Groeslon

Groeslon (Welsh pronunciation^ⓘ; sometimes Welsh: Y Groeslon, 'the crossroads') is a small village in the community of Llandwrog in Gwynedd, Wales. The population was 880 at the 2011 census.^[1]

Groeslon Welsh: Y Groeslon
Groeslon Post Office
Groeslon Location within Gwynedd
Population	880 (2011)
OS grid reference	SH472558
Community	Llandwrog
Principal area	Gwynedd
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	CAERNARFON
Postcode district	LL54
Dialling code	01286
Police	North Wales
Fire	North Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Arfon
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Arfon
List of places UK Wales Gwynedd 53.078°N 4.280°W / 53.078; -4.280

Nearby villages are Penygroes, Carmel and Dinas. The village lies approximately five miles south of Caernarfon. It has one primary school in the centre of the village, Ysgol Bro Llifon.^[2] There are no secondary schools; most secondary age pupils go to Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle in Penygroes.

Groeslon was by-passed in 2002 by the A487 road, a trunk road which cost around £12 million to complete. A bat bridge was constructed in 2010 to guide lesser horseshoe bats across the road.^[3]

Formerly an agricultural and slate mining village, Groeslon is now expanding as a commuter village for the surrounding towns, especially Caernarfon and Bangor. Its initial growth came as a result of the construction of the LMS railway in 1867. Groeslon railway station closed in December 1964.^[4] The railway line is now part of the national cycle route.

In the village there is one pub, the Tafarn Pennionyn.^[5]

At the bottom of the village, bordering the A487, a huge wall is visible. This is the wall to the Glynllifon estate, formerly the seat of Lord Newborough, which is now a country park and a campus of Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor specialising in land-based courses including agriculture, animal studies and veterinary nursing.^[6]

Groeslon is covered by a neighbourhood policing team based in Penygroes.

Governance

For elections to Gwynedd Council, Groeslon is an electoral ward. This ward extends beyond the confines of Groeslon village, and the total population taken at the 2011 Census was 1,695.^[7]

Historically, Groeslon was part of Caernarfonshire until the creation of Gwynedd in 1974.

Notable residents

• Welsh author Eirug Wyn until his death in 2004.
• The dramatist John Gwilym Jones (1904–1988)
• Poet Tom Huws.
• Llion Iwan, Welsh documentary journalist/producer and author.
• 'The Laughing Postman' Arwel Jones.
• Novelist Menna Medi

Bibliography

Hanes Y Groeslon (History of Groeslon) available from public libraries: