Sense of Place - Tywyn

Tywyn is a seaside town on the north coast of Cardigan Bay in mid-Wales. Its name derives from the Welsh word for beach or sand dunes. It used also to be known by the more Anglicised spelling Towyn, but today it is known bilingually as Tywyn, reflecting the fact that at the time of the 2001 census, 40.5% of the town’s population was Welshspeaking.

The town pre-dates the Norman invasion, but one of the oldest buildings in Tywyn, the existing Church of St Cadfan, dates to the Norman times, though its origins are probably much older. It houses an inscribed stone from the eighth or ninth century known as St Cadfan’s stone. The inscription on this stone is the oldest known written Welsh.

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Cadfan

Tywyn is teeming with history dating back to the 7th century, St Cadfan's church is built on the grounds of an old Celtic clas - a place of religious learning.

Oldest Example

Here you will find the oldest example of a stone with Welsh. It's a remembrance stone to Cadfan, and though the Welsh is old, it is still recognisable.

Nant Gwenol

Another great attraction in Tywyn is the excellent forest and river walks at Nant Gwernol.

Talyllyn Railway

The Talyllyn Railway is a historic narrow-gauge steam railway, set in the beautiful Mid-Wales countryside. Running from Tywyn to Abergynolwyn and NantGwernol, the line passes the delightful Dolgoch Falls.

Sense of Place - Tywyn People

Mari Jones (December 16 1784 - December 29, 1864)

In 1800 a young protestant woman named Mari Jacob Jones, who was only 16 years old at the time, walked bare foot from her home in Llanfihangel-y-Pennant to Bala – a journey of over 50 miles there and back – in order to buy a copy of the Bible in Welsh. She had saved for over six years to have enough money to buy a copy, but there was nowhere nearer to home where she could purchase a Bible than Bala.

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