Today on the Oakeley blog we’re going to delve a little deeper into one of the most famous local legends….. the tale of Gelert’s Grave. The pretty village of Beddgelert is best known for this sad, sad, legend – the story of the faithful dog Gelert. Gelert was slain in rage by his owner, Prince…

Here in Snowdonia, we live and work in one of the most historic little corners of the world (as well as one of the most beautiful, not that we’re biased or anything!). People, families and communities have lived here for thousands of years – around 29,000 in fact. And all this history means only one…

Yes, yes, yes….. we know it’s only the beginning of November so we beg your forgiveness for a festive themed blog post already, but it is totally true that the festive party season is only weeks away, or in some cases, has already started! Yes, that’s right – we are soon to be in the…

Bonfire Night is one of the highlights of the winter calendar for many of us who enjoy a good old fashioned firework display and a big bonfire. The history of celebrating bonfire night dates back to the 17th century – over 400 years ago when Mr Fawkes tried (and failed miserably) to blow up the houses…

Did you know that there are only 58 days until Christmas?? That means there’s not many shopping days left until all the presents need to be neatly piled under the tree, happily wrapped and waiting to be ripped open. If the thought of Christmas shopping this year fills you with dread then why not try…

Tomorrow, October 21st, marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most tragic events in modern Welsh history. One that was so harrowing and sad, it captured hearts across the world, and one which changed the shape and future of a whole village, and a nation, as they struggled to come to terms with the…

If you’re a regular reader of the Oakeley blog then you’ll know that Thursday 6th October was National Poetry Day. Poets, would-be poets and readers across the nation came together to celebrate one of the literary world’s oldest art forms. And if you’ve felt inspired to turn your hand to writing some poetry then you’re…

According to a BBC poll, Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” is Britain’s most popular poem, along with Elizabeth Barratt Browning’s “Sonnet 43″. But just how many famous poems could you recite, or even name? Today is National Poetry Day, so we thought we would celebrate by exploring some of Wales’ finest poets. For a small country,…

So, who’s sad that the summer holidays are over? Or are you jumping for joy that the darlings have gone back to school and the chaos is contained again? However you feel about the end of the school holidays it doesn’t have to mean that holiday season is over. In fact, we think Autumn is…

Did you know that there are over 650 different species of seaweed found along Britain’s coastlines? And although seaweeds are simple plant-like organisms, they are essential for our coastline to thrive. Seaweeds are at the bottom of the marine food chain and hundreds of small animals, molluscs and fish depend on them for food, and…