| Harlech | |
|---|---|
 Harlech from the beach area; the castle is seen centre-left | |
  Harlech Location within Gwynedd | |
| Population | 1,263 (2021 Census) |
| OS grid reference | SH581312 |
| Community |
|
| Principal area | |
| Preserved county | |
| Country | Wales |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | HARLECH |
| Postcode district | LL46 |
| Dialling code | 01766 |
| Police | North Wales |
| Fire | North Wales |
| Ambulance | Welsh |
| UK Parliament | |
| Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament | |
Harlech (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈharlɛχ] ) is a seaside resort and community in Gwynedd, North Wales, and formerly in the historic county of Merionethshire. It lies on Tremadog Bay in the Snowdonia National Park. Before 1966, it belonged to the Meirionydd District of the 1974 County of Gwynedd. Its landmark Harlech Castle was begun in 1283 by Edward I of England, captured by Owain Glyndŵr, and in the 1480s, a stronghold of Henry Tudor.[2] Once on a seaside cliff face, it is now half a mile (800 m) inland.[3] New housing has appeared in the low town and in the high town around the shopping street, church and castle. The two are linked by a steep road called "Twtil".[4] Of its 1,447 inhabitants, 51 per cent habitually speak Welsh.[5] The built-up area with Llanfair had a population of 1,762 in the 2001 census, over half of whom lacked Welsh identity,[6] and the electoral ward which includes Talsarnau 1,997 in the 2011 census. The estimate in 2019 was 1,881.[7] The population of the community, which includes just the village, was 1,263 as of the 2021 census.[8][better source needed]
- ^ "Harlech Community Council". Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ Memoirs of Owen Glendower, (Owain Glyndwr): with a sketch of the history of the ancient Britons, from the conquest of Wales by Edward the First, to the present time, illustrated with various notes, genealogical & topographical at Google Books
- ^ Codrington, Stephen (2005). Planet Geography. Solid Star Press. p. 207.
- ^ Probably from the English "Toothill" ("look-out hill").
- ^ "Town population and Welsh speakers". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2015.
- ^ UK Census (2011). "Local Area Report – Harlech Built-up area (W37000162)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 December 2019.
- ^ City Population site. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ Retrieved 25 February 2024.