- Tremadog
Tremadog (sometimes known as Tremadoc) is a
village on the outskirts ofPorthmadog , inGwynedd , north westWales . It was a planned settlement, founded byWilliam Madocks , who bought the land in 1798. The centre of Tremadog was complete by 1811 and remains substantially unaltered.It hosted an unofficial
National Eisteddfod event in 1872.Education
There is one school in Tremadog which is a
primary school and it is called 'Ysgol y Gorlan', in Porthmadog there is asecondary school which is called 'Ysgol Eifionydd' that is where most of the kids go after primary school.Planning
Tremadog provides a notable example of
town planning . Its siting, layout,building s and resulting spaces were all designed to create the impression of aborough . Lacking the wealth to build the town single-handedly, Madocks wished to attract people into Tremadog to build within his overall plan. The most important part of the town was the Market Square, with the backdrop of a sheercliff giving a theatrical effect to this area. The High Street and Dublin Street form the crossedstreet s at the top of this square, and are lined by the most significant buildings: the Town Hall andDancing Room (built in 1805), and theCoaching inn .The Town Hall (now Siola shop) sits on a
plinth ofstep s that initially extended across the wholefacade . It has a simple beauty, with five roundarch ed openings on the ground floor, the generously proportionedsash window s on the first, and the shallow pitched, wide-eave d hippedroof above.Dancer s would enter the first floor dancing room via theTap Room of the adjoining Madocks' Arms, avoiding the chaos of the Market Hall on the ground floor, and would dance to music from theminstrel's gallery facing thewindow s. The roof is typical of the Madocks' style — it is similar to that his other buildings such as the Manufactory and hishouse , Tan yr Allt. Featured on the facade are sixmedallion s, and the five keystones depict theatrical figures, hinting at the building’s use as a theatre in the shortsummer season.Church and chapel
Most Welsh
chapel s of the early19th century were very simple, with apulpit in the centre of a longwall , so that all could hear thepreacher . However, Tremadog's chapel, Peniel, is in the style of aGreek temple . Its main facade is instucco with a circular window in thepediment . The impressiveportico was added in 1849, probably in accordance with the original design. The first gallery was inserted in 1840, and extended along both sides in 1880. The presentceiling dates from 1908–1910.St Mary 's Church was finished 18 months after the chapel's completion. It is one of the earliestGothic revival churches in Wales, dating from 1811. Originally it hadbox pew s,painting s at each side of thealtar , andcast iron windows throughout. These have since gone, with the present diamond-leaded,sandstone -framed windows being a lateVictorian era alteration, and the Greaves Family east window having been installed in 1899. A plainbrass plaque commemorates Madocks, and the wedding of Mary Madocks to Martin Williams in the church in 1811. Amarble plaque commemorates John Williams, who died in 1850, his wife Anne and their only son, W T Massey Williams, all being buried in a vault in the church.The church is romantically placed on an
outcrop of rock. The entrance to thechurchyard is aCoade Stone gate, shipped in kit form fromLondon . The church'sspire isbrick , rendered in ParkersRoman Cement . BothCoade and Parkers Roman were early types of imitation stone. The bricks for the spire were probably made locally, theclay coming from the farmyard nearby.The importance of both the Gothic Church and the Classical Chapel is a good reminder of Madocks' words: "In
education andreligion all ought to have fair play".Industry
Madocks' vision for the town included industry, and in 1805 he built the Manufactory. It became the site for one of the first woollen mills in
Wales wherecarding and spinning were powered. Beside themill was the Loomery, whereweaving took place. This building remains and was used from around 1835 as a tannery. There was also afulling mill and a corn mill, all worked bywater power . Thewater was drawn from Llyn Cwm Bach, created above the Manufactory to serve a series ofcatchpond s andwheel s.As always, Madocks was aware of the look of his buildings. The Loomery was designed with a roof very similar to the Town Hall; with its rows of windows alternating with
masonry , and two lower buildings flanking it, it was a handsome building. Madocks instructed that the mill should be "wellyellow ed" and the windows painted darkgreen . Its present roof is temporary.Houses
The houses of Tremadog had robust plain detailing and a typical plan, with a central
door way and either a generousparlour or shop on each side, with twobedroom s above. At the back a lean-toscullery ran the width of the house. On the Square two of these plans were modified for Inns; half the scullery had a stone vaulted roof so that an eventemperature could be kept in the drycellar .The first phase of building on Church Street (originally London Street) ended at Ty Pâb. There was to have been a cross Street here, as the
arch es on the side of Ty Pâb indicate.In addition, many gentlemen's
villa s were built in the area. Ty Nanney in Tremadog is an example, though lacking a dramatic setting. Tan yr Allt was Madocks' own home, and has typically wide eaves, shallow pitched roofs andverandah s, with coved ceilings and a few Gothic details inside.Tourism
Tremadog is becoming an increasingly popular
tourist destination. The area's long, quiet roads attract motorcyclists, Tremadog also has two good qualityrock climbing "crags" (one of which has been closed due to rock instability) which attract climbers from all over the UK. Below these crags is Eric's Cafe, Campsite & Bunkhouse (owned by the Welsh climberEric Jones , famous for his solo of theEiger North face —Switzerland amongst numerous other things) which provides a useful base for climbers at Tremadog.Famous residents
Tremadog was the birthplace of
T. E. Lawrence , also known as "Lawrence of Arabia". The house is now Snowdon Lodge hostel.ee also
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Tremadog Bay External links
* [http://www.tremadog.org.uk/cct/history.shtml A brief history]
* [http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=3491361 www.geograph.co.uk : photos of Tremadog and surrounding area]
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