Marvellous Maentwrog

Here at the Oakeley Arms, you know how much we love the beautiful area that we are lucky enough to call home. The Oakeley Arms is situated right on the edge of Snowdonia, in the beautiful Vale of Ffestiniog, which stretches from the dark, slate-filled hills of Blaenau Ffestiniog down to the estuary and coast at Porthmadog.

Maentwrog is situated on the banks of the lovely River Dwyryd
Image by David Medcalf on wikicommons

The nearest village to the Oakeley Arms is beautiful Maentwrog, and it’s just a few minutes’ stroll away. Maentwrog is a charming village, lined with grand stone houses and quaint cottages, built of sturdy stone and slate from the local quarries, the enormous contents of which helped to make the fortunes of a few.

Maentwrog, which is on the banks of the beautiful River Dwyryd, literally translates as Twrog’s Stone. Twrog was a Saint who probably lived in the 5th or 6th century. Christian legend has it that a giant, also called Twrog threw a stone from the top of a nearby hill and destroyed a pagan altar. The stone is still in the churchyard today, and it is said to be a lucky omen if you rub shoulders with the stone!

Of course, Maentwrog’s most famous residence is Plas Tan-y-Bwlch, the impressive manor house just west of the Oakeley Arms, that was built by the Oakeley family, who built their fortunes, and their villages, on the profits of slate mining. Plas Tan-y-Bwlch overlooks the village, apparently so that the Oakeley masters could keep an eye on their workers, but perhaps simply because that was the best view? You can read more about the Oakeley family and Plas Tan-y-Bwlch at our previous blog posts here and here.

Maentwrog is also home to a hydro-electric power station that was opened in 1928, and makes use of the mighty power of the water from nearby Llyn Trawsfynydd. This ultimate green energy can power approximately 12,000 local homes in a year, just by harnessing the energy from rain water. Clever stuff!

Maentwrog’s Hydro Electric Power Station.
Image by Barry Hunter on wikicommons

So, there’s plenty to discover here in marvellous Maentwrog, and not least popping in to see us for a drink here at the historic Oakeley Arms hotel!