Llyn Celyn
| Llyn Celyn | |
|---|---|
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| Location | North Wales |
| Coordinates | 52°57′0″N 3°41′38″W / 52.95000°N 3.69389°WCoordinates: 52°57′0″N 3°41′38″W / 52.95000°N 3.69389°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Basin countries | United Kingdom |
| Max. length | 2.5 mi (4.0 km) |
| Max. depth | 140 ft (43 m) |
Llyn Celyn is a large reservoir constructed between 1960 and 1965 in the valley of the River Tryweryn in Gwynedd, North Wales. It measures roughly 2½ miles long by a mile wide, and has a maximum depth of 140 ft (43 m). It has the capacity to hold 71,200 megalitres of water.
It was originally to be named Llyn Tryweryn Mawr (meaning "Great Tryweryn Lake"), but in September 1964 Liverpool Corporation agreed to the name change following a letter by the Tryweryn Defence Committee.
Construction of the reservoir involved flooding the village of Capel Celyn and adjacent farmland, a deeply controversial move. Much of the opposition was brought about because the village was a stronghold of Welsh culture and the Welsh language, whilst the reservoir was being built to supply Liverpool and parts of the Wirral peninsula with water, rather than Wales.
Liverpool Corporation's Tryweryn Reservoir Bill was presented in parliament as a private member's bill in January 1957; by obtaining authority through an Act of Parliament, Liverpool City Council avoided having to gain consent from the Welsh planning authorities. The legislation enabling the development was ultimately passed despite the opposition of 35 out of 36 Welsh Members of Parliament, with the 36th (David Llywelyn, Tory MP for Cardiff North) abstaining. This led to an increase in support for the Welsh nationalist party, Plaid Cymru, in the late 1950s and gave fresh impetus to Welsh devolution.
Although many doubted the need of having an official opening, this took place on 21 October 1965. Representatives came from Liverpool council, and invitations were sent to all those with family links to the valley. In view of the anticipated protest, there was a strong police presence. The ceremony in fact lasted less than 3 minutes, for protesters had cut the microphone wires, and the chants of the hundreds of protesters made the speeches inaudible.
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