Explore the history
Trefor Village
Cottage History
Cottage History
Trefor village grew up around the local granite quarry. In fact the village was named after the quarry's foreman Trevor Jones.
The quarry was opened in 1850 by Samuel Holland, an entrepreneur from a long line of North Wales landowners, with an eye to supplying the large volumes of stone which would be needed for the planned development of Porthdinllaen (further west) as the main dock for ferries between Wales and Dublin. The dock plan fell through when Holyhead was favoured instead.
However, there was strong demand for the new quarry’s granite-like stone, which comprises porphyrite and quartz. By the mid-19th century the quarry and associated village were prospering.
The quarry had the advantage of being beside the sea with ships being the main form of transport for heavy bulk cargo at that time. Stone was carried in railway wagons to reach the harbour, using a cable-worked incline for controlled descent from the elevated workings. On the seaward side of the breakwater, there was a timber jetty for loading the stone into ships. Whilst the pier was demolished in 2017 the original stone breakwater remains.
The quarry finally closed in 1963 but the site still includes the remains of extensive rail-served galleries, workshops, inclines, magazine bins, a crusher house and the 920m long tramway incline, which continued on the level, past further workshops and offices and the village (which was served by a siding), to the north before terminating at Trevor Pier. However in recent times it has become a film location for House of Dragons, so its worth a walk up to have a look!
The harbour on the landward side of the breakwater became home to a busy fishing fleet as Trevor village grew. Some small commercial fishing continues today along with pleasure boats.
Cottage History
Cottage History
Cottage History
Ynata cottage was built as 59 Eifl Road, a "quarryman's" cottage for workers in the Yr Eifl Granite Quarry. The cottage is constructed using traditional rubble walls from local undressed stone, probably including scrap pieces from the quarry. You can see the quarry's stone in the exposed chimneys in the front room and the kitchen.
Maps from 1888 show a much smaller village than today, centred around the few streets of terraced stone cottages. No fewer than 4 churches and chapels served the little village.
The tramway for the quarry ran into the centre on a branch line. If you walk to the end of Eifl road, you will arrive at the bottom of the incline plane and some of the buildings are still recognisable from old photos.
Census records for houses in the street show most men were employed at the granite quarry, often as Settmakers.
An example is from 3 doors down from Ynata at 53 Eifl Road. The 1911 census shows William and Mary Roberts, both 36 years old, had 2 sons, Richard 14 and Robert 7. William worked as a settmaker at the quarry, and Richard at 14 years old was already employed as an apprentice settmaker.
At 58 Eifl Road, John and Daniel Roberts lived with their mother Ann. Both sons were employed at the quarry, also at settmakers.
The village is set in a very dramatic location, especially when approaching from the direction of Caernarfon, surrounded by mountains and right next to the sea.
cottage renovation and interior
A labour of love...
We bought the cottage in May 2022. The intention always was to rent the property but also use it on the odd occasions when it was free to spend quality time with our own family. It was important to us that everyone who stayed there, whether our family or yours had a great time so we wanted the cottage to be perfect!
Ynata was generally structurally sound but very tired! It needed a complete interior renovation and refit. An additional challenge is that there is no gas in Trefor, and no space at Ynata for an oil or gas tank so electricity is the only major service.
The cottage was stripped right back, including all of the beams and stone walls being professionally sandblasted. It took days to clean up after that! The roof at the rear was totally removed and all of the interior fittings taken out, including every last inch of pipework and electrical cabling.
The rebuild started with a new warm roof to the single storey extension at the rear with a large skylight to keep everything bright. The loft under the main roof has had double the thickness of insulation required by building regulations installed.
Next up was a complete rewire and re-plastering the entire cottage. We took the chance to add extra lighting as well as plenty of plug points! At this point the smart heating system wiring was installed as well. The walls are 2ft thick granite, drilling into them was interesting!
The plumbing was completely replaced from the stopcock onwards with the water heating switched to a highly efficient heat battery from the original old immersion heater. The bathroom was relocated from downstairs to its current location upstairs and all brand new bathroom fittings were installed including granite worktops and a powerful mains pressure shower.
All of the heating systems including the log burner are brand new and are designed to keep the cottage warm and cosy but also to be as environmentally friendly as possible. The UK made log burner has an 82.5% efficiency rating and almost heats the entire house by itself! The smart heating system is app controlled and uses room sensors to detect both movement and open windows. It learns the best way to heat each room and adapts to who is using the house. At the same time you can still pick your temperature in each room. We all like different settings!
All the skirting, balustrading and internal doors were replaced with new solid oak items custom made for us in the UK. The cottage had old ugly PVC windows and doors fitted, which went straight off for recycling! Timber double glazed sash windows and custom made hardwood front and rear doors were fitted. The rear door is a stable door, leave it open and we promise you'll soon meet the friendly locals!
We have a chocolate labrador who loves the beach and generally getting his paws muddy! It was always our plan to welcome your dogs to the cottage too. To create a practical environment, the entire ground floor was tiled through out so its easy to keep clean.
The kitchen was replaced including all new appliances. White quartz worktops were specified for their hard wearing nature and to bounce as much natural light as possible into the room. We chose an induction hob to give you good control when you are cooking. Its not the biggest kitchen but we made sure you have a dishwasher and washing machine, as well as a separate fridge and freezer.
Finally came the fit out. We tried to put things in the house that we would want in our own home. Good quality beds and bed linen, plenty of seating, lots of kitchen cookware and crockery etc. Plenty of books, throws on sofas and way way too many cushions! Top that off with some quirky pictures and objects including our favourite, Cyril the Seahorse, and we think the cottage feels homely and cosy.
In the short time we've owned it we've found the cottage to be a magical place. We really hope you'll find Ynata a home from home as we do.
