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52-742: Waunfawr ( gwaun + mawr , English: "large moorland / meadow ") is a village and community , 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) SE of Caernarfon , near the Snowdonia National Park , Gwynedd , in Wales . Waunfawr is in the Gwyrfai valley, on the A4085 road from Caernarfon to Beddgelert . It contains the Waunfawr railway station on the Welsh Highland Railway between Caernarfon and Porthmadog . Waunfawr

104-602: A church career and became Rector of Omey and Clifden. Charles Eyre sold his share to his brother, who gave the estates to his nephew (Charles' son) John Joseph in 1864. From 1848, the evangelical Protestant Irish Church Missions were actively proselytising, seeking to convert Catholics. In 1852, their first mission church was established at Moyard Bridge, Ballinakill, Clifden, also the ICM set up orphanages, Glenowen for girls and Ballyconree for boys (opened in 1849), in Clifden, Ballyconree

156-482: A cousin, William Flower of the brewing family, and the estate farms were subsequently sold. In the 1950s the estate was bought by a local businessman as a caravan park . During the 1970s, under new ownership, the estate became a holiday park, with 45 of the 200 acres (18 of the 81 hectares) dedicated to lodges, bungalows and cottages. The local social enterprise, Antur Waunfawr, which was created by R. Gwynn Davies, in 1984, among its many initiatives, has three sites, with

208-423: A road to Galway. With these improvements to its infrastructure, the town began to grow. It prospered until, in 1839, John D'Arcy died. By that time, Clifden had grown from virtually nothing to a town of 185 dwellings, most of them three-floored, two churches, two hotels, three schools, a police barracks, courthouse, a gaol, a distillery and 23 pubs. The population had grown to 1,100 and the town already sported

260-464: A sensitivity to nature and one's physical surroundings grew with the rise of interest in landscape painting , and particularly the works of artists that favoured wide and deep prospects, and rugged scenery. To the English Romantic imagination, moorlands fitted this image perfectly, enhancing the emotional impact of the story by placing it within a heightened and evocative landscape. Moorland forms

312-448: Is overgrazed , woody vegetation is often lost, being replaced by coarse, unpalatable grasses and bracken , with a greatly reduced fauna. Some hill sheep breeds, such as Scottish Blackface and the Lonk , thrive on the austere conditions of heather moors. Burning of moorland has been practised for a number of reasons, for example, when grazing is insufficient to control growth. This

364-530: Is a tourist destination for people exploring Connemara. Places of interest in and around Clifden include: The Connemara Pony Show is organised by the Connemara Pony Breeders' Society and has been held on the third Thursday in August since 1924. Since 1947 the show has been held in Clifden. Community Arts Week in late September offers poetry reading, lectures, recitals and traditional music. The festival

416-471: Is home to a range of services. The HQ for the Connemara Garda Siochana service is in Clifden and the main fire station for Connemara is in Clifden. There is a public library serving the area which offers material relating to local history. The library hosts an ongoing programme of exhibitions, readings and other cultural events. There are three supermarkets in Clifden and 13 pubs. Clifden

468-892: Is home to an estimated 10–15% of the world's moors. Notable areas of upland moorland in Britain include the Lake District , the Pennines (including the Dark Peak and Forest of Bowland ), Mid Wales , the Southern Uplands of Scotland, the Scottish Highlands , and a few pockets in the West Country . Moorlands are called páramos in Spanish. They are particularly common in Northern Spain and

520-410: Is important for the material to be removed to avoid smothering regrowth. If heather and other vegetation are left for too long, a large volume of dry and combustible material builds up. This may result in a wildfire burning out a large area, although it has been found that heather seeds germinate better if subject to the brief heat of controlled burning. In terms of managing moorlands for wildlife, in

572-496: Is recorded in Britain in the fourteenth century. Uncontrolled burning frequently caused (and causes) problems and was forbidden by statute in 1609. With the rise of sheep and grouse management in the nineteenth century, it again became common practice. Heather is burnt at about 10 or 12 years old when it will regenerate easily. Left longer, the woodier stems will burn more aggressively and will hinder regrowth. Burning of moorland vegetation needs to be very carefully controlled, as

