Hanes y Cwrwgl Conwy //Conwy Coracle History

"With the approach of the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969, efforts were made to seek a political solution.

Denis Coslett of the Free Wales Army invited the Prime Minister Harold Wilson to meet him for coracle based discussions in the middle of the River Tywi but this invitation was declined."

- Rivers in the Welsh physical and cultural landscape by Catherine Duigan (p 19)

Open book displaying a painting of a river scene with a stone bridge, boats, trees, and hills, alongside descriptive text about the artwork and its history.
Black and white diagram of the Conwy coracle, showing top, bottom, and interior views with a scale in feet.

Ioan Glan Lledr

"Aed heibio cartref John Jones, neu Ioan Glan Lledr, yr olaf yn ôl traddodiad i bysgota â chwrwgl ar afonydd Lledr a Chonwy. Roedd yn fardd gwlad a lluniodd englyn sydd ar garreg fedd ei rieni ym Mynwent Sant Tudclud, Penmachno:

            O dan hon mae ’nhad yn huno – a mam
                  ’Run modd yn gorffwyso,
               Ac yn fuan tan run to
               Finnau geir, rwyf yn gwyro.

Ac yn wir, ni fu byw’n hir wedyn ac wedi ei gladdu yntau yn yr un bedd yn 1897, ychwanegodd rhywun y cwpled hwn:

            Gwyrais, wyf yma’n gorwedd
            Teulu ŷm mewn tawel hedd."

An elderly man with a beard wearing a hat and dark clothing paddling a small boat on a river.
Black and white photo of a stone cottage with a chimney, surrounded by trees and hills in the background, with Welsh text at the bottom.

Cwrwgl o blaen Tu Hwnt I’r Bont

An illustration of a stone bridge over a river, with boats and buildings along the riverbank, set against a green landscape and hills in the background.

Extracts from Welsh Heritage Series No.5 ‘Traditional Fishing in Wales’ by Emrys Evans 1995

(First published in Welsh in 1989 by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, Llanrwst)

An old black-and-white illustration showing the damming of the waters in a river for fishing during the Middle Ages, with several people in boats and on the riverbank engaged in fishing activities.
Black and white illustration of a person in a coracle boat on the Conwy River a hundred years ago, labeled 'Ioan Glan Lledr in a coracle on the Conwy river a hundred years ago.' Below, a diagram depicts netting methods using coracles, showing cork an
Two black and white photographs related to fishing in Nant Conwy. The top photo shows a family or individual with a fish catching basket next to a riverbank, with a description about their right to use it on the river Lledr. The bottom photo depicts
Two black and white photographs of baskets on a river and a landscape with a river, trees, and a structure. The first photo shows baskets placed on the river Lledr, while the second depicts a chest and baskets on the Conwy River, dating back to Roman
Diagram of basket traps used in Severn estuary and River Lleadr, North Wales, showing various designs labeled A, B, and C.
Diagram of various types of coracles used for river navigation, labeled A through H, with a scale in feet at the bottom.
Sequence of photos showing Ronnie Davies constructing a wicker basket. First, he splits willow into ribs, then assembles a frame, which is later covered with a finishing layer. The completed basket is shown with a person holding it. Additional images

Boyne style of Coracle - the forerunner of the later lath designs…

…. and how we built our Conwy Coracle