys Fadog dynasty (12th–15th centuries). The patriarch of Chwilog, Griffith Llwyd (Lloyd) was the son of Morris of Clenennau,Dolbenmaen. He founded the hall (plas) near the village ofLlanystumdwy. A son of Llwyd married a descendant ofHywel Coetmor, he had sided with PrinceOwain Glyndŵr during the early 1400's Welshrebellion.[10][11]
Near Chwilog isTalhenbont Hall, a manor house (plas) built in 1607, it is now a Grade IIlisted building. The property, formerly named Plas Hen, was inherited in 1870 by the futureBaronetHugh Ellis-Nanney ofGwynfryn and Cefndeuddwr. He became the owner of a 12,000 acre estate inNorth Wales surrounding Chwilog. As well as the Talhenbont residence, he owned the homes nearCriccieth. Ellis-Nanney also inherited Bryn Hir and rebuilt the mansionPlas Gwynfryn before 1876.[12][13][14][15]
ChwilogPrimary School[16][17] was opened in 1908 byMargaret Lloyd George, wife ofDavid Lloyd George.[citation needed] The village was built around the railway station on the Caernarfonshire Railway Line situated at the centre of the village, it opened in 1867 and has been disused since December 1964.[18] Local businesses include a butcher's shop,[19] and also a villagepub. The Madryn Arms (est. 1868) had permanently closed in 2019 and has since been reopened as of 2021 by 5 locals.[20] There are 2 bus routes travelling through Chwilog in Gwynedd.[21] There is also a tractor sales outlet.
There are two chapels in Chwilog, Capel Siloh, built in 1869 and altered in 1897. Also Capel Uchaf, the chapel is part of thewest Gwynedd Presbytery of thePresbyterian Church of Wales.[22][23] As well as the chapels, there is also afree cemetery in Chwilog which served World War I military personnel.[24]
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