Museums & Galleries in North Wales

Wrexham

Welcome

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North East Wales

Welcome to the Museums and Art Galleries of North Wales brochure, brought to you by North Wales Tourism in collaboration with the North Wales Local Authorities. This brochure is a celebration of the diverse and exciting museums and galleries that North Wales has to offer and is the result of a request by the Director of Oita Museum Japan to learn more about the different types of museums and galleries in North Wales following their successful memorandum of understanding with the Wales National Museum.

Mold

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Wrexham Museum

Mold Museum

Wrexham County Borough Museum & Archives is the starting point for discovering the eventful history of this region on the Welsh-English border.

The Museum’s displays and collections tell the stories of our local communities and their place in Wales and the wider world from prehistory up to the present day. Wrexham Museum will soon be undergoing major refurbishment work that will include a brand new national football museum for Wales being developed within the same building.

Mold Museum is currently undergoing a refurbishment and will reopen in January 2024. Situated on the upper floor of Mold Library, the museum traces the fascinating history of Mold, its people and stories. There are Bronze Age treasures to see including a replica of the famous Mold Cape. Found on the outskirts of the town, the original Cape is now in the British Museum. You can experience Victorian Mold through the eyes of Welsh novelist, Daniel Owen, who is seen in his reconstructed tailor’s shop.

County Buildings | Regent Street | Wrexham | LL11 1RB Visit wrexhamheritage.wales/footballmuseumwales & wrexhamheritage.wales

Earl Road | Mold | Flintshire | CH7 1AP Visit aura.wales/heritage/museum-displays

Wrexham

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of North Wales

Mold

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Ty Pawb

Whether you are a history buff, an art enthusiast, or simply interested in exploring the rich and varied cultural heritage of North Wales, this brochure has something to offer. Join us on this journey of discovery as we explore the fascinating world of North Wales museums and art galleries.

Museums & Art Galleries

Oriel Glasfryn Gallery

Tŷ Pawb is Wrexham’s multi-award winning, cultural community resource, bringing together arts and markets within the same footprint. Enjoy an exciting programme of events and activities for all ages, including family arts activities, live music, comedy nights, craft fairs, film screenings and much more! An Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 finalist; Tŷ Pawb’s gallery presents a contemporary programme of high profile, accessible exhibitions, socially engaging projects and live performance – all under one roof!

Oriel Glasfryn Gallery is the only independent art gallery in North East Wales.

Situated just off the A55 in the historic town of Caerwys, the gallery showcases the finest original Welsh art and craft including paintings, jewellery, ceramics, sculpture, glass, textiles, wood and metalwork.

Market Street | Wrexham | LL13 8B Visit typawb.wales

South St | Caerwys | Mold | CH7 5AF Visit orielglasfryn.com

A5

02 5

Liverpool

99 A4

A5

Betws-y-coed 25

98 A4

7

A497

Blaenau Ffestiniog

A4

A5

A5

A5

Harlech

Corwen

Glyn Ceiriog

Y Bala Bala

6

Holywell

A4

Stretching across 70 acres of woodland, you can explore over 2,000 years of history with lakes, streams, ancient monuments and historic factories around every corner. Visit the museum and historic farm buildings with up-to-date colourful displays and interactives. The museum is a great way to find out more about the importance of Greenfield as a centre of industry. With a giant adventure playground, educational activities and a changing programme of events there is something for all ages.

95

A4 9

28 A5

Oswestry

A5

49 5

A

8

A4

A458

Llanfair Caereinion A4

Machynlleth

A4 70

Rhyl

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Ruthin

09

Ruthin

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Rhyl Museum

Ruthin Gaol

The Old Courthouse

Stroll down an Edwardian ‘pier’, peek into old-fashioned kiosks and discover more about the personalities who shaped Rhyl.

Ruthin gaol is the only purpose-built Pentonville style prison open to the public as a heritage attraction. People can spend time exploring its nooks and crannies and learn about life in the Victorian prison system. See how the prisoners lived their daily lives: what they ate, how they worked, and the punishments they suffered. Explore the cells including the punishment, ‘dark’ and condemned cell. Find out about the Welsh Houdini and William Hughes who was the last man to be hanged there.