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624-654: The Titanic . On 15 June 1919 the first non-stop transatlantic flight by Alcock and Brown crashlanded in Derrygimlagh bog, close to Marconi's transatlantic wireless station. When Captain Alcock spotted the green bog he thought it was a meadow where he could safely land his Vickers Vimy biplane. The aircraft's landing gear sank into the soft bog and was destroyed. Alcock and Brown were later transported back to Clifden town by stagecoach with only minor injuries. When they returned using

676-587: The Act of Union . The town's surging growth and prosperity came to an end when the famine started in 1845. Large numbers of people died, as government help proved insufficient to deal with starvation, scurvy and other diseases. By 1848 90% of the population was on relief (receiving government money). Landlords went bankrupt as rents dried up. Many people emigrated to America. On 18 November 1850, Hyacinth D'Arcy put up his estates for sale and most of them were purchased by Charles and Thomas Eyre of Somerset . Hyacinth pursued

728-597: The Auxiliary Division opened fire during what was intended to be a routine search for IRA suspects during a Gaelic football match at Croke Park , killing twelve and injuring sixty. Thomas Whelan , born in 1899 in Clifden, was arrested and charged with the Bloody Sunday assassination of British military prosecutor Captain G.T. Bagelly. Although Whelan recognised the court, pled not guilty, introduced witnesses attesting to his presence elsewhere, and maintained that he

780-554: The Local Government Act 1972 . The community had a population of 1,427 at the 2011 census. According to the United Kingdom Census 2011 , the percentage of Welsh language speakers above age 3 was 79.5%. This was a 1.4% increase since the previous census in 2001. The ward had a population of 1,676 at the 2011 census , and includes Caeathro nearer to Caernarfon. as does the community. The local landscape reflects

832-557: The Marconi Railway , the locals had helped themselves to parts of the aircraft as souvenirs. Events that would lead up to the "Burning of Clifden" began on 21 November 1920, Bloody Sunday . On that day, an IRA unit known as The Squad shot a number of British officers and civilians believed to work for military intelligence unit known as the Cairo Gang , killing eleven and wounding four. Later that day, British paramilitaries from

884-547: The Meseta Central . Two similar habitats, although more arid, found in western North America: Colombia is one of only three countries in the world to be home to páramo (tropical moorland) and more than 60% of the paramo regions are found on its soil. Clifden Clifden ( Irish : An Clochán , meaning "stepping stones" ) is a coastal town in County Galway , Ireland , in the region of Connemara , located on

936-747: The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia , was opened in October 2023. As far as Gaelic games are concerned, Clifden is home to Naomh Feichin's Galway GAA club. Clifden is also home to the Connemara Blacks, a rugby team that draws team members from Connemara . James Mylet's debut novel Lex is set in Clifden. In 2011 the British newspaper The Guardian described the novel as being set in "the fictional town of Clifden on Ireland's west coast", leading to at least one letter pointing out

988-429: The (as yet unpaved) triangle of streets still visible today. Products that were shipped out from Clifden Harbour included marble, corn, fish and kelp. However, John's son and heir, Hyacinth, lacked his father's abilities and confrontations with his tenants became commonplace. In 1843, Daniel O'Connell held a 'Monster Meeting' at Clifden, attended by a crowd reportedly numbering 100,000, at which he spoke on repeal of

1040-546: The 200 acres (81 ha) Glan Gwna estate within the community of Waunfawr on the banks of the River Seiont . The estate is now the Glan Gwna Holiday Park. In 1893 the estate was bought by the wealthy slate quarry owner John Ernest Greaves , who also owned Bron Eifion, near Criccieth . He knocked down the old hall and rebuilt it. On his death in 1945, Glan Gwna was left to his granddaughter Dorothy, who had married

