Tryweryn Flooding - Welsh History

Generations of families had lived in a small village called Capel Celyn in
the Tryweryn Valley in North Wales for many years.

The Village of Capel Celyn

It was a beautiful valley with one school, a post office, chapel, cemetery,
farm houses and cottages. Everybody knew each other and it was a
friendly Welsh community.

Fill in the Blanks

What was the village in Tryweryn called?

A Beautiful Rural Village

Shock from Liverpool

In 1955 Liverpool City Council decided that they were going to flood the
Tryweryn Valley to create a reservoir to supply their city with water.

People protested strongly against the proposal for 10 years. 35 out of 36
Members of Parliament in Wales voted against the flooding (one didn’t
vote). Hundreds travelled to Liverpool to protest and march.

Multiple Choice

In what year did Liverpool decide they would flood the area?

• 1965

• 1955

• 1945

• 1950

Destroying Capel Celyn

But despite the protestations, the demolition
of the village and the building of the reservoir
commenced. Families were broken hearted.
As children walked to school they passed
huge and noisy demolition machines, they
heard the screaming of the trees as they
were chopped down and fell to the floor.

As they sat in their school, their desks vibrated due to the heavy drilling
machines outside.

Many journalists and photographers waited outside the school on the
children’s last day to see them leaving for the last time.

Open Ended

How would you feel if this was happening in your home town?

More Protesting!

On the 22nd of September in 1962, David Pritchard and David Walter
caused damage to the machines in an attempt to stop the building of the
reservoir. They were arrested and fined £50.

In 1963 Emyr Llywelyn Jones,
Owain Williams and John Albert
Jones tried to stop the building of the
reservoir by causing an explosion
which caused damage. They were
all jailed for 12 months.

Fill in the Blanks

David Pritchard and David Walter caused damage to the machines. They were arrested and fined £

Fill in the Blanks

Emyr Llywelyn Jones, Owain Williams and John Albert Jones caused an explosion resulting in

months in jail.

Leaving the Valley

70 people lost their homes, the valley emptied and the dam was
completed. In 1965 the water came and drowned the valley. The people
of Wales were angered, yet saddened to see 800 acers of land under
water in order to provide Liverpool with water.

Poll

How would you feel seeing your home town destroyed and covered in water for another country?

Apology

It was discovered that Liverpool city had not used the water to supply
their City with water, but instead was selling the water to other counties in
order to make profit.

In 2005, the Liverpool City Council officially apologised for
flooding Tryweryn.

Open Ended

Do you think the apology was enough? Why?