Historic background
Dolbadarn Castle dates from the reign of Llywelyn ab Iorwerth, and formed part of a royal holding which included adjacent vaccaries. From the late eighteenth century onwards it became a magnet for tourists, writers and artists, including Pennant and Turner, and the Royal Victoria Hotel was established nearby pre-1832, when the future Queen Victoria stayed there. The nearby waterfall and the Victoria Woods were also suited to the tastes of the traveller, and the Snowdon Mountain railway’s lower terminus was constructed here in 1896. The row ‘Vaynol Cottages’ of 1906 is an attractive row of villa-type dwellings.
Key historic landscape characteristics
Picturesque landscape
Apart from the castle, the area is remarkable for its nineteenth century tourist infrastructure, particularly the Royal Victoria Hotel. The buildings are set in the landscape and make use of the topography. The Snowdon Mountain Railway runs through the area, from its deliberately Alpine lower terminus (reflecting the Swiss design of this rack and pinion railway) across the viaduct above the Hebron waterfall.
