Discover | Nant Gwrtheyrn

Exploring Nant Gwrtheyrn

A significant project has been underway and has greatly influenced the landscape of Nant Gwrtheyrn over the past two years. Nant Gwrtheyrn’s woodlands were originally planted as a commercial plantation of conifers in the 1970s. Fifty years on, the trees were starting to blow over and become a danger, falling across the road and electric lines. We decided to fell the conifers and set to work on an ambitious plan to create a woodland of native trees that would be more in keeping with the local landscape. As part of the project, we constructed new paths and an outdoor classroom, Plas Heulwen.

There are two footpaths that you can follow. One is a short circular walk, designed to be accessible for wheelchair users. The other path runs from the Centre up to the cattle grid not far from Top Nant car park at the top of the hill. This path is about 1km long and will take about half an hour to walk. The second part of this route is quite steep in places but there are plenty of benches to have a break and to admire the view.

You can also download our app that leads you on different trails. On the app you can listen to information about what you see around you and hear some of the tales that belong to this special landscape. Some of the trails will lead you around the new footpaths and others will guide you around the village itself.

Much of the funding for this work came from the Welsh Government’s Woodland Investment Grant (TWIG) and we are very grateful for their support to this project.

Anderoid App Apple App

Heritage centre

The Heritage Centre was opened in Capel Seilo in 2003 and offers a wealth of information and fascinating displays about the history of the area, the development of the site to the present day and the history of the Welsh language.

A free exhibition which tells the remarkable story of the quarrying village of Port Nant, the development of the Welsh Language Centre and the history of the Welsh language.

A selection of film and radio clips will bring this thriving quarry village back to life through the memories of people who lived and worked in the area.

An extensive and growing collection of photographs of Nant Gwrtheyrn, feel free to look through our photographic flip-books.

If you are interested in King Gwrtheyrn or Rhys and Meinir, have a look at our myths and legends flip-book.

Especially designed computer games, which test your knowledge of the Victorian housewife’s daily chores, place names on the Llŷn Peninsula and all things Welsh.

Quarryman's cottage

While visiting Nant Gwrtheyrn, why not travel through time and explore our very own quarryman’s cottage. This house and all its content has been reconstructed to show how a quarryman and his family would have lived in 1910.

Meinir's tree

Have you heard about the tragic love story of Rhys and Meinir, the childhood sweethearts who lived in Nant Gwrtheyrn? While visiting The Nant, make sure that you take a moment to look at the symbolic tree, where the young bride was trapped on her wedding day.

Tu Hwnt

The sculpture was created by the artists Awst & Walther for a special art project at Barclodiad y Gawres, Anglesey in June 2014. Their aim was to create a moment of focus in order to reflect on the relationship between individuals and the landscape, drawing our limited perspective visual attention to us. Within the statue there is room for one person to stand – sheltered from the wind, and the glass like some analytical lens in front of our eyes.

The title Tu Hwnt is motivating us to try to see beyond the obvious, to try to go further than the romantic charm of a landscape that is awaken in us. We live in a time where the future of landscapes like the Welsh coast is uncertain due to global warming and rising sea levels, due to the irresponsible ways mankind has treated the environment. What kind of new connections between people and the landscape can we imagine?

Living and working in Caernarfon and Berlin, Manon Awst & Benjamin Walther have worked as an artistic team since 2007. They have exhibited their spatial work, sculptures and performances internationally and are delighted that Tu Hwnt has found an appropriate new home in Nant Gwrtheyrn. It was extremely important to them that the piece stands on the coast of Wales, such as the horizon is an essential layer of the work.

Tre'r Ceiri Hillfort

Bring your walking boots!

Tre’r Ceiri is one of Wales’ most spectacular ancient monuments. It was first brought to the attention of the population by Thomas Pennant who traveled around North Wales and wrote his famous book, ‘Tours of Wales’. Its spectacular location has attracted visitors and walkers for years.

The earliest archaeological evidence of inhabitation in the area are the two well-known Iron Age hillforts which dominate the high ground above Nant Gwrtheyrn. Tre’r Ceiri and Yr Eifl were both inhabited between 150 BC and 400 AD. Little is known about these early inhabitants, other than they depended heavily on the local iron which was exported and sold.

Nature walks

There are a network of paths, of varying lengths and ease, in and around the valley. Here are a few links to various walking paths and routes which may be of interest:

Llithfaen circular walk