About the Area

Trigonos is nestled in the quiet village of Nantlle, near Caernarfon, with breathtaking views of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon). We are privileged to be located within the majestic Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park, which was designated an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2015—one of the darkest and most star-filled skies in southern Britain.

In 2021, Nantlle became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales. This global recognition celebrates the rich industrial heritage of the area, where slate quarried from the Eryri region once “roofed the 19th-century world.” At Trigonos, you are staying in a place that was once home to the quarry master of Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry, a key site in this global trade.

The Dyffryn Nantlle (Nantlle Valley) also has a deep archaeological and geological significance. Slate extraction has taken place in confined areas shaped by the valley’s unique topography, with quarries dug deep into the earth or set along the northern slopes.

In the 18th century, the area's beauty attracted artists from across Britain, including Richard Wilson RA, John Turner, John Warwick Smith, and Cornelius Varley, who came to paint the dramatic landscape of Snowdon and the Nantlle Lakes. Some of these works hang in prestigious collections today, such as Liverpool’s Walker Art Gallery.

The Nantlle Valley also holds a prominent place in Welsh mythology, serving as the main setting for the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi—the tale of Math fab Mathonwy, featuring Lleu Llaw Gyffes, Blodeuwedd, and Gwydion. The story unfolds across this very landscape, with one key moment placing Lleu transformed into an eagle atop an oak tree at Baladeulyn, once the land between the two lakes before quarrying reshaped the area.