Bala Lake

Llyn Tegid
Bala Lake
Llyn Tegid (Welsh)
A large lake surrounded by hills
View from Bala
Llyn Tegid Bala Lake is located in Wales
Llyn Tegid Bala Lake
Llyn Tegid
Bala Lake
LocationWales
Coordinates52°53′N 3°38′W / 52.883°N 3.633°W / 52.883; -3.633
Typenatural
Primary inflowsRiver Dee
Primary outflowsRiver Dee
Basin countriesUnited Kingdom
Max. length3.7 mi (6.0 km)
Max. width0.5 mi (0.8 km)
Surface area1.87 sq mi (4.8 km2)
Max. depth138 ft (42 m)
SettlementsBala
References[1]
Official nameLlyn Tegid
Designated7 November 1991
Reference no.535[2]

Bala Lake, or Llyn Tegid ([ˈɬɨ̞n ˈtɛɡɨd]), is a large freshwater glacial lake in Gwynedd, Wales. The River Dee, which has its source on the slopes of Dduallt in the mountains of Snowdonia, feeds the 3.7 miles (6.0 km) long by 0.5 miles (0.8 km) wide lake. It was the largest natural body of water in Wales even before its level was raised by Thomas Telford to provide water for the Ellesmere Canal (later Llangollen Canal).

The town of Bala, which was once an important centre for the North Wales woollen trade, is located on the north-eastern end of the lake. The 3-mile (4.8 km) narrow gauge Bala Lake Railway, between the town and Llanuwchllyn (whose name means "church ['llan'] above ['uwch'] the lake ['llyn']"),[3] runs along the lake's south-eastern shore using a section of former trackbed from the former Ruabon–Barmouth line.

  1. ^ "Llyn Tegid". www.snowdoniaguide.com. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
  2. ^ "Llyn Tegid". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ "Bala Lake Railway". Retrieved 26 January 2010.