Tales from Wales
Photo of Criccieth Castle, taken by me When I was on my solitary writer’s retreat in North Wales in late June, I heard two stories. I was wandering along the banks of the river Glaslyn, following the path through ancient woodland. I met an English lady walking her dogs who told me about a secret valley in the Berwyn mountains where in ancient times women and children would seek shelter when other tribes came raiding. During a breakout of the plague, the sick were sent to this hidden valley and people would leave them food. The lady wished she could remember exactly where this legendary valley was …but of course it was secret. I heard the second story from a farmer named Eifion. It concerns Cwm Pennant, the valley where the river Glaslyn has its birth. Pennant Valley has been called the most beautiful valley in North Wales, yet its stunning beauty conceals a sad history. The land is very poor and the families who lived there barely survived on subsistence farming. You can still se...