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A story
in stone |
|
A story
in stone |
 Based on the trail designed and produced by the Dolgellau
Civic Society. The Society aims to protect and promote the historic character
of the town |
We begin and end our trail in Eldon Square. Follow the route on our map which you can print out in four sections |
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| "The character of the old town with its irregular streets, its solid buildings and hard grey stones is special. It is the unique product of local geology and local craftsmen. It has a sense of belonging to the magnificent landscape around it." | A
story in stone The Square is at the heart of today's town; the star around which everything revolves. Scattered around are smaller satellite open spaces. They are also called squares but that is really too grand a name to describe the irregular unbuilt spaces that result where several crooked streets meet. Unlike many of the towns of North Wales, whose regular street patterns were established by the occupying Anglo-Normans, Dolgellau began as a collection of serf dwellings and evolved organically over many centuries without a masterplan. Although Dolgellau has long considered itself the county town and prime market of Meirionydd, its success and development has been largely due to the woollen industry of which it was the regional centre. The industry, which was largely hand-worked, reached its peak around 1800 and gradually declined in the following century, unable to compete with the output of highly mechanised mills. In the latter part of the 18th century, it became fashionable for those of means to come and experience the wild romantic scenery. The town soon developed as a touring centre, providing the services of several harpists, and guides for mule trips to Cader Idris. The railway and later the motor car brought many more visitors and tourisms continues to be a major influence today.  Much of the town was
rebuilt in the relatively prosperous years of the wool trade, and the
centre, at least, has changed little in the last hundred years. In the
earlier buildings the stones are rough and irregular. As the 19th century
progressed, more regular, dressed blocks were used. If you look carefully
you can often see patches of earlier stonework that have survived rebuilding.
The architecture tends to be bold and strong and relies more on proportions
than ornament for its effect. Local stone, the hard grey dolerite,
and slate were chosen as the building materials. Over two hundred buildngs
have been listed as being of historic or architectural interest. No other
town in Wales has such a concentration.The character of the old town with its irregular streets, its solid buildings and hard grey stones is special. It is the unique product of local geology and local craftsmen. It has a sense of belonging to the magnificent landscape around it. |
