Llyn Llydaw

Last updated

Llyn Llydaw
Llyn Llydaw.jpg
Llyn Llydaw seen from the summit of Snowdon
Gwynedd UK relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Llyn Llydaw
Location Snowdonia National Park, Wales
Coordinates 53°4′7″N4°2′50″W / 53.06861°N 4.04722°W / 53.06861; -4.04722
Lake type natural, reservoir
Basin  countriesUnited Kingdom
Surface area 110 acres (45 ha)
Surface elevation436 m (1,430 ft)

Llyn Llydaw ( Welsh for ' Brittany lake') is a natural lake in Snowdonia National Park on the flanks of Snowdon, Wales' highest mountain. This long thin lake has formed in a cwm about one-third of the way up the mountain. It is one of the most visited lakes in the United Kingdom, in that many thousands of people every year visit Snowdon and many walk past this lake on the Miners' Track.

Contents

History

Llyn Llydaw is the largest of the three lakes on Snowdon's eastern flank. Higher up lies Glaslyn, and lower down lies Llyn Teyrn.

In 1905, a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) pipeline was built from the lake into the valley below. Water from the lake powers the Cwm Dyli hydro-electric power station 320 metres (1,050 ft) below. The pipeline and power station continue to operate.

The lake featured in Robson Green's Wild Swimming Adventure (ITV December 2009), chosen because it is claimed to be the coldest lake in Britain. Green's website states that the water was 7 °C. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowdonia</span> Mountainous region and national park in north Wales

Snowdonia, or Eryri, is a mountainous region and national park in North Wales. It contains all 15 mountains in Wales over 3000 feet high, including the country's highest, Snowdon, which is 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) tall. These peaks are all part of the Snowdon, Glyderau, and Carneddau ranges in the north of the region. The shorter Moelwynion and Moel Hebog ranges lie immediately to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowdon</span> Mountain in Snowdonia, Wales

Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa, is a mountain in Snowdonia, a region of North Wales. It has an elevation of 1,085 metres (3,560 ft) above sea level, which makes it both the highest mountain in Wales and the highest in the British Isles south of the Scottish Highlands. Snowdon is designated a national nature reserve for its rare flora and fauna, and is located within Snowdonia National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llanberis</span> Village in North Wales

Llanberis is a village, community and electoral ward in Gwynedd, northwest Wales, on the southern bank of the lake Llyn Padarn and at the foot of Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. It is a centre for outdoor activities in Snowdonia, including walking, mountaineering, climbing, mountain biking and pony trekking, as well as water sports such as scuba diving. The community includes Nant Peris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Y Lliwedd</span> Mountain in North Wales

Y Lliwedd is a mountain, connected to Snowdon in the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crib Goch</span> Mountain in Wales

Crib Goch is described as a "knife-edged" arête in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, Wales. The name means "red ridge" in Welsh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glaslyn</span> Lake in Snowdonia National Park, Wales

Glaslyn is a lake in the Snowdonia National Park in Gwynedd, north-west Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glyderau</span> Mountain group in Snowdonia, Wales

The Glyderau are a mountain group in Snowdonia, North Wales. The name derives from the highest peaks in the range, Glyder Fawr and Glyder Fach. According to Sir Ifor Williams, the word "Glyder" derives from the Welsh word "Cludair", meaning a heap of stones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Glyder Fawr</span> Mountain in Snowdonia, Wales

Glyder Fawr is a mountain in Snowdonia, Wales, the highest peak in the Glyderau range at just over 1,000 metres. It is the fifth-highest mountain in Wales and has several walking and scrambling routes leading to its summit. According to Sir Ifor Williams, the word "Glyder" derives from the Welsh word "Gludair", meaning a heap of stones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llyn Cwellyn</span> Reservoir in North Wales

Llyn Cwellyn is a reservoir in North Wales which supplies drinking water to parts of Gwynedd and Anglesey. It lies on the Afon Gwyrfai in Nant y Betws between Moel Eilio and Mynydd Mawr in the northern part of Snowdonia National Park. It has an area of 215 acres (0.87 km2), and is over 120 ft (37 m) deep. At the southern end is the small village of Rhyd Ddu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llyn Cowlyd</span> Natural lake, reservoir in Snowdonia National Park, Wales

Llyn Cowlyd is the deepest lake in northern Wales. It lies in the Snowdonia National Park at the upper end of Cwm Cowlyd on the south-eastern edge of the Carneddau range of mountains, at a height of 330 metres (1,083 ft) above sea level. The lake is long and narrow, measuring nearly 3 kilometres (2 mi) long and about 500 m wide, and covers an area of 1.1 square kilometres. It has a mean depth of 33 metres (108 ft) and at its deepest has given soundings of 70 metres (230 ft), this being some 14 m (46 ft) greater than its natural depth, the water surface having been raised twice by the building of dams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llyn Crafnant</span> Natural lake in North Wales

