Dyma fy erthygl deithio gyntaf yn Gymraeg – This is my first travel article in Welsh.

(There is an English translation below.)

 

Cerddais i mewn i’r Erskine Arms, ychydig ar draws y ffordd o Orsaf Conwy, yn union fel oedd fy nhren o Lundain yn tynnu allan o’r platfform.

Yn fy llyfr nodiadau ysgrifennais i “hynod gyfleus os dewch ar y trên” ar fy rhestr o rinweddau’r gwesty cyfforddus canol y dref. (Mae yna lefydd parcio, os ydych chi’n gyrru, ond pam fyddech chi?)

Nesaf, dwi’n ysgrifennu “synnwyr brwd o le”. Enwir fy ystafell, Glyder Fach, 994 metr, ar ôl copa yn Eryri gerllaw. Ond mae “rhamant ddilys Gymraeg” yn ennill fy nhic mwyaf. Llwy gariad Gymraeg draddodiadol yw fy modrwy allweddol, wedi’i llunio â llaw o un darn o bren. Mae ganddo fotiff llong hwylio, sy’n arwydd o “daith esmwyth trwy fywyd”. (Mae pob cylch allweddi yn unigryw.)

Mae’r Erskine Arms, ymasiad annhebygol o dafarn i deithwyr ar ddechrau’r 19eg a bwthyn gwneuthurwr hwyliau o’r 17eg ganrif, ychydig o fewn waliau canoloesol tref arfordirol Gogledd Cymru, sy’n weladwy o fy ystafell. Ar ôl ymgnawdoliadau amrywiol, fe’i hadferwyd yn ddiweddar fel gorffwys i deithwyr, gyda bwyty da a bar wedi’i restru yn y Good Beer Guide.

Y tu ôl i du allan hufen a llwyd o fri mae jumble cysurus o ystafelloedd a lefelau. Mae print, paentiad neu lun yn addurno bob modfedd sbâr o wal sy’n adrodd hanes trwchus y dref, o reol gan dywysogion Gwynedd o’r 800au, trwy Castell a wal taranllyd Edward I o’r 13eg Ganrif, a adeiladwyd i
darostwng y Cymry; ac ymlaen i bysgota, llongau fferi ar draws y Afon Conwy a golygfeydd syfrdanol o Eryri. Mae un print yn darlunio cynllun gwreiddiol ffordd Thomas Telford London i Holyhead. Sgrechiodd trwy’r dref anffodus hon nes i Dwnnel ffordd osgoi’r A55 o dan aber Conwy ei ryddhau o uffern draffig ym 1993. Mae un print yn darlunio cynllun gwreiddiol y ffordd Thomas Telford Llundain i Gaergybi. Fe sgrechiodd trwy’r dref anffodus hon nes i Dwnnel yr A55 o dan aber Conwy ei ryddhau o uffern draffig ym 1993.

Rwy’n mynd am dro bach trwy Conwy bach cryno. Allan o’r drws ffrynt ac i mewn i grid o hen strydoedd yn llawn eiddo hanesyddol a siopau a chaffis annibynnol arbenigol. Pedwar troad i’r dde, ac rydw i’n ôl yn y gwesty mewn pymtheg munud.

Mae tîm bwyty’r gwesty yn dod o hyd i lawer o gynhwysion gan gyflenwyr lleol. Mae eu henwau’n ymddangos trwy’r fwydlen i gyd. Daw’r stêc gan Edwards, cigydd y Stryd Fawr. Rwy’n dod o hyd i win gwyn sych creision o winllan Gwinllan leol. Gwneir hufen iâ yn y dref yn Parisella’s. Mae’r siocled poeth gan Baravelli’s, y siocledwr ychydig i fyny’r ffordd.

Bore nesaf rwy’n cymryd y dewis brecwast ysgafn, ond yn mynd i’r dref am yr UNESCO llawn. Mae’r castell, sy’n safle treftadaeth y byd, chwarae pŵer syfrdanol brenhinol o’r radd uchaf, ac yn dal i fod mewn siâp cain. O’r rhagfuriau dwyreiniol rwy’n rhyfeddu at groesfannau afon enwog y 19eg ganrif o dan y dref ychydig islaw – pont grog chwyldroadol Telford, ochr yn ochr â phont tiwbaidd y peiriannydd rheilffordd Robert Stephenson. Tref fach yn cael effaith nerthol.

