Llanuwchllyn

Llanuwchllyn (Welsh: [ɬaˈnɨ̞u̯χɬɨn] ^ⓘ) is a village and community in Gwynedd, Wales, near the southern end of Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid). It is one of the most sparsely populated communities in Wales.

Llanuwchllyn
Main street in 2007
Llanuwchllyn Location within Gwynedd
Area	116.93 km2 (45.15 sq mi)
Population	617 (2011)
• Density	5/km2 (13/sq mi)
OS grid reference	SH877299
Community	Llanuwchllyn
Principal area	Gwynedd
Country	Wales
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	BALA
Postcode district	LL23
Dialling code	01678
Police	North Wales
Fire	North Wales
Ambulance	Welsh
UK Parliament	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament	Dwyfor Meirionnydd
List of places UK Wales Gwynedd 52°51′20″N 3°40′11″W Map of the community

St Deiniol's Church

Medieval tomb at Llanuwchllyn

The electoral ward includes the small settlement of Llangywer.

The parish church of St Deiniol is a Grade II* listed building.^[1]

Llanuwchllyn railway station is the headquarters of the narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway, centred on the former Great Western Railway station on the standard-gauge line from Ruabon to Barmouth.

The village was the birthplace of Welsh language author and educationalist Owen Morgan Edwards.

Caer Gai, a Roman fort near Llanuwchllyn, was traditionally known as the home of Cei, the character in the Arthurian legend known in English as Sir Kay. Poets of the 15th century recorded a story, ultimately deriving from the Prose Merlin included in the Lancelot-Grail and the Post-Vulgate Cycle, that King Arthur and Cei were brought up at Caer Gai as foster brothers.^[2] Caer Gai is also Grade II* listed.^[3]

Demographics

Welsh language

According to the 2011 Census, Llanuwchllyn is the community with the 2nd highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales. 83.5% of residents aged three and over reported being able to speak Welsh in the 2011 Census, as compared to 84.7% reporting being able to do so in the 2001 Census.^[4] The figure rose slightly to 83.9% by the 2021 Census. ^[5]

Ethnicity

As of the 2021 Census, the Llanuwchllyn electoral ward was the least ethnically diverse ward in England and Wales. 99.2% of residents were White British, 0.2% were White Irish, 0.3% were White Other, and 0.3% were mixed race.^[6]

Governance

An electoral ward with same name exists. This ward also includes the community of Llangywer with a total population taken at the 2011 census of 877.^[7]

Notable people

• John Richards (1765–1850), schoolmaster, became an American politician in New York.
• Michael D. Jones (1822–1898) a Welsh Congregationalist minister, principal of a theological college and co-founder of the Welsh settlement of Y Wladfa in Patagonia.
• Sir Owen Morgan Edwards (1858–1920) historian, educationalist and writer.
• John Meirion Morris (1936–2020), sculptor.^[8]