| Swallow Falls | |
|---|---|
 Swallow falls (Rhaeadr Ewynnol) | |
 | |
| Location | Conwy County Borough,Wales,United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 53°06′09″N3°50′48″W / 53.1024°N 3.8468°W /53.1024; -3.8468 |
| Type | Cascade |
| Total height | 42 m (138 ft) |
| Watercourse | Through limestone hard rock |
Swallow Falls (Welsh:Rhaeadr y Wennol;'the waterfall of the swallow'; orRhaeadr Ewynnol;'the foaming waterfall') is a multiplewaterfall system inWales, located on theRiver Llugwy nearBetws-y-Coed, inConwy County Borough.
The nameRhaeadr y Wennol (Welsh for 'the waterfall of the swallow') derives from the fact that the flow of the river is separated by a prominent rock into two streams of water that look like aswallow's tail. The similar soundingRhaeadr Ewynnol (Welsh for 'the foaming waterfall') is a later coinage based on the adjectiveewynnol 'foaming', which itself seems to have been coined at the end of theeighteenth century.
It has been suggested that this name was 'prompted by a desire to demonstrate W[elsh] linguistic ownership of a popular tourist attraction and a concern thatRhaeadr y Wennol would be perceived as a deferential translation of what came to be the better known name Swallow Falls'. The name, in its variant forms, is attested from the 1770s onwards.[1]
It was suggested in 1899 that the falls could be used to generate electricity for the nearby village ofBetws-y-Coed, as well as overhead lighting for the falls.[2] In 1913 the second Lord Ancaster, the landowner, gave the Swallow Falls to the local council, who decided to charge for visiting it in order to pay off some of the £15,000 debt incurred through the installation of water and electricity supplies to the village. Once the debt of costs of installation was cleared the parish retained the fee, resulting inBetws-y-Coed having the lowestrates in the country.[3] By the 1930s, the waterfall had become a popular tourist destination, although there were few visitors during the winter off-season. A writer in theYorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer on 17 January 1933, described the waterfall as coming "over the rocks in a perfect torrent, peerless white in the dusk."[4]
In 1939, Richard Morris, the former chairman of the local council, was charged with making false entries in the upkeep of the tolls. There was a total deficiency of£67 15s 6d; by the time the charge was laid, Morris had already repaid the sum.[5] The cheap water and electricity rates ended afterlocal government reorganisation in 1974.[3]
Waterfalls of Wales | ||
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| North Wales |  | |
| Mid Wales | ||
| West Wales | ||
| South Wales | ||