1092-491: The Bryn Pistyll site at Waunfawr housing the organisation's head office. This site has proved to be a popular attraction for local people and tourists alike, as it includes a seven-acre nature park, gardens, Blas y Waun café, a crafts shop and a children's play area. Antur provides work and training opportunities to adults with learning difficulties, and operates a green agenda, with their other sites (Warws Werdd and Caergylchu on

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1144-627: The Cibyn Industrial Estate in Caernarfon) recycling everything from cardboard to curtains. The Marconi Company built a large high-powered longwave wireless telegraph transmitting station on the hilltop above the village in 1914 which worked in association with its receiving station at Tywyn . The station initiated commercial transatlantic wireless service from London to New York City in 1920. It replaced Marconi's transatlantic wireless service from Clifden , Ireland to Canada , after

1196-554: The Clifden station was destroyed in the Irish Civil War in 1922. The building was until recently used as a climbing centre called Beacon Climbing, which has since relocated to Caernarfon town. There are many recreational facilities available in Waunfawr, from playing snooker to playing football on the all-weather pitch. There is also a youth club and a junior football club. The village has its own school teaching local children up to

1248-525: The Marconi site at Derrygimlagh. However, this also failed due to local and nationwide opposition. Eventually, a smaller 600-metre runway was suggested at Cloon near Cleggan. This runway was built in 2008 and the airfield was supposed to be used for flights to Inishbofin . It has been assigned the airport code EICD but by 2012 it had not been opened for traffic. Clifden is the main town in Connemara; therefore it

1300-535: The National Army and soon repairs started on bridges and the Galway to Clifden railway line. Soon after, the first train in seven months arrived in Clifden. The N59 road from Galway (77 km away) to Westport, County Mayo (64 km) passes through the town. Regular coach services are provided by Bus Éireann and Citylink , connecting Clifden with Galway city. Some bus services operate through Oughterard , to

1352-647: The National Army. The Republicans attacked National Army posts and patrols, mainly by sniping , and attacked motor cars. On 13 October, Republicans burned down the Recess Hotel and nearby Glendalough House to prevent the National troops from using them as billets. On 29 October, the Republicans recaptured Clifden from the around 100 National troops stationed there. The attacking force consisted of around 350 men. They also had with them an "armoured car", called The Queen of

1404-619: The Owenglin River where it flows into Clifden Bay. As the largest town in the region, it is often referred to as "the Capital of Connemara". Frequented by tourists, Clifden is linked to Galway city by the N59 . The town was founded at the start of the 19th century by John D'Arcy who lived in Clifden Castle (built around 1818, now a ruin) west of Clifden. He had inherited the estate in 1804 when it

1456-550: The RIC's request for assistance through the Marconi wireless station, a trainload of Black and Tans arrived via the Galway to Clifden railway in the early hours of St Patrick's Day , 17 March 1921, and proceeded to "burn, plunder and murder". They killed one civilian, seriously injured another, burned 14 houses, and damaged several others. When the Civil War started in June 1922, Connemara

1508-459: The UK, vegetation characteristics are important for passerine abundance, whilst predator control benefits red grouse, golden plover, and curlew abundances. To benefit multiple species, many management options are required. However, management needs to be carried out in locations that are also suitable for species in terms of physical characteristics such as topography, climate and soil. The development of

1560-529: The West . This was used to advance towards a defended barracks building. Eventually, the National troops surrendered. However, the Republicans did not occupy the town, which had sustained some damage during the fighting. Communications were once again severed, and the Republicans took up positions around the town. Finally, on 16 December, the National Army returned to Clifden and the Republicans once again slipped away before their arrival. The townspeople again welcomed

1612-426: The age of 11, called Ysgol Waunfawr . The village has a number of interesting church buildings, some of them dating back over 150 years and possessing classic forms of masonry and architecture. Waunfawr is also the name of a village which now forms a northern suburb of Aberystwyth . Moorland Moorland habitats mostly occur in tropical Africa , northern and western Europe , and South America . Most of