Welcome to The Old Courthouse. Located in the centre of the mediaeval market town of Ruthin in the beautiful Vale of Clwyd. The 15th Century building was purchased by Ruthin Town Council in 2019, and a full, sympathetic refurbishment has resulted in a beautiful space to be enjoyed by locals and visitors. During the day the Community, Civic and Visitor Hub will be open for people to pop in, have a look at our historical interpretation, find out what is happening in the area, peruse the current art or community exhibition and discover what local businesses have to offer.

11A Church St | Rhyl | LL18 3AA Visit denbighshire.gov.uk/en/leisure-and-tourism/museums-andhistoric-houses/rhyl-museum.aspx

Clwyd Street | Ruthin | Denbighshire | LL15 1HP Visit denbighshire.gov.uk/en/leisure-and-tourism/museums-andhistoric-houses/ruthin-gaol.aspx

Rhyl

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Ruthin

St Peters Square | Ruthin | Denbighshire | LL14 1AA Visit theoldcourthouse.wales

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Plas Newydd was home to the Ladies of Llangollen from 1780 - 1829. The house retains the gothic features they introduced and is set in peaceful gardens surrounded by trees and includes the font from the nearby Valle Crucis Abbey. Inside Plas Newydd today, an exhibition including some of their possessions and an audio tour bring their story to vivid life.

You can stroll through their gardens and along their riverside walk. And you can take tea, as Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott and the Duke of Wellington have all done before you.

Llangollen | Denbighshire | LL20 8AW Visit denbighshire.gov.uk/en/leisure-and-tourism/museums-andhistoric-houses/plas-newydd-llangollen.aspx

A4

Sea

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A488

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Visit Wales Quality Assured

Y Trallwng Welshpool

06

Plas Newydd

58

5 A4

37 Corris

Basingwerk House | Greenfield | Holywell | CH8 7GH Visit greenfieldvalley.com

Llangollen

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Tal-y-Llyn 36

05

Greenfield Valley Heritage Park

A470 A45

Crewe to Holyhead - 123 min Manchester to Llandudno Junction - 120 min London to Flint - 163 min

Irish Ferries: 0818 300400 Stena Line: 08447 707070

25

Y Waun Chirk

Dolgellau

Abermaw Barmouth

Tel: 03457 48 49 50 North Wales by Rail

A5

06 Llangollen

A49

Rail services from London Euston and local train enquiries.

Rhiwabon Ruabon

Llanrhaeadr ym Mochnant

Aberdaron

Visit gonorthwales.co.uk

Wrecsam Wrexham

A470

Birmingham Distance: 131 miles Time: 2 hour and 12 min Leeds Distance: 119 miles Time: 2 hour Liverpool Distance: 50 miles Time: 1 hour Chester Distance: 38 miles Time: 45 min London Distance: 254 miles Time: 4 hours Manchester Distance: 77 miles Time: 1 hour and 30 min Nottingham Distance: 145 miles Time: 2 hours and 28 min Stoke-on-Trent Distance: 90 miles Time: 1 hour and 30 min

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104

Cerrigydrudion

212

35 Trawsfynydd

83

A4

A5 01

70

Cricieth Criccieth

A55

10

A4

34

6 A49

Rail

Yr Wyddgrug Mold

Pentrefoelas

Abersoch

Road

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04

A5

Pwllheli

Chester

Rhuthun 07 08 Ruthin 09

Dolwyddelan Penmachno

Porthmadog

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43

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Llan Ffestiniog

Nefyn

You might be surprised, but we’re really easy to get to fromanywhere in Britain. Just over an hour from Manchester, and four from London.

08 6

25 A5

A48

Beddgelert

24

A4

Waunfawr Rhyd-Ddu

How to find us

Llanrwst

Ewlo Ewloe

A41

32

30

Dinas 31

Trefriw

Y Ferri Isaf Queensferry 03

Dinbych Denbigh

M56

40 A5

Llanberis

14

8 A54

M53

Treffynnon Holywell Y Fflint 05 Flint A54 1

29

48

Llanelwy St Asaph A470

28

13

22

Bethesda

Y Felinheli

Caernarfon

Groeslon

5 A5

Rhuddlan

Abergele

23

Bangor 38 27

Brynsiencyn

15

A5

5

Llanfairpwll

A4080

21

11

Prestatyn

12

A5

Rhosneigr

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Conwy

Porthaethwy Menai Bridge

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A55

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Biwmares Beaumaris

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Llangefni

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Y Rhyl Rhyl

Bae Colwyn Colwyn Bay

A5

A5

17

A4 94

44

16

4

Ynys Môn Anglesey

42

43

Llandudno

Moelfre

A49

41

A41

5 02 A5

Caergybi Holyhead

Ruthin

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Rhyl Miniature Railway

Nantclwyd y Dre

Ruthin Craft Centre

Britain’s oldest miniature railway - train rides around Marine Lake since 1911. Museum with interactive touch screen, gift shop and toilets. We offer a nostalgia experience suitable for children of all ages. Most of our visitors begin by enjoying a train ride on what is now Britain’s oldest miniature line.

