Place:Penrhyndeudraeth, Merionethshire, Wales

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source: Family History Library Catalog

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Penrhyndeudraeth (Welsh pronunciation: [pɛnr̥ɨndəɨˈdrɑːɨθ]; literally "peninsula with two beaches") is a small town in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. The town is close to the mouth of the River Dwyryd on the A487 road nearly 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Porthmadog, and had a population of 2,150 at the 2011 UK census, increased from 2,031 in 2001. Prior to 1974 it was in the historic county of Merionethshire.

An older settlement of a few cottages at Upper Penrhyn was originally called Cefn Coch ('Red Ridge'), but the town proper is comparatively modern. The ground on which it stands was a malarial swamp encircling a huge stagnant pool. The present town owes its existence as a commercial centre to a local landowner, David Williams of Castell Deudraeth near Minffordd, who in the mid-19th century drained the swamp and dried the pool and constructed many streets. The lower half of Penrhyndeudraeth used to be a lake, which was then drained to create the area where the village's High Street is today.

Prior to the many 19th century land reclamation projects (including The Cob at Porthmadog) and the building of the Ffestiniog Railway, both of which spurred economic growth, the few local inhabitants relied on agriculture and small-scale copper mining. Some men worked boats on the River Dwyryd, carrying slate from Maentwrog to the sea for export. Local women at that time gathered cockles in the estuary for sale in local markets. Penrhyndeudraeth is still known locally, especially by the people of Blaenau Ffestiniog and Porthmadog, as Penrhyn Cocos (or "Cockletown" in English).

The main manufacturing industry in Penrhyndeudraeth was established in 1872 to make guncotton. For nearly 75 years the explosives works were the economic backbone of the village; more recently jobs became available at Trawsfynydd nuclear power station. Historically, the population depended on employment offered by the slate industry at Blaenau Ffestiniog and the trade in raw materials through the busy harbour at Porthmadog.

Another 19th century industry in the district is Garth Quarry at Minffordd, established in 1870 to make granite setts for road building in towns and cities. Like the explosives industry, the quarry relied heavily on the coming of the Cambrian Railways in 1872. The quarry is still working and now produces roadstone and railway ballast.

Research Tips

• A 1900 Ordnance Survey map of the historic county of Merionethshire is available on the A Vision of Britain through Time website. This shows all the old parishes within their urban and rural districts. Large farms and estates are also marked.