If you think that the town of Porthmadog has a rather unusual name you must not be familiar with the rich and colorful culture of Wales. This nation is one of the oldest and most fascinating ever to exist on Earth and the roots of Wales goes all the way back to the loose confederation of Celtic tribes that were existing long before the concepts of civilization and society were set in stone. Because of this, the Welsh language hearkens back to the days when no one language ruled the continent and as such the place names (and the people names for that matter) are definitely hard to pronounce and even harder to spell. Porthmadog is actually one of the easier names. The town is located in the county of Gwynedd, specifically the Eifionydd area, but it used to be in the county of Caernarfonshire. It is very close to some other decidedly Welsh towns such as Dolgellau, Criccieth, and Blaenau Ffestiniog.
At any rate, Porthmadog is definitely a beautiful location no matter how much its name makes you think otherwise. All of Wales is lovely in appearance but Porthmadog has a special kind of beauty that is hard to emulate. It has long been one of the most important port towns in Wales and countless ships have gone by this lovely beacon on the sea. Porthmadog is also well known for having constructed ships for much of its life and it is the birthplace of one of the most beloved ship styles ever built: The Western Ocean Yachts. These schooners were highly desired by those who could afford them because of their superior craftsmanship and high durability but, sadly, the last of these masterpieces was built in 1913 and another one has not been built since.
Porthmadog is definitely Welsh in origin but that doesn't always mean that the town actually is decidedly Welsh in the utmost sense of the word. Many Welsh towns, especially those closer to the English border, have roots that are more Norman or English in origin and thus don't have that flavor that the best Welsh towns have. Porthmadog, thankfully, is unabashedly Welsh and three quarters of the town's population speak the colorful and difficult language. It seems that Porthmadog will only become more Welsh as time goes on, too: Recent surveys have found that over ninety six percent of children in Porthmadog aged 10 to 14 speak the Welsh language primarily. This is the highest percentage of Welsh speakers in that age group in the entire country. It is truly refreshing to see a city that proudly boasts its heritage the way that Porthmadog does. In these days of globalization a town that is proud of itself is often thought of as xenophobic or nationalistic. Pride is a dirty word nowadays and thus it is exciting to see Porthmadog do its own thing with no shame or apologies to anybody. Wales is rightfully proud of their bold, brash daughter residing within the county of Gwynedd.
| 
+44 (0)1766 540397
+44 (0)1766 781199
