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 The
cottages are about 1.5 miles from the coastal town of Criccieth
with its spectacular castle and wide, safe beach - located within a
private estate called Eisteddfa.
Criccieth has the best of both
worlds as far as the weather is concerned. The long arm of the Lleyn
Peninsula
shelters it from the worst of the prevailing weather from the west; it
also traps the warm waters of the Gulf Stream to create a climate
completely different from that of the mountains inland.
The Criccieth Musical
Festival is held every June. Criccieth is a past-winner of the Town
in Bloom competition for the whole of Europe which has made it
well-worth a visit, not to mention to come and taste the world-famous
award-winning Cadwalader's Ice cream! There are numerous good
eating places here as well.
The remains of Criccieth Castle are partly of
Welsh and partly of English construction, and date from the reign of
Llewelyn the Great (1200 -1240), the entrance is opposite Castle Square.
A cottage near the entrance has been converted to house an exhibition
entitled "Castles of the Welsh Prince" - well worth a visit. If this
whets the appetite for visits to other Welsh castles, there are a number
of others within easy reach of Criccieth, including Harlech,
a short journey by the Cambrian Coast Railway, and Caernarfon,
an easy car ride. There are bus services to Caernarfon
from Porthmadog
and Pwllheli.
Other interesting historic monuments in the vicinity, include St. Cybi's
Well, about 11/2 miles north-west of Criccieth on the B4354 road;
Penarth Fawr Medieval House,
between Criccieth and Pwllheli, half a mile north of the A497 road, and
the Welsh Slate Museum at Llanberis.
Two miles down the road, is Llanystumdwy,
the boyhood home of Criccieth's most famous son, David Lloyd George. A
visit to the Museum and riverside grave is a must, but many people also
like to walk along the banks of the River Dwyfor, where the Statesman
spent his boyhood days.
"
Eight miles away is the popular marina in Pwllheli, on the
Lleyn Peninsula, Porthmadog, Portmeirion, the famous and
spectacular ride on the Ffestiniog Steam Railway, Mount Snowdon and
the beautiful Snowdonia National Park.
There are several National Trust properties in the area,
including Bodnant Gardens with its famous Laburnum Arch, Plas
yn Rhyw, Penrhyn Castle, and Plas Newydd on Anglesey.The
cottages are within the Eisteddfa estate which benefits from the newly developed lakes which offer coarse and
trout fishing by the day for a reasonable charge. Tackle can be hired.
see
www.eisteddfa-fisheries.com
There are lots of cycle tracks and paths to
explore, including a newly completed route from Porthmadog to Barmouth
and beyond.
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