Our steam trains were built in Rhyl during the 1920s, and so have been hauling passengers around Marine Lake for the last eighty years! Upon returning to ‘Central Station’, find out more about our story in our museum, where there are hands on exhibits to amuse the younger ones.

Take a trip through the seven ages of Nantclwyd y Dre, Wales’ second oldest dated timbered town house. A timber cruck-framed family home built by a wealthy cloth merchant in 1435, it has been added to, updated and upgraded by its inhabitants throughout the centuries. Nantclwyd y Dre has been authentically restored with rooms of different periods, demonstrating the changing fashions and lives of its residents.

The carefully restored Lord’s Garden behind the house is a Listed Landscape - an acre of ‘secret’ walled garden once used as a pleasure and productive garden by Ruthin Castle.

Ruthin Craft Centre is a purpose-built centre in the historic, market town of Ruthin with three galleries, six artist studios, retail gallery, education and residency workshops, tourist information and café.

Marine Lake | Wellington Road | Rhyl | Denbighshire | LL18 1LN Visit rhylminiaturerailway.co.uk

Castle Street | Ruthin | Denbighshire | LL15 1DP Visit denbighshire.gov.uk/en/leisure-and-tourism/museums-andhistoric-houses/nantclwyd-y-dre.aspx

Ruthin Craft Centre shows the best in national and international contemporary applied arts.

Lon Parcwr | Ruthin | Denbighshire | LL15 1BB Visit ruthincraftcentre.org.uk

North Wales Coast

Abergele

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Conwy

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Bangor

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Trawsfynydd

35

Cemaes Bay

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The Peculiar Gallery

Conwy Culture Centre

Storiel

Yr Ysgwrn

Cemaes Heritage Centre

The Peculiar Gallery in Abergele, Conwy, exhibits work by Welsh, British and International Artists as well as historical Welsh & British Art.

Conwy’s Culture Centre is just a stone’s throw from Conwy’s magnificent medieval town walls. It’s a great starting point for your journey through the story of Conwy County. The exhibitions on display take visitors through five thousand years of history complete with unique objects, beautiful works of art and family-friendly interactive interpretation. A library and much more; this is a bolt hole, a place to relax or get some work done. Somewhere to sit back and relax with a good book and a coffee.

Gwynedd Museum and Gallery located in an ancient building in the center of Bangor city. The Museum tells the Story of Gwynedd through unique artefacts and the Art Galleries have an exciting program of art by local and national artists. The shop sells items from local artists and producers making it the perfect place to find a special gift. There is also an opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea and cake in our cup space.

Set against the beautiful Snowdonia National Park backdrop, Yr Ysgwrn is a traditional Welsh stone farmhouse that has become a national symbol of the losses of the First World War, Welsh-language bardic culture and rural Welsh life.

It is best known as the home of the Welsh-language poet, Hedd Wyn, who tragically lost his life in the conflicts of the First World War.

Trace the story of Cemaes Bay and Llanbadrig parish through the exhibitions’ four themes… From Stone age nomads, the first people to call it home. The continuing cultural heritage of our Celtic ancestors and the impact of later Roman and Norman invasion. Discover Cemaes’ importance during the age of the Welsh Princes and understand how its more recent maritime and industrial heritage have all helped to shape the parish we live in today.

Town Ditch Rd | Conwy | LL32 8NU Visit conwyculture.com

Ffordd Bangor | Bangor | Gwynedd | LL57 1DT Visit storiel.cymru

Trawsfynydd | Blaenau Ffestiniog | Gwynedd | LL41 4UW Visit yrysgwrn.com

36 High Street | Cemaes Bay | Isle of Anglesey | LL67 0HL Visit cemaesheritagecentre.org

We sell paintings, prints, sculpture, studio ceramics, Antiques, books and Jewellery and lots more.

