Bala (Y Bala)

Introducing Bala (Y Bala)

The town of Bala is synonymous with beautiful Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake), which sits at the northeastern end of town and was formed during the last Ice Age when glaciers blocked up the valley of the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy) with debris. This is Wales’ largest freshwater lake – 4 miles long, three-quarters of a mile wide and, in places, over 43m deep. The town, 18 miles northeast of Dolgellau, sits where the River Dee flows out of the lake and is joined by the River Tryweryn.

Bala is big on folk tales,. One such tale, an alternative to the glacial version of events, says the valley was once the home of a cruel and dissolute prince named Tegid Foel. One night, at a banquet thrown by the prince, the harpist kept hearing a small bird urging him to flee the palace. He finally did so, fell asleep on a hilltop, and awoke at dawn to find the palace and principality drowned beneath the lake.

Bala was a centre for the Welsh wool industry during the 18th century but today it’s better known as a gateway town to the Snowdonia National Park. It has also recently built a reputation as a centre for water sports. The tiny main street is often bustling with visitors in summer and increasingly dotted with adventure sports and outdoors shops. The proximity to the lake and availability of top-notch adventures makes it a very lively little place.

Though founded by the Normans in 1310, Bala today is staunchly Welsh and a predominantly Welsh-speaking town – about 80%. Local hero and MP Thomas Edward Ellis, the Liberal Member of Parliament elected in 1886, was a prominent contemporary of Lloyd George in the movement towards an independent Wales at the end of the 19th century. One of Ellis’ friends was Michael D Jones, founder of the Welsh colony in Patagonia.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009