Читать книгу Great Mountain Days in Snowdonia. 40 classic routes exploring Snowdonia онлайн

24 страница из 60

There is a history of refreshments being served on the summit dating back to 1838, a licence to sell intoxicating liquor being granted in 1845. When the Snowdon Mountain Railway was opened in 1896, a hotel was built a short distance below the summit. In the 1930s, this was replaced by a restaurant to a design by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis. By the end of the 20th century, this was operating as a café and shop complex. However, it was becoming increasingly dilapidated and its state led to a campaign to replace the old building. In April 2006, Snowdonia National Park Authority agreed to start work on a new café and visitor centre complex. By mid-October 2006, the old building had been largely demolished. The shell of the new visitor centre was erected during 2007 and finally opened on 12 June 2009, and named Hafod Eryri – ‘Eryri’ in English is ‘Snowdonia’, but there is no adequate translation for ‘Hafod’, an old Welsh term for a residence on high land.

The steep cliffs in the Snowdon group hold an important place in the history of British rock climbing. The first recorded climb was the 1798 ascent of the Eastern Terrace of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu (Cloggy, as it is affectionately now known among the climbing fraternity) by the Reverends Peter Williams and William Bingley, botanists looking for alpine plants. What prompted them to complete the climb was summed up by Bingley, who wrote: ‘I believe it was the prospect downwards that determined us to brave every difficulty.’ Nothing has changed on Cloggy.