Trawsfynydd History
Pre-history
The village is in close proximity to the ancient trade route for Bronze Age travellers to and from Ireland en route to Wiltshire – the cultural centre of Britain in those days. Many examples of cairns, megaliths, roundhouses and hut enclosures support the evidence of pre-historic settlements in the area.
Roman Occupation
It is believed that the Romans provided the village with its present name i.e. Trawsfynydd from the Roman Trans Mons – over the mountains a very apt name considering the amount of mountains that surround the parish. Prior to its present name it is thought to have been called Llan Eden Owain or Llanednowain.
The most famous Roman remains can be found 3 miles north of the village at Tomen y Mur.
The Normans
At Tomen y Mur, mentioned above, can also be found the prominent remains of a Norman Motte and Bailey castle. It is also reputed to be the site of a Dark Age Llys, based on the information found in the Mabinogion tale of Math fab Mathonwy. However, there is no archaeological evidence to prove this, yet!
Modern History
Ellis Humphrey Evans (Hedd Wyn) was born at Penlan, Trawsfynydd in 1887. Hedd Wyn began writing poetry at an early age winning his first chair at Bala in 1907.
Hedd Wyn was called up by the army in 1917 and he went to Flanders. At the battle of Passchendaele Hedd Wyn, amongst many others, died.
During the same year, the National Eisteddfod of Wales was held in Birkenhead. At the Eisteddfod pavilion on the 6 September the adjudicator announced that the winning poet with the nom-de-plume of “Fleur-de-lis” fully deserved to win. The audience were informed that the winner was Private E. H. Evans – Hedd Wyn – and had been killed in action a month earlier in the war and sadly the chair was covered with a black cloth.
John Roberts (Martyr)
Click here to learn more about John Roberts the Martyr.
