Criccieth
Criccieth (Cricieth ) is a town and community on the Llŷn Peninsula in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. The town lies 5 mi west of Porthmadog, 9 mi east of Pwllheli and 17 mi south of Caernarfon. It had a population of 1,826 in 2001, reducing to 1,753 at the 2011 census.
The town is a seaside resort, popular with families. Attractions include the ruins of Criccieth Castle, which have extensive views over the town and surrounding countryside. Nearby on Ffordd Castell (Castle Way) is Cadwalader's Ice Cream Parlour, opened in 1927, whilst Stryd Fawr (High Street) has several bistro-style restaurants. In the centre lies Y Maes ("The Field", or town square), part of the original medieval town common.
The town is noted for its fairs, held on 23 May and 29 June every year, when large numbers of people visit the fairground and the market which spreads through many of the streets of the town.
Criccieth hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1975, and in 2003 was granted Fairtrade Town status. It won the Wales in Bloom competition each year from 1999 to 2004.
The town styles itself the "Pearl of Wales on the Shores of Snowdonia".
The earliest recorded form of the place name Criccieth in Welsh is found in Brut y Tywysogion where reference is made to the imprisonment of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn in the 'castle of Cruceith' (Middle Welsh orthography: Kastell Krukeith). The form Cruciaith was used by Iolo Goch in a famous 14th century poem addressed to Sir Hywel y Fwyall, custodian of the castle. There are a number of theories as to the meaning, but the most popular is that it comes from Crug Caeth: caeth may mean 'prisoner' and thus the name could mean prisoner's rock, a reference to the imprisonment of one of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth's sons in the castle by his brother. However, caeth has the primary meaning in Middle Welsh of 'serf[s]' and the name could refer to a bond community nearby. In later medieval times the settlement was also known as Treferthyr (martyr's town), probably a reference to Saint Catherine, after whom the parish church is named.
The spelling of Criccieth remains controversial today. Many regard this version as an Anglicism, arguing that the Welsh form Cricieth should be used instead. Others argue that Criccieth is simply an anomaly in the Welsh language, in which there is no double C, and that the spelling should be preserved. The dispute has resulted in the vandalising of road signs at the entrance to the town.
The town is a seaside resort, popular with families. Attractions include the ruins of Criccieth Castle, which have extensive views over the town and surrounding countryside. Nearby on Ffordd Castell (Castle Way) is Cadwalader's Ice Cream Parlour, opened in 1927, whilst Stryd Fawr (High Street) has several bistro-style restaurants. In the centre lies Y Maes ("The Field", or town square), part of the original medieval town common.
The town is noted for its fairs, held on 23 May and 29 June every year, when large numbers of people visit the fairground and the market which spreads through many of the streets of the town.
Criccieth hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1975, and in 2003 was granted Fairtrade Town status. It won the Wales in Bloom competition each year from 1999 to 2004.
The town styles itself the "Pearl of Wales on the Shores of Snowdonia".
The earliest recorded form of the place name Criccieth in Welsh is found in Brut y Tywysogion where reference is made to the imprisonment of Gruffudd ap Llywelyn in the 'castle of Cruceith' (Middle Welsh orthography: Kastell Krukeith). The form Cruciaith was used by Iolo Goch in a famous 14th century poem addressed to Sir Hywel y Fwyall, custodian of the castle. There are a number of theories as to the meaning, but the most popular is that it comes from Crug Caeth: caeth may mean 'prisoner' and thus the name could mean prisoner's rock, a reference to the imprisonment of one of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth's sons in the castle by his brother. However, caeth has the primary meaning in Middle Welsh of 'serf[s]' and the name could refer to a bond community nearby. In later medieval times the settlement was also known as Treferthyr (martyr's town), probably a reference to Saint Catherine, after whom the parish church is named.
The spelling of Criccieth remains controversial today. Many regard this version as an Anglicism, arguing that the Welsh form Cricieth should be used instead. Others argue that Criccieth is simply an anomaly in the Welsh language, in which there is no double C, and that the spelling should be preserved. The dispute has resulted in the vandalising of road signs at the entrance to the town.
Map - Criccieth
Map
Country - United_Kingdom
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| Flag of the United Kingdom | |
The United Kingdom has evolved from a series of annexations, unions and separations of constituent countries over several hundred years. The Treaty of Union between the Kingdom of England (which included Wales, annexed in 1542) and the Kingdom of Scotland in 1707 formed the Kingdom of Great Britain. Its union in 1801 with the Kingdom of Ireland created the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Most of Ireland seceded from the UK in 1922, leaving the present United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which formally adopted that name in 1927. The nearby Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey are not part of the UK, being Crown Dependencies with the British Government responsible for defence and international representation. There are also 14 British Overseas Territories, the last remnants of the British Empire which, at its height in the 1920s, encompassed almost a quarter of the world's landmass and a third of the world's population, and was the largest empire in history. British influence can be observed in the language, culture and the legal and political systems of many of its former colonies.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| GBP | Pound sterling | £ | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| EN | English language |
| GD | Gaelic language |
| CY | Welsh language |