40 Market Street | Abergele | LL22 7AA Visit thepeculiargallery.co.uk

Llangernyw

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Conwy

22

Caernarfon

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Tywyn

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Holyhead

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Sir Henry Jones Museum

Pensychnant Nature Conservation Centre

Galeri Caernarfon

Narrow Gauge Railway Museum

Swtan Heritage Museum

The museum is the childhood home of Sir Henry Jones (1852-1922) who, from humble origins, became an eminent Professor of Moral Philosophy at Glasgow University and a major influence on the education system in Wales.

Visit this fascinating museum of Welsh rural life and: • F ind out about Henry Jones and the story of his struggle for education.

• W ander through the tiny kitchen and bedroom where the family of six ate and slept.

• S ee the displays on Victorian life in a typical Welsh community.

Pensychnant House & Estate is managed as a nature reserve and conservation centre: 120 acres of heaths & woods, spring birds, rare moths, guided walks, talks and other events. Pensychnant hosts a varied and changing exhibition of artwork by some of Britain’s finest wildlife and landscape artists, including collections by Philip Snow and Betty Mills.

Galeri Creative Enterprise, opened in April 2005 and marked a significant development for the arts and creative industries in North Wales. Galeri includes: - Theatre and cinema; business / work units; Art Spaces; rehearsal studios; Meeting rooms and Café Bar. Galeri’s artistic programme includes a range of art-forms including theatre, film, music, dance, talks, literature, exhibitions, workshops and short courses.

Located at the Tywyn Wharf terminus of the Talyllyn Railway, the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum is an important collection of artifacts relating to Narrow Gauge Railways in the British Isles, throughout a period spanning some 200 years. The collection ranges from complete locomotives to smaller pieces such as paperwork, signalling equipment and tickets.

As such, it is a unique and comprehensive record of these fascinating railways, nearly 80 of which are represented in the collection.

The thatched cottage - Swtan – has been fully restored, on its original site, close to the cliff tops at Church Bay. Inside this unique dwelling, the earth floor and careful presentation of authentic period artefacts, enable visitors to feel that they have “stepped back in time”, to experience life as lived in a remote rural, Welsh cottage, at the turn of the 20th century.

The museum provides something of interest for all the family.

Activities for the children – including feeding the hungry hens; information barn, a collection of vintage tools; a well-stocked herb garden and small orchard of old Welsh varieties.

Y Cwm | Llangernyw | LL22 8PR Visit visitconwy.org.uk/things-to-do/ the-sir-henry-jones-museum-p284281

Sychnant Pass | Conwy | LL32 8BJ Visit pensychnant.co.uk

Doc Victoria | Caernarfon | Gwynedd | LL55 1SQ Visit galericaernarfon.com

Talyllyn Railway | Gorsaf Wharf Station | Tywyn | LL36 9EY Visit ngrm.org.uk

Church Bay | Isle of Anglesey | LL65 4ET Visit swtan.cymru

Colwyn Bay

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Penmeaenmawr

23

Caerarfon

29

Corris

37

Holyhead

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Oriel Colwyn

Penmaenmawr Museum

Royal Welch Fusiliers Regimental Museum

Corris Steam Railway & Museum

Holyhead Maritime Museum

Oriel Colwyn is a gallery space dedicated to showcasing photography and photographic works. By working with local, national and international photographers as well as current and up and coming new talent we are North Wales’ hottest photography space.

Penmaenmawr Museum takes you on a journey through the history of the landscape, the town and its people using stories and objects from the ancient past to the present. The museum spans two floors and includes two galleries, a quiet room, a coffee shop, a gift shop and a children’s area. The museum looks after a collection of objects, photographs and documents relating to the history of Penmaenmawr and the local area. The collection covers a number of themes including Bronze Age settlements, Neolithic axe-making, social and cultural history, the quarry industry and tourism.

The Museum is housed in two towers of Caernarfon Castle. In it you will find a wealth of original exhibits, supported by film, sound and models, which tell the story of over 300 years of service by Wales’ oldest infantry regiment, in peacetime and in war, all around the world. You can learn how the Regiment won 14 Victoria Crosses and hear the words of the famous writers who served with the Royal Welch during the First World War - Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves, “Hedd Wyn”, David Jones and Frank Richards. You will see what life was like for the ordinary soldier and his family and discover the Regiment’s unique traditions.