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1664-460: The airport due to feared damage to the natural beauty of the area, and because it was designated an 'Area of International Scientific Importance' (ASI). The 'Clifden Airport Co.' appealed and as a consequence of the legal proceedings, which went all the way to the Supreme Court, ASI designations were found to be unconstitutional. The company later proposed to exchange the site at Ardagh for part of

1716-491: The associated fauna consists of bird species such as red grouse , hen harrier , merlin , golden plover , curlew , skylark , meadow pipit , whinchat , ring ouzel , and twite . Other species dominate in moorlands elsewhere. Reptiles are few due to the cooler conditions. In Europe, only the common viper is frequent, though in other regions moorlands are commonly home to dozens of reptile species. Amphibians such as frogs are well represented in moorlands. When moorland

1768-554: The deforestation was caused by climatic changes and how much by human activity is uncertain. A variety of distinct habitat types are found in different world regions of moorland. The wildlife and vegetation forms often lead to high endemism because of the severe soil and microclimate characteristics. An example of this is the Exmoor Pony , a rare horse breed which has adapted to the harsh conditions in England's Exmoor . In Europe,

1820-469: The most extensive areas of semi-natural vegetation in the British Isles . The eastern British moorlands are similar to heaths but are differentiated by having a covering of peat . On western moors, the peat layer may be several metres thick. Scottish "muirs" are generally heather moors, but also have extensive covering of grass , cotton-grass , mosses , bracken and under-shrubs such as crowberry , with

1872-456: The peat itself can catch fire, and this can be difficult if not impossible to extinguish. In addition, uncontrolled burning of heather can promote alternative bracken and rough grass growth, which ultimately produces poorer grazing. As a result, burning is now a controversial practice; Rackham calls it "second-best land management". Mechanical cutting of the heather has been used in Europe, but it

1924-764: The setting of various works of late Romantic English literature, ranging from the Yorkshire moorland in Emily Brontë 's Wuthering Heights and The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett to Dartmoor in Arthur Conan Doyle 's Holmesian mystery The Hound of the Baskervilles . They are also featured in Charlotte Bronte 's Jane Eyre representing the heroine's desolation and loneliness after leaving Mr Rochester . Enid Blyton 's Famous Five series featured

1976-679: The south of Lough Corrib , while others operate via Clonbur / Headford to the north of Lough Corrib. Beginning 1 July 1895, Clifden railway station was the western terminus of the Midland Great Western Railway Galway to Clifden line. The line closed in 1935. In 1989, a group of Clifden businessmen issued shares for a company and applied for planning permission for a 1,200-metre runway and associated buildings at Ardagh. A group of locals began to campaign against this proposal, later calling themselves "Save Roundstone Bog". Galway County Council refused planning permission for

2028-399: The station's closure caused an estimated 1,000 local people to lose their livelihood. The National Army sent 150 men who, in the night of 14/15 August, marched to town. However, the Republicans retreated and there was only minimal fighting. The National troops were warmly welcomed by the people of Clifden. The Republicans still controlled the mountains and waged a guerrilla war against

2080-463: The town to minimize the distance to its sister station in Glace Bay , Nova Scotia . The first point-to-point fixed wireless service connecting Europe with North America opened for public service with the transmission of 10,000 words on 17 October 1907. At peak times, up to 200 people were employed by the Clifden wireless station, among them Jack Phillips , who later perished as Chief Radio Operator on

2132-522: The true story of some of England's most infamous witch trials. In Erin Hunter 's Warriors series, one of the four Clans, WindClan, lives in the moorland alone. Michael Jecks , author of Knights Templar Mysteries, sets his books in and around Dartmoor , England. Paul Kingsnorth ’s Beast is also set on a western English moor, using the barren landscape and fields of heather to communicate themes of timelessness and distance from civilization. Great Britain

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2184-490: The village name, with the nearby mountains such as Mynydd Mawr and Moel Eilio , with views of Snowdon , the highest mountain in Wales, possible from some locations. There are a number of tourist locations for camping in Waunfawr and there is the opportunity to enjoy trekking and other Snowdonia National Park activities such as canoeing and mountain climbing . Glan Gwna is a grade II* listed country house , which stands in

