Betws-y-Coed: Guide, Hotels, Map & Photos
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GBP 78 - 180 Royal Oak Hotel
 Set in a magnificent former coaching inn, Royal Oak Hotel is surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Snowdonia National Park. With free parking and t… MoreGBP 30 - 105 Swallow Falls Complex
 This 19th-century inn is close to Swallow Falls and 2 miles (3 km) from the centre of Betws-y-Coed. Located within Snowdonia National Park on the A5, … MoreGBP 75 - 85 Ty Gwyn Hotel
 This multi-award-winning hotel is a centuries-old coaching inn located in Betws-y-Coed, within the Snowdonia National Park.
The Ty Gwyn Hotel has bea… MoreGBP 85 - 95 Penmachno Hall
 Situated in Snowdonia National Park, the award-winning Penmachno Hall is a former Rectory dating from 1862. It boasts country-house rooms, fine food a… MoreGBP 120 - 160 Craig-y-Dderwen Riverside Hotel
 Amid 16 acres, surrounded by calm woodland slopes on the banks of the River Conwy, this Victorian country house offers a unique location in the villag… MoreGBP 45 - 95 Afon View
 Afon View is located in Snowdonia National Park in the village of Betws-y-Coed. This Victorian house offers rooms with countryside views and flat-scre… MoreGBP 81 - 122 Best Western Waterloo Hotel
 Set at the edge of Betws-y-Coed, amid the National Park, this hotel with leisure centre and indoor pool is ideal for the North Wales Coast, Snowdonia … MoreGBP 60 - 75 Aberconwy House
 An AA 5-star luxury Victorian guest house, Aberconwy House is situated in the picturesque village of Betws-y-Coed, near Mount Snowdon, providing the p… More | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Betws-y-Coed: Guide
Betws-y-Coed (Conwy, within the Traditional counties of Wales|traditional borders of Caernarfonshire, North Wales. It lies in the Snowdonia National Park in a valley near the point where the River Conwy is joined by the River Llugwy and the River Lledr.
Betws-y-Coed (IPA chart for English|pronounced ) was founded around a monastery in the late 6th century|sixth century, and grew very slowly with the development of the local Lead|lead mining industry. In 1815, the Waterloo Bridge, Betws-y-Coed|Waterloo Bridge built by Thomas Telford to carry A5 road across the River Conwy and through the village brought considerable transport related development. The village became a major coaching centre between Corwen (to the east) and Capel Curig (to the west) on the Irish Mail route from London to Holyhead, which led to the improvement of the roads south to Blaenau Ffestiniog and north to Llanrwst and Conwy.
The construction of Betws-y-Coed railway station in 1868, heralding the arrival of the railway line from Llandudno Junction railway station, resulted in a marked population growth, as shown in the table below :
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The village has a large village green which is the playing field for the local football team. The green is bounded on its western side by the A5 road|A5 Trunk Road with 19th Century buildings including shops, hotels, and the parish church of St. Mary. This church was built on the site of a former cockpit and fairground, and although it is of early English appearance, it was completed as recently as 1873, the internal roof timbers testifying to this relatively young age. The interior also features various types of stone - local bluestone, sandstone (and floor tiles) from Ancaster, Lincolnshire|Ancaster, and black serpentine from Cornwall. The square bell tower was added in 1907, and the integral church hall was added in the 1970s, the commemorative stone being laid by the Earl of Ancaster in 1976.
On the southern side of the green is Betws-y-Coed railway station with cafes and tourist shops and a car park. In the former railway goods yard, reached from the station, is the Conwy Valley railway museum with its extensive miniature railway. The village also has a motor museum with a collection of over thirty vintage automobiles.
Other attractions in the village include the Miners' Bridge and the Fish pass and waterfalls including the Conwy Falls. The Pont-y-Pair Falls are in the centre of the village, and nearby are the famous Swallow Falls.
The picturesque Llyn Elsi, which lies above the village, is popular with walkers and anglers, and also provides water for the village.
The village is also a centre for outdoor activities and lies within the Gwydyr Forest.
The village is home to at least one famous rock band; Melys were founded there in 1996.
Quotes
Over the years the following comments have been written about Betws-y-Coed:
"One could spend many hours in this beautiful nook, with its wonderful combination of woods and stream."
"From an artist's point of view Bettws-y-Coed and its surroundings form, perhaps, the most beautiful region in the British Isles."
(Betws-y-Coed) is "the prettiest village in Europe"
"In addition to the restful charm of the village (Betws) itself, within the radius of a few miles is found the greatest diversity of landscape - peaceful valleys, breezy uplands, desolate mountain solitudes, heather-scented moorland, and cool and shady woods."
This "Travel Guide" section is drawn from the Wikipedia article "Betws-y-Coed". We hope you will edit and improve it. It is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
"Betws-y-Coed claims with justification to be the Beauty Spot of Wales'."
:Ward Lock's Red Guide, 1975
:Ward Lock's Red Guide, 1975
:Baddeley, "North Wales", 1950's
:Mr. F.A. Mackenzie, well-known traveller.
:Bettws-y-Coed Official Guide, 1913References
The A-Z of Betws-y-coed, by Donald Shaw. Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, 1990. ISBN: 0-86381-153-1 External links