In the Heart of the Land of the Little Trains, The Corris Railway is a narrow gauge (2 foot 3 inch) railway whose origins date back to the 1850’s.

The Holyhead Maritime Museum is a fascinating experience for the whole family. Visitors can step back in time at the oldest lifeboat station in Wales (circa. 1858), which houses a wonderful collection of exhibits to illustrate the fascinating maritime history of Holyhead. Examine detailed models of ships sailing the Irish Sea over 100 years ago and compare them to the modern technically advanced vessels of today.

Learn about local shipwrecks and the lifeboatmen who saved so many lives.

Old Post Office | Penmeaenmawr | LL34 6U Visit penmaenmawrmuseum.co.uk

The Castle | Caernarfon | Gwynedd | LL55 2AY Visit rwfmuseum.org.uk

Station Yard | Corris | Machynlleth | Powys | SY20 9SH Visit corris.co.uk

Newry Beach | Holyhead | Anglesey | LL65 1YD Visit holyheadmaritimemuseum.co.uk

Situated in the seaside town of Colwyn Bay in North Wales and housed within the historic Theatr Colwyn building, the gallery officially opened in the spring of 2012.

Upstairs at Theatr Colwyn | Abergele Road | Colwyn Bay | LL29 7RU Visit orielcolwyn.org

Llandudno

Caernarfon

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Snowdonia

Mostyn Gallery Mostyn is one of the UK’s best contemporary art galleries, a world of creativity 4 minutes from the beach. Our Edwardian façades give way to a series of strikingly modern interior spaces and a shifting programme of exhibitions on a par with those in major global art centres. Our stylish Siop sells beautiful jewellery, ceramics, prints, glassware, books and cards that have been made with love in Wales and beyond.

Our Caffi is a relaxing way to complete your visit, enjoying excellent, locally roasted coffee, cake and regional produce.

Canolfan Ucheldre Centre

23-25 Hole in the Wall Street | Caernarfon | Gwynedd | LL55 1ZF Visit lifefullcolour.com

Caernarfon

Millbank | Holyhead | Isle of Anglesey | LL65 1TE Visit ucheldre.org

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Llandudno Museum & Gallery

Caernarfon Airworld Museum

Llandudno Museum & Gallery tells the story of Llandudno and the Creuddyn Peninsula.

Discover the early people who made this area their home including Blodwen our neolithic Lady of the Little Orme; see the remarkable finds from Kanovium Roman Fort; learn who planned the Victorian resort, and when the Olympics came to Llandudno.

Located on the airfield of the former RAF Llandwrog, the museum has an impressive collection of aircraft and aviation memorabilia. The museum offers the opportunity to get close up to some historic aircraft. Set on an active airfield, the museum houses iconic machines such as the Hawker Hunter, D.H. Vampire, along with the only T2 BAe Harrier remaining worldwide. Please see our website for latest additions to the collection. Part of the museum is devoted to the creation of the RAF Mountain Rescue Service, started here at RAF Llandwrog in 1942, whilst other sections describe the wartime airfields of North Wales.

Chardon House | Llandudno | LL30 2DD Visit llandudnomuseum.co.uk

Dinas Dinlle | Llandwrog | Caernarfon | Gwynedd | LL54 5TP Visit caernarfonairport.com & www.airworldmuseum.com

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Llanrwst

24

Llanberis

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Facts

01 Wales now boasts four UNESCO World Heritage Sites, a title reserved only for the planet’s most significant landmarks: The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal and Blaenavon Industrial Landscape.

02 Bangor is the oldest city in Wales and one of the smallest cities in the UK. It was officially given city status by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974, but the cathedral site dates back to 6th century.

Menai Bridge

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Home Front Experience

Ffin y Parc Gallery

National Slate Museum

Menai Bridge Heritage Centre

Step into the Home Front Museum and take a step back in time - to 1940s Britain. At this unique, independent museum take a self-guided tour and experience the sights and sounds of civilian life during the Second World War for yourself. Reminisce of a bygone age, or for those too young to remember, discover how the war was won on the home front; gas masks, ration books, home guard and evacuation - it’s all here! Thousands of genuine artefacts, imaginatively displayed, in a former wartime Auxiliary Fire Service station.

