Hen Bryn Gelynen (Hwb Croesor)
Before the quarry days, Croesor would have been made up of scattered smallholdings, Hen Bryn Gelynen is one of these ancient farmhouses. At the end of the 90s, the building was bought by Cyfeillion Croesor with the intention of it becoming a creative hub in the village for visitors and local people alike creating a cultural boost and promoting the Welsh language. By now, Hwb Croesor is home to regular activities for all ages organised by a group of hardworking volunteers – and there’s a good ‘paned’ to be had in the café!
The Quarry
During the quarry era, Croesor was the birthplace of several innovative developments. One of its pioneers was Moses Kellow who lived at the bottom of the quarry path. Kellow was the quarry manager between the 1890s and 1930s and an unrivalled inventor. Using hydro-electricity, he brought electricity to the quarry and he invented the Kellow hydraulic drill to bore into the rock. A man well before his time.
Along the River
It could be said that Croesor people have always made a living from the land. In the book ‘Diwydiannau Coll’ (Lost Industries) by Bob Owen, all kinds of small industries are mentioned that would have been the community’s bread and butter.
Ochre excavations were attempted on Yr Arddu (pictured above). Moss and sphagnum from Y Moelwynion were transported to England for medicinal benefits. Orchids were also bought by rich families from London.
Wool was essential for making clothes for the people of the community and competitions were held testing the local women’s weaving and knitting skills.
To this day, many local people’s livelihoods come from the land – from agriculture, to slate works to working with wild plants and there is a high number of self-employed people who live and work from such a small area.
The Village
Self-education is often found at the root of Welsh culture. There is no better example than Bob Owen Croesor (1885 – 1962). A farmhand, before working in the quarry like most boys in the area, he had a great passion for books. He widely studied the history of the Welsh people who emigrated to America and was well-known for his book ‘Diwydiannau Coll’ about the lost industries in the area between the Dwyryd and Glaslyn rivers. People travelled from afar to question Bob Owen about his specialist fields. He won many an Eisteddfod and he received an OBE for his work.
End of Walk
Thank you for completing this walk around our village, we hope it's given you a sense of the community that lives amongst this famous landscape.
This self-guided tour was created by Beca George & Llinos Griffith on behalf of Cyfeillion Croesor. Special thanks to all those who took part, either through interviews, who shared their photos or artworks, attended the range of events we hosted or contributed their time and energy in any way.
Please return your headphones at the cafe.
