Pennal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pennal is a village in north Wales, on the A493 road, on the north bank of the Afon Dyfi (River Dovey). It lies in southern Gwynedd, in the old county of Merionethshire/Sir Feirionnydd. It was the site of a Roman fort, probably guarding a ford or ferry crossing of the Dyfi on Sarn Helen.

Pennal is best known for its historical association with Owain Glyndŵr. The remains of the Roman fort lie under the 14th century house of Cefn Caer, overlooking the village. It is here that Owain is thought to have written the "Pennal Letter" of 1406, a letter to the King of France setting out his plans for an independent Wales. The letter was briefly returned to Wales from France for an exhibition at the National Library of Wales in 2000, and a campaign has since sprung up for it to be returned permanently to Wales and put on show at the National Assembly building in Cardiff.

The church of St Peter ad Vincula within the village is recognised as the site of Glyndŵr's last senate meeting, and a memorial garden has been created for the native Welsh princes.

In the early nineteenth century there were quays on the Dyfi where slate from the quarries around Corris, Aberllefenni and Abergynolwyn was brought by packhorse for loading onto sea-going vessels. This trade died out when the Corris Railway to Machynlleth and the Talyllyn Railway to Tywyn were built.

The village also has a place in music history, as it was here that Robert Plant was living when he wrote the rock classic, "Stairway to Heaven". This has made it a mecca for Led Zeppelin devotees.