Yr USP:

hostel teithwyr Sioraidd draddodiadol mewn cornel dawel o’r dref, wedi’i hadfer yn golygus gyda llawer o gilfachau clyd a thanau croesawgar.

Yr ystafelloedd:

cymysgedd o 10 ystafell ddwbl a gefell en-suite dros dri llawr, llawer ohonynt gyda golygfeydd drosodd i waliau canoloesol y dref. Enwir pob un ar ôl copa yn Eryri gerllaw. Llwyau cariad Cymreig wedi’u gwneud â llaw yw modrwyau allweddol.

Y bwyd:

Mae’r gegin yn gwneud defnydd toreithiog o gynnyrch lleol, fel cregyn gleision enwog Aber Conwy. Mae dognau’n hael.

Mae hyd yn oed y coffi wedi’i rostio’n lleol, gan Heartland Coffi yn Llandudno gerllaw.

The Erskine Arms, Rosehill Street, Conwy, LL32 8LD, 01492 593 535. https://erskinearms.co.uk/ www.visitconwy.org.uk

Dwbl, gyda brecwast Cymraeg llawn, o £ 80 y noson am ddau (Tach – Chwefror).

Version in English:

Bolthole – Erskine Arms, Conwy, N Wales 

I walked into the Erskine Arms, just across the road – ar draws y ffordd

from Conwy Station, just as my train from London was pulling out of the platform.

In my notebook I wrote “extremely convenient if you come by train” on my list of this comfy town centre hotel’s virtues. (There are parking spaces, if you drive, but why would you?)

Next I write “keen sense of place”. My room, Glyder Fach, 994 metres, is named after a peak in nearby Snowdonia. But “authentic Welsh romance” earns my biggest tick. My key ring is a traditional Welsh love spoon, hand fashioned from a single piece of wood. It has a sailing ship motif, signifying  “smooth passage through life”. (Every key ring is unique.) 

The Erskine Arms, an unlikely fusion of an early 19th coaching inn and a 17th century sail-maker’s cottage, sits just within this North Wales coastal town’s medieval walls, visible from my room. After various incarnations, it was recently restored as a travellers’ rest, with a good restaurant and a bar listed in the Good Beer Guide.

Behind a distinguished cream and grey exterior is a comforting jumble of rooms and levels. Every spare inch of wall bears a print, painting or photo telling the town’s dense history, from rule by the princes of Gwynedd from the 800s, through Edward I’s thunderous 13th Century Welsh-subduing castle and wall, and on to fishing, ferries across the Conwy river and sensational vistas of Snowdonia. One print depicts the original plan of Thomas Telford’s London to Holyhead road. It screamed through this hapless town until the A55 bypass Tunnel under the Conwy estuary released it from traffic purgatory in 1993.

I take a short stroll through compact little Conwy. Out of the front door and into a grid of old streets studded with historic properties and specialist independent shops and cafes. Four right turns, and I’m back at the hotel.

The hotel restaurant’s team source many ingredients from local suppliers. Their names pop up throughout the menu. The steak is from Edwards, the High Street butcher. I find a crisp dry white wine from the local Gwinllan vineyard. Ice cream is made in the town at Parisella’s. The hot chocolate is by Baravelli’s, the chocolatier up the road.

Next morning I take the light breakfast choice, but head into town for the full UNESCO. The castle, a world heritage site, is stupendous, monarchical power play of the highest order, and still in fine shape. From the eastern ramparts I marvel at the town’s illustrious C19th river crossings just below – Telford’s revolutionary suspension bridge, alongside rail engineer Robert Stephenson’ tubular bridge. A small town making a mighty impact.

The USP: 

a traditional Georgian coaching hostelry in a tranquil corner of town, handsomely restored with lots of cosy nooks and welcoming fires.

The rooms: 

a mix of 10 en-suite double and twin rooms over three floors, many with views over to the medieval town walls. Each is named after a peak in nearby Snowdonia. Key rings are handmade Welsh love spoons.

The food:

The kitchen 

local produce, such as the famous Conwy Estuary mussel. Portions are generous.

Even the coffee is locally roasted, by Heartland Coffi in nearby Llandudno. 

The Erskine Arms, Rosehill Street, Conwy, LL32 8LD, 01492 593 535. Double, with full Welsh breakfast, from £80 per night for two (Nov – Feb). https://erskinearms.co.uk/ www.visitconwy.org.uk

 

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