Pwllheli

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Pwllheli
Population 3,861 (2001 census)
OS grid reference SH374350
Principal area Gwynedd
Ceremonial county Gwynedd
Constituent country Wales
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town PWLLHELI
Postcode district LL53
Dialling code 01758
Police North Wales
Fire North Wales
Ambulance Welsh
European Parliament Wales
UK Parliament Caernarfon
List of places: UK • Wales • Gwynedd

Pwllheli is the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It is a mainly Welsh-speaking town. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones - Cynan - the Welsh poet.

Contents

[edit] History

The town's name means saltwater basin. The pronunciation of Pwllheli includes a sound not found in the English language (a voiceless alveolar lateral fricative), but is very approximately pu-HLEL-ee, IPA: [pʊɬ'hɛlɪ].

The town was given its charter as a borough by Edward, the Black Prince in 1355, and a market is still held each Wednesday in the centre of the town on the 'Maes' (=field in English).

The town grew around the shipbuilding and fishing industries.

Pwllheli Railway Station
Pwllheli Railway Station

During the 1890s, the town was developed by Solomon Andrews, a Cardiff businessman. This work included the Promenade, roads and houses at West End. A tramway was built linking the town to Llanbedrog. The trams ran until 1927 when a section of track was seriously damaged by a storm. The town includes numerous shops, including Woolworth's, Euronics and many more smaller shops. Supermarkets include Somerfield, Spar, Co-operative, Iceland and Asda. A new LIDL store is due to open shortly.

[edit] Education

  • Ysgol Cymerau, Primary School. (Welsh-medium.)
  • Ysgol Glan y Môr, Secondary School. (Welsh-medium.)

Ysgol Glan y Môr was formed by the merger of the former Pwllheli Grammar and the Frondeg Secondary Modern Schools. These occupied sites at Penrallt and Upper Ala Road, respectively. The two schools merged in mid-1969 to form a comprehensive-status school based at two separated sites within the town.

The junior pupils (year 1 and year 2) were located at the Penrallt site (former grammar school site) and the senior pupils (year 3 and upwards) were located at a new complex constructed at Cardiff Road. This new school was subsequently expanded to accommodate all pupils under the Ysgol Glan y Môr name.

The Penrallt site was later redeveloped to form the Pwllheli campus of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor. The facade of the main building of the old grammar school was retained and incorporated into the design of the current college buildings. Thus the 'old school' is readily seen from the town square (Y Maes) in much the same way as it has been since the former Pwllheli County School moved to Penrallt in the early 20th century.

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Rail

Pwllheli railway station is the terminus of the Cambrian Coast Railway running to Dovey Junction near Machynlleth.

[edit] Road

[edit] Attractions

[edit] Arts

Pwllheli hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1925 and 1955, as well as an unofficial National Eisteddfod event in 1875.

[edit] Language

According to the 2001 census, 80% of the population speak Welsh, with the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in the 10-14 age bracket, 94%.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 52.88780° N 4.41818° W