Ffin y Parc Gallery has changing exhibitions by some of the finest artists working in Wales, alongside the best of 20th Century Contemporary Art. The gallery is set over two floors with a coffee shop and wine bar where you can sit, relax and contemplate the vibrancy and variety of contemporary Welsh art.

Shadowed by towering slate mountains, the National Slate Museum Llanberis is housed in the Industrial Victorian Workshops of the enormous Dinorwig slate quarry above it.

The workshops catered for all the repair and maintenance work demanded by a quarry, which once employed well over 3,000 men. From strikes and suffering to craftsmanship and community, this is an unique opportunity to glimpse the lives of the slate workers and their families. Attractions include our introductory film, daily slate splitting demonstrations by our Quarry Craftsmen and giant waterwheel – the largest of its kind in mainland Britain.

A community project celebrating two world famous bridges over the Menai Strait: the Menai Suspension Bridge, built

by Thomas Telford, and the Britannia Bridge, built by Robert Stephenson. The museum located in Menai Bridge, Anglesey has exhibits of artefacts and drawings, films, quizzes and qualified guides. Take a walk over and under the Suspension Bridge, see the lions on the Britannia Bridge. Build your own bridges and test your knowledge. Open Wednesday & Thursday during School Holidays

New Street | Llandudno | LL30 2YF Visit homefrontmuseum.co.uk

Betws Road | Llanrwst | LL26 0PT Visit welshart.net

Padarn Country Park | Llanberis | Gwynedd | LL55 4TY Visit museumwales.ac.uk

Thomas Telford Centre | Mona Road | Isle of Anglesey | LL59 5EA Visit menaibridges.co.uk

Llandudno

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Betws-y-Coed

25

Pwllheli

33

Llangefni

39

Llandudno Chocolate Experience

Conwy Valley Railway Museum

Nant Gwertheyrn

Oriel Mon

Eat chocolate and explore its history. Take a chocolatey journey 5,000 years in the making! Starting in a Mayan hut you will weave your way through nine eras, exploring how chocolate has ingrained itself into our society... We can safely say that we have the only Aztec temple in Llandudno as well as a recreation of a pirate ship’s cargo hold, a Moroccan tent and many other detailed scenes. For a stunning choice of chocolates, fudges and liquorice, why not visit our main chocolate shop. Maisie’s is located just across the high street from our tourist attraction and factory.

Conwy Valley Railway Museum is a great day out for families

The Heritage Centre at Nant Gwrtheyrn 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.

Formed in 1990 to house the Charles F. Tunnicliffe collection, Oriel Môn is a purpose built museum and art gallery at the heart of Anglesey. The museum tells the story of Anglesey over thousands of years, the art gallery showcases contemporary artists and makers and Oriel Kyffin offers exhibitions of national and international significance.

Oriel Môn changes lives by caring for, interpreting and promoting Anglesey’s unique heritage and culture. It seeks to inspire creativity, and to provide learning opportunities and enjoyment for everyone.

John Street Cocoa Works | Llandudno | LL30 2AB Visit llandudnochocolateexperience.co.uk

The Old Goods Yard | Betws-y-Coed | LL24 0AL Visit conwyrailwaymuseum.co.uk

Conwy

20

Spend the day in the museum, with five model railways to watch and ride on the miniature train.

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.`

Betws-y-Coed

Rhosmeirch | Llangefni | Anglesey | LL77 7TQ Visit orielmon.org/en-gb

Llithfaen | Pwllheli | Gwynedd | LL53 6NL Visit nantgwrtheyrn.org

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Cricieth

34

Llangefni

40

Royal Cambrian Academy of Art

Galeri Betws-y-Coed

Amgueddfa Lloyd George

Stone Science

The Royal Cambrian Academy is a unique institution in Wales, an independent charity supporting Welsh art and artists, where art is encouraged, made, exhibited and debated.

Constituted in 1882, it is the only Art Academy in Wales with royal patronage. As a centre for artistic excellence in Wales, the Royal Cambrian Academy exhibits and sells member’s work through a varied exhibition programme, whilst offering a lively venue for education, master classes open-to-all abilities and retail area for locally created arts and crafts.

Galeri Betws-y-Coed is showing an ever-changing selection of paintings, prints, drawings and mixed media by well-known and emerging artists from Wales. Our boutique stocks an exciting range of clothing: Traces of Me (TM Collection), Gershon Bram, Crea Concept, Mama B, Grizas, Thing and Mes Soeurs & Moi; Lofina and Fly footwear also in stock! We also have a stunning collection of handmade jewellery, many unique Welsh crafts and contemporary ceramics and a wide range of gifts to suit all pockets.

