Tal-y-bont, Conwy

Tal-y-Bont is a small village in Conwy county borough, Wales. It lies in the Conwy valley in North Wales, west of the River Conwy, on the B5106 road, six miles from Conwy to the north, and six miles from Llanrwst to the south.

It lies adjacent to the village of Dolgarrog to the south, and below the small settlement of Llanbedr-y-Cennin to the west.

The 'Bont' (yhe mutated form of "pont", Welsh for "bridge") in the name, probably refers to the bridge over the Afon Dulyn, a tributary of the nearby Conwy river, which runs through the village.

Access to Snowdonia and the Carneddau

Tal-y-Bont is the starting point for the road to Llyn Eigiau and the southern Carneddau mountains. Access to the northern end of the Carneddau range and the Roman road over to Aberystwyth can also reached by following the road up from Tal-y-Bont through Llanbedr-y-Cennin - which is on the eastern edge of the Snowdonia National Park - and taking a left fork at the pub, Ye Olde Bull Inn, in Llanbedr.

Walkers can access peaks in the northern end of the Carneddau range such as Drum and Foel Fras, and then continue south east to reach Carnedd Llewelyn.

Facilities

The village has a chapel, a primary school "Ysgol Tal-y-Bont", a hotel named "The Lodge", a public house named "Y Bedol" (The Horseshoe), a butchers "T. Parry-Jones and Daughters", a local shop and a memorial hall with recreational grounds (including tennis courts).

There was a garage and petrol station ("Rose's Garage") run by a mechanic called Mr. Rose and later run by his son Keith Rose, which once served the village, but it is now closed down.

Historical Interest

Roman Fort

Half a mile to the north of Tal-y-Bont is the hamlet of Caerhun, where the Roman fort of Kanovium (Circa AD60) is located.

Bronze Age Fort

To the west is a hill named Pen-y-Gaer, on top of which can be found remains of a Bronze Age hillfort. The hill occupies a commanding position above the village, with views north down the valley to Conwy and Llandudno, and south to Llanrwst. Pen-y-Gaer can be reached by following the road that runs up through Llanbedr-y-Cennin, taking the left fork at the Olde Bull Inn and then taking a left several miles later when the hill appears directly above to your left.

External links

* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3489431 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Tal-y-bont and surrounding area]