Llyn Crafnant is a lake that lies in a valley in Wales where the northern edge of the Gwydir Forest meets the lower slopes of the Carneddau mountains and, more specifically, the ridge of Cefn Cyfarwydd. The head of the valley offers a profile of crags which are silhouetted at sunset. The Forest Park guide (2002) states that "the is one of the most breathtaking views in all Snowdonia". The summits include Crimpiau 475 metres, and Craig Wen 548 metres which provide views to Moel Siabod and the Ogwen Valley, and Snowdon. Further up is Creigiau Gleision. At 63 acres (250,000 m2) it is the best part of a mile long, although it was clearly once much longer - its southern end shows the evidence of centuries of silting. Jehu's survey (see references) recorded a maximum depth of 71 ft (22 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Mountain (range)</span> Mountain range, west of Brecon Beacons, Wales

The Black Mountain is a mountain range in South, Mid and West Wales, straddling the county boundary between Carmarthenshire and Powys, and forming the westernmost range of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Its highest point is Fan Brycheiniog at 802 metres or 2,631 ft. The Black Mountain also forms a part of the Fforest Fawr Geopark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nant Gwynant</span>

Nant Gwynant is a valley in northern Wales. The A498 road descends 600 feet (180 m) into the valley in about two miles (3 km) from Pen-y-Gwryd; it follows the Nant Cynnyd, the Afon Glaslyn and alongside Llyn Gwynant, then beside the Nant Gwynant river to Llyn Dinas and passing below Dinas Emrys to Beddgelert. The road continues through the Aberglaslyn Pass to Porthmadog.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Llyn Peris</span> Moraine dammed lake in Snowdonia, Wales

Llyn Peris is a lake in Snowdonia, Wales, approximately 1.8 km long and situated close to the villages of Llanberis and Nant Peris, and the smaller twin of Llyn Padarn. The lake was formed glacially and is an example of a moraine-dammed lake. Llyn Peris is named after Saint Peris, an early Christian saint of whom little is known. The lake is flanked on one side by the mountain Elidir Fawr and the former slate quarry of Dinorwig. Above the opposite bank are the hills of Derlwyn and Clogwyn Mawr and a rock formation known as the Lady of Snowdon, due to its resemblance to a human face. The ruins of Dolbadarn Castle are also located on a mound above the lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig y Llyn</span>

Craig y Llyn is a mountain situated to the south of the village of Rhigos in the Cynon Valley on the south side of the upper Vale of Neath and north of the Rhondda Valleys in South Wales; it is the highest point in the ancient kingdom and, later, county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), and the southern Welsh coalfield plateau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolgarrog</span> Village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales

Dolgarrog is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, in Wales, situated between Llanrwst and Conwy, very close to the Conwy River. The village is well known for its industrial history since the 18th century and the Eigiau dam disaster, which occurred in 1925. The population was 414 at the 2001 Census, increasing to 446 at the 2011 Census. The community extends up to, and includes part of, Llyn Cowlyd in the Carneddau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cwm Dyli</span> Dam in Cwm Dyli, Wales

Cwm Dyli is the location of a hydro-electric power station on the southern flank of the Snowdon range in North Wales. At the time it was built, it was the largest hydro-electric power station in the United Kingdom. It is Britain's oldest power station, and is believed to be one of the oldest Grid-connected hydro-electric stations in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn Du</span> Welsh mountain peak; part of Pen y Fan

Corn Du is a summit of the twin topped Pen y Fan and the second highest peak in South Wales at 871.5 m (2,864 ft), situated in the Brecon Beacons National Park. The summit itself is marked by a well structured Bronze Age cairn with a central burial cist like that on nearby Pen y Fan. The two summits are visible from great distances owing to their height above the surrounding moorland, and are famous landmarks. The views from the peaks are also panoramic and very extensive, the Black Mountain and Fforest Fawr being especially obvious to the west. Mynydd Epynt is visible to the north behind the county town of Brecon, and other parts of the escarpment to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mynydd Graig Goch</span>

Mynydd Graig Goch is the western end peak of the Nantlle Ridge, and is a subsidiary summit of Craig Cwm Silyn. It is also the most westerly 2000 ft peak in Wales. For many years it was excluded from lists of the Welsh 2000 ft mountains because of a spot height of 609 metres (1998') on OS maps. However, this changed in 2008; after years of speculation a group of hillwalkers carried out a precise GPS survey of the peak, measuring the absolute height as 609.75 metres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wrysgan quarry</span> Disused slate quarry in North Wales

Wrysgan quarry was a slate quarry near the village of Tanygrisiau, Blaenau Festiniog, North Wales. It was worked intermittently from the 1830s, and was worked continuously from c.1850 until 1946. Wrysgan was an underground slate quarry, which was located on a small inaccessible site, some 1,390 feet (420 m) above sea level, to the west of Cwmorthin.

References

  1. "Wild Swimming Adventure :: The Robson Green Web Site". Archived from the original on 22 December 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2009. Robson Green website