The items in the Lloyd George Museum and Highgate, his childhood home, help us understand the life and times of the former Prime Minister from 1863 - 1945. Here you can see a unique display of objects that tell his story – exquisitely and uniquely decorated caskets and scrolls presented to him as city honours, such as a stunning silver model of Cricieth Castle presented by the town. Also on display are medals, paintings, photos, documents such as the Treaty of Versailles, ‘Lloyd George’s Crown’ (the first pension distributed in Wales), clothing and personal items.

Inside are a series of dioramas depicting the evolving ages of the earth, including Dinosaurs. There are thousands of fossils, minerals, crystals, Native American arrowheads, etc. to see and many to touch. Videos for children and adults.

Crown Lane | Conwy | LL32 8AN Visit rcaconwy.org

Holyhead Road | Betws-y-Coed | LL24 0BW Visit galeribetwsycoed.co.uk

Llanystumdwy | Cricieth | Gwynedd | LL52 0SH Visitgwynedd.llyw.cymru/en/Residents/Leisure-parks-and-events/ Museums-and-the-Arts/The-Lloyd-George-Museum.aspx

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The Canolfan Ucheldre Centre is a community endeavour to provide those who live in and visit Holyhead, and nearby parts of north-west Wales, with a centre for arts events, exhibitions, and other community activities of an educational and cultural kind. The purpose-built gallery, with flexible lighting and high-level environmental and security features, allows the Centre to maintain a year-round programme of exhibitions in arts and crafts. Anglesey has a rich heritage of modern art. Many of its living artists are members of the Anglesey Arts Forum.

Our mission is to make art accessible to all, providing ongoing opportunities for art lovers and art novices to live a life full of colour.

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Llandudno

Holyhead

Isle of Anglesey

Full Colour Art Gallery Life: Full Colour is an independent gallery in the heart of Caernarfon, North Wales, founded by Sara McKee in 2020.

We provide a platform for talented Welsh and international artists to share their work, as well stimulating conversation and connection.

12 Vaughan Street | Llandudno | LL30 1AB Visit mostyn.org

Llandudno

30

Bryn Eglwys | Llandyfnan | Isle of Anglesey | LL75 8UL Visit stonescience.co.uk

03 According to geneticists, the people of North Wales are the most ancient of Britons. They have the oldest DNA in Britain, the legacy of a people who have survived a few thousand turbulent years with the Welsh language and identity largely intact.

04 People have lived in North Wales for a quarter of a million years. Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers foraged the coastline and valleys, and the Britain’s oldest Neanderthal remains were found in Pontnewydd near St Asaph.

05 A succession of Ice Ages made Britain uninhabitable, but when the last one ended around 15,000 years ago, our homo sapiens ancestors were back for good. By 5,000BC they were knocking out stone tools at the Graiglwyd axe factory at Penmaenmawr, and exporting them all over Britain.

06 The region is scattered with Neolithic remains, especially on Anglesey, where you’ll find impressive tombs like Bryn Celli Ddu and Barclodiad y Gawres.

07 The copper mine at Great Orme was one of the most important in Europe. From 2,000BC, an estimated 1,800 tons of copper was hewn from deep tunnels. Combined with tin from Cornwall, the resulting alloy ushered in a new era known as (*drum roll*)... the Bronze Age. It didn’t last. The Iron Age was in full swing by 800BC, and with it a fashion for building forts on every available hill. There are literally hundreds in North Wales, so it’s hard to pick highlights: try Penycloddiau in the Clwydian Range or Tre’r Ceiri up on the heights of the Llŷn Peninsula.

08 Were the Celts a distinct people, or was Celtic culture just transmitted from Europe? It’s a question that causes academic fisticuffs, so we’ll pass on that one. But when the Welsh identify as ‘Celtic’ (which we mostly do), we’re thinking of the Celtic tribes who lived here in the last millennium BC. In North Wales, that’s the Deceangli, Ordovices and Gangani. They spoke Common Brittonic, the language from which modern Welsh is descended. So if you want to speak proper British (or at least, the next best thing), then sign up immediately at the National Welsh Language and Heritage Centre at Nant Gwrtheyrn.