Beddgelert is a village of grey stone cottages at the meeting of two rivers, the Glaslyn and the Colwyn, surrounded by steep green mountains, and it is famous for a dog. The legend says that Llywelyn the Great, a thirteenth-century Welsh prince, left his baby son in the care of his hound Gelert, and returned to find the cradle overturned, the dog covered in blood and the child nowhere to be seen. Believing the dog had killed him, he drew his sword, and only after the dog was dead did he hear the baby crying and find a dead wolf nearby. He is said to have buried Gelert with great sorrow, and the village's name means Gelert's grave.
The story is almost certainly a later invention, probably popularised in the eighteenth century by a local innkeeper who wanted to attract visitors, which, if true, is a good piece of marketing. Still, a stone marks the supposed grave, in a meadow beside the river, and it is a pleasant ten-minute walk. The village itself has a tidy stone bridge, tea rooms, outdoor shops and pubs, and it fills with hikers on summer weekends. Walks start from the village up Snowdon and into the Aberglaslyn Pass, a rocky gorge just south of the village where the river tumbles over boulders.
The ride that ends here, from Llanberis over Pen-y-Pass, follows the A498 down through the Nantgwynant valley, past the lakes of Llyn Gwynant and Llyn Dinas, with Snowdon's flanks above you. The road is good, with gentle bends and wonderful views, and it descends gradually into the village. The Welsh Highland Railway also runs to Beddgelert, and a steam train puffing through the valley is a fine sight. The Sygun Copper Mine, a Victorian copper mine now open to visitors, lies a short distance away.
Parking in the village is limited and fills quickly in summer, so arrive early. Rain is frequent, and the damp air smells of bracken and wet slate. After a long ride, a pot of tea and a slice of bara brith, Welsh fruit bread, by the river is a pleasure.