2236-508: The wetter moorland having sphagnum moss merging into bog-land . There is uncertainty about how many moors were created by human activity. Oliver Rackham writes that pollen analysis shows that some moorland, such as in the islands and extreme north of Scotland, are clearly natural, never having had trees, whereas much of the Pennine moorland area was forested in Mesolithic times. How much

2288-574: The workhouse was burned in July. In addition, on 25 July, the Republicans set fire to the Marconi Station and fired shots at it because they considered the station "a British concern", and because the RIC had used the station to marshall reinforcements in March 1921. Transatlantic wireless service was transferred from Clifden to the more modern Marconi wireless station near Waunfawr , Wales . By one reckoning,

2340-410: The world's moorlands are diverse ecosystems . In the extensive moorlands of the tropics, biodiversity can be extremely high. Moorland also bears a relationship to tundra (where the subsoil is permafrost or permanently frozen soil), appearing as the tundra and the natural tree zone. The boundary between tundra and moorland constantly shifts with climatic change . Heathland and moorland are

2392-499: The young protagonists adventuring across various moorlands where they confronted criminals or other individuals of interest. Such a setting enhanced the plot as the drama unfolded away from the functioning world where the children could solve their own problems and face greater danger. Moorland in the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire is the setting for Walter Bennett's The Pendle Witches ,

2444-591: Was burnt down in 1922. The mission in Clifden was supported by Hyacinth D'Arcy, the landlord of Clifden Castle , and, following his bankruptcy, by the Eyre family who bought the estate. In 1855, Sisters of Mercy from Galway came to Clifden and established St Joseph's Convent, followed by an orphanage and St Joseph's Industrial School in 1858. Clifden gained prominence after 1905 when Guglielmo Marconi decided to build his first high power transatlantic long wave wireless telegraphy station four miles (6 km) south of

2496-479: Was controlled by the Republican Anti-Treaty IRA . In Clifden, the population tolerated the Republicans but did not support them. The Republicans occupied several buildings. In addition, all petrol was confiscated, roads barricaded and made impassable, railway bridges were blown up and telegraph lines cut. Newspapers were forbidden. The Republicans also burned the buildings they evacuated. In Clifden,

2548-798: Was first started by teachers in Clifden Community School in 1979 to bring creative arts into the classroom. During the Omey Island Races, horse racing occurs on the beach. Clifden lies within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tuam and the Church of Ireland Diocese of Tuam, Killala and Achonry , and its Omey Union Parish. Clifden has two churches: St. Joseph's (Roman Catholic), completed in 1879, and Christ Church (Church of Ireland), built in 1853, replacing an earlier structure dating to 1810. The St. Patrick Orthodox Mission, part of

2600-468: Was historically part of the parish of Llanbeblig, which also included the borough of Caernarfon. The Local Government Act 1894 directed that parishes could no longer straddle borough boundaries, and so the part of the parish of Llanbeblig outside the borough of Caernarfon was made a separate parish called Waenfawr. The official spelling was changed from Waenfawr to Waunfawr in 1957. Rural parishes such as Waunfawr were converted into communities in 1974 under

2652-489: Was mostly inhabited by fishermen and farmers. The idea of establishing a town on the coast was first voiced by him in 1812. Bad communications and a lack of private capital prevented fast progress until the 1820s when the potato crop failed in 1821–22 and D'Arcy petitioned the government in Dublin for assistance. The engineer Alexander Nimmo was sent to the area in 1822. He constructed a quay at Clifden (finished in 1831) and started

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2704-571: Was not involved in the assassination, he was found guilty and hanged on 14 March 1921. Following its two for one policy that required the killing of two members of the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) for every Republican executed, the West Connemara flying column of the IRA fatally shot RIC Constables Charles Reynolds and Thomas Sweeney at Eddie King's Corner on 16 March 1921. In response to

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