Eigiau and Cowlyd reservoirs

[paintedlady]

Many years ago when I was able to clamber up mountains, I used to walk in the hills above Dolgarrog to the two reservoirs.  It was always so peaceful with beautiful scenery and hardly another soul in sight!  There were lots of ruins of hill farms up there and I always wondered what sort of people would wish to live in such isolation.

I bought some literature about these hill farms and it has always fascinated me, about the area and the people who lived in the Conway valley because they must have been hardy souls indeed! Such isolation, no distractions just the sound of the many sheep or bulls I witnessed on my visits.

Does anyone have relatives who lived up in the valley concerned?  Unfortunately all my ancestors were in Llanrhos/llanfairfechan/Old Colwyn, Colwyn Bay etc.

Sue

[hanes teulu]

Can't help re. inhabitants of the area but out of interest I had a look "Eigiau" and "Cowlyd" on Welshnewspapers on line
http://welshnewspapers.llgc.org.uk/en/home

The mystery of "Penrallt Inco" - 1877 and resurfaced 1907 (see Weekly News and Visitor's Chronicle for Colwyn Bay, 13 Dec 1907 which refers to the mountain remoteness) - of interest and also a lot about the development of the reservoirs at the turn of the Century.

The bard "Gwilym Cowlyd" (William John Roberts - died 1907, age 77), as the bardic name suggests, was born and raised in that remote area.

What the site doesn't cover (1804 -1919) is the Dolgarrog disaster Nov 1925 when the Eigiau and Coedty resevoirs caused a flood that killed 16 residents in the village of Dolgarrog. I've been checking contemporary newspaper reports and googling for further info.

Thanks for posting 

[YrElldee]

Hi,
My Great, great grandparents lived in Pwll Du - now a ruined farm on Afon Porth Llwyd, which runs from Llyn Eigiau and high above Dolgarrog. The area wasn't as isolated and lonely as you might think. Most of these farms were Hafoty and used only in the summer months in the transhumance of stock. The families there were also a close knit society; just 1/4 mile from Pwll Du was Bont Newydd farm and he was one of the sons of the Roberts from Pwll Du. The area avoided from rural decay by the building of the tramway to Cadryn Quarry and the hydro schemes around the area.
Jane roberts gave birth to 10 children in Pwll Du in the late 19th c. and all survived.
Kind regards,
Dee