New Heritage Centre for Bala

It’s not something that many teenagers would undertake these days, but a new heritage centre in Bala called Mary Jones World, is set to celebrate a special walk that a 15 year old girl completed in 1800.

Mary Jones was no ordinary teenager, and even for the time, her feat was extraordinary. By 1800, the teenager had saved hard for over 6 years, and then walked a whopping 26 miles over hills and valleys, from her home in Llanfihangel-y-Pennant at the foot of Cadair Idris, to the market town of Bala, just so that she could buy a copy of the Welsh Bible.

Welsh Bibles were pretty rare in those days, and so Mary wasn’t even sure that she’d be able to buy a copy in Bala, but she set off anyway, and luckily she wasn’t disappointed, although the story goes that she had to wait two long days to finally get her own copy. When Mary Jones first arrived in Bala she went straight to the church and met the Reverend Thomas Charles. Rev Charles was so impressed by her story and by her dedication that it inspired him to later set up the Bible Society – an organisation that exists today in over 200 countries, with the aim of making the Bible freely available to everyone, all over the world.

The Bible Society have now honoured the life of Mary Jones, the girl who inadvertently helped their beginnings, by opening a heritage centre in Bala, the town she walked to. Mary Jones World tells Mary’s story through a series of interactive and engaging materials, and helps visitors fully understand her legacy.

Mary Jones World is located in the specially renovated St Beuno’s Church in the village of Llanycil on the banks of Bala lake. The centre hopes to attract more than 10,000 visitors a year, as well as aiming to spread the story of how this remarkable Welsh girl changed the future of the Bible forever.

Bala is just a short drive from us here at the Oakeley Arms, so why not visit Mary Jones World as part of your Snowdonia trip?

For more information about Mary Jones World, including opening times, click here