Teacher Toolkit
Background
The story of Tryweryn is very important to the people of Wales, both emotionally and historically. In the 1950s, Liverpool City Council was looking for more water to supply its population and its industries. The Tryweryn Valley near Bala in Gwynedd was chosen as the place to build a large reservoir. In the valley was a small village called Capel Celyn, a farming community where almost everyone spoke Welsh.
In 1957, Liverpool introduced a special act in the UK Parliament to allow the flooding of the valley. This meant that permission from authorities in Wales was not required. Many people opposed the plan, including the village’s residents, local councils, and Welsh Members of Parliament. However, the act was passed, and only one Welsh MP voted in favour of it. For many people, this showed that Wales had very little political voice at that time.
The people of Capel Celyn fought hard to save their village. Protests and petitions were organised, and some travelled to Liverpool and London to argue their case. The campaign gained support from people across Wales, raising concerns about the Welsh language and the rights of the Welsh people. But in the end, the plan could not be stopped. Construction of the reservoir began in 1960. Houses and buildings were demolished, and families had to leave their homes. When the dam was completed in 1965, the valley was flooded and Capel Celyn disappeared beneath the lake, which was named Llyn Celyn. Only the village cemetery was moved to higher ground before the flooding.
Tryweryn had a major impact on Welsh politics and culture. It strengthened support for Welsh nationalism and for protecting the Welsh language, and it was part of the movement calling for greater self-government for Wales. The words “Cofiwch Dryweryn” (“Remember Tryweryn”) became a famous slogan. Today, Llyn Celyn reminds people of this history and of the impact that losing a small village had on Welsh identity.
People's Collection Wales
Possible questions to discuss
- What do you think life was like in Capel Celyn before the flooding?
- How do you imagine the villagers felt when they first heard their home might be destroyed?
- If your own home or school were threatened, what emotions would you feel?
- Do you think it was fair that the decision to flood the village was made in London, not Wales? Why or why not?
- Who should have the right to decide what happens to a community’s land?
- What does this story teach us about power—who has it, and who doesn’t?
- Why was Capel Celyn important as a Welsh-speaking community?
- How might losing a village like this affect Welsh language and culture more widely?
- Do you think a community’s language should be considered when decisions about land are made?
- Why do you think “Cofiwch Dryweryn” became such an important phrase in Wales?
- How do stories like Tryweryn shape our sense of Welsh identity today?
- Should events like this be remembered? If so, how?
- If you could speak to someone who lived in Capel Celyn before it was flooded, what would you ask them?
- Imagine you had to leave your home forever—what is the one thing you would take, and why?
- How might children your age in Capel Celyn have felt as they watched the water rising?
- Why do you think Liverpool needed the reservoir, and could there have been another solution?
- Should one community sacrifice something for the benefit of another? When is that acceptable or not?
- How do we balance human needs (like water) with protecting communities and culture?
Activities and experiences
- Mapping the Lost Village
- “Cofiwch Dryweryn” Wall of Memory
- “Voices of Capel Celyn” Drama Circle
- Debate: “Was it Right to Flood the Valley?”
- Creative Writing: A Letter from the Last Night
- Art Activity: The Rising Waters
- Field Trip or Virtual Tour
- Build a Mini-Museum of Capel Celyn
- Language & Identity Workshop
Key concepts
(derived from the statements of what matters)
Humanities
- Investigate
- Interpretation
- Change and continuity
- Places
- Human impact on the world
- Justice, inequality and rights
- Social action
- Ethical and moral questions
The Expressive Arts
- Understand context in creative works
- Convey ideas
- Exploring purpose and meaning
- Develop and refine designs
Health and Wellbeing
- Social influences and norms
- Identity and values
- Rights and respect
- Types of relationships
Languages, Literacy and Communication
- Listen with empathy
- Reading strategies
- Draw a conclusion
- Vocabulary Development
- Communicate effectively and communicate ideas and opinions
- Cooperation and discussion
- Writing for different purposes and audiences
![Gwynfor Evans, 'Save Cwm Tryweryn for Wales' (Plaid Cymru, 1956) [front cover, image 1 of 27]](/fileadmin/images_gwefan/new_structure/discover_learn/education/learning_resources/Gwynfor_Save_Tryweryn.jpg)
