'UK's prettiest village' with railway and stone bridges named after gory legend

17 December 2023 , 07:22

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Beddgelert is a place of legend and history, rich in activities and adventures (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

A picture-postcard village was recently named one of the prettiest in the UK due to its rich history and legend.

Nestled in the valley where the Rivers Glaslyn and Colwyn meet in the heart of Wales' beautiful Snowdonia National Park is Beddgelert, a stone-built settlement reputed to be named after Gerlert the hound. An avid hunter, the prince and his princess set off for a day's hunting, leaving their baby in the safe care of the trusted Gelert.

But on returning home, they discovered the baby missing, and Gerlert's muzzle covered in blood. The prince did not miss a beat and killed Gerlert with one swing of his sword.

The village sits right in the heart of Snowdonia National Park (Getty Images/EyeEm)

A baby's cry was then heard from a dark corner of the room. The prince's heir was safe, though by its side lay a wolf – that had been slain by Gerlert only moments before. The protective hound had killed the wolf to defend the baby, but in a cruel twist, died at the hands of his master.

Grief-stricken and determined to repent for his fatal error, Llewelyn honoured the hound with a ceremonial burial by a river. Gerlert was eventually immortalised in the name of the village, Beddgelert.

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The legend has lured tourists for decades, but is likely to be the stuff of fantasy, fabricated to boost visitor numbers. A short walk south of the village takes you to a stone monument dubbed "Gelert's Grave" which reads a beautiful tribute to the hound – that was built in the late 18th century.

Beddgelert is home to the UK's longest heritage railway (Getty Images)

A slightly more strenuous walk leads you to Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon), the highest mountain in Wales with an elevation of 1,085 metres above sea level. If you'd prefer to take in the scenery in a more leisurely manner, jump on board the Welsh Highland Railway, the UK's longest heritage railway that weaves through the Welsh countryside for 25 miles.

And on the edge of the village lies the Sygun Copper Mine, once a main supplier of minerals in Wales but abandoned in 1903. The underground tunnels can be explored by foot, where you'll see stalactites, stalagmites and veins of copper ore.

Mizy Judah Clifton