Plas yn 40 - Plas' 40th
Pan chwythodd gorn trên rheilffordd Ffestiniog wrth lithro at y platfform a chlywed miri staff Plas Tan y Bwlch yn disgwyl yn eiddgar am eu gwesteion, roedd hi’n amlwg nad diwrnod cyffredin oedd hi yng nghanolfan astudio Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri ar y 1af o Fedi.
Yn wir, dyma ddathlu, a dathlu o safon benblwydd 40 mlynedd ers i’r Awdurdod gymryd yr awenau dros un o adeiladau mwyaf eiconig Eryri.
Ar ôl paned i dorri syched, cawsom wledd o sgyrsiau yn y Stablau gan gychwyn gydag agoriad gan Gadeirydd yr Awdurdod y Cyng. Caerwyn Roberts. Addysgodd ni fel cynulleidfa a phigo ar ein meddyliau drwy gyflwyno ystadegau syfrdanol am y gwahanol ddefnydd sydd yn cael ei wneud yn y Plas. Mae 60,000 o bobl wedi astudio cwrs yma a 3,000 o ddisgyblion ysgol yn ymweld yn flynyddol. Adnodd arbennig a dangosodd bod egwyddorion sylfaenol yr Awdurdod yn dal i fyw sef cynnig llety ac addysg i blant ac oedolion yng nghanol Eryri er mwyn parchu cefn gwlad ymhysg pynciau eraill.
Yn absenoldeb Dafydd Elis-thomas, camodd ein Haelod Seneddol, Liz Saville-Roberts i’r llwyfan nesaf, er mwyn cyfleu pwysigrwydd y Plas fel adnodd i’r gymuned leol. Esboniodd sut mae’r Plas yn cyflogi 35 aelod o staff ac yn gwneud y gorau o gynnyrch lleol, yn lefrith o Benrhyndeudraeth, yn wyau o Drawsfynydd ac ati. Mynegodd ei hapusrwydd o weld cymdeithasau lleol yn defnyddio adnoddau’r Plas, megis Cymdeithas Edward Llwyd, Cymdeithas Ted Breeze Jones a Merched y Wawr gan ddangos ymdrech y Plas i gyfoethogi bywydau trigolion lleol yn ogystal â denu ymwelwyr. Dr Dafydd Gwyn gymrodd yr awenau nesaf i ymhelaethu ar gymeriadau lleol a sut maen nhw wedi cyfrannu at gyfoeth y Plas trwy ddysgu ac addysgu. Bu’n sôn tipyn am waith a wnaed yn y Plas, gyda Chomisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru ac eraill i gyflawni gwaith archaeolegol o’r safon uchaf. Yn eironig, dyma faes yr ydym i gyd yn adnabod o gyfnod teulu’r Oakeley, sy’n dangos dilyniant taclus o hanes y Plas o’r cychwyn cyntaf hyd heddiw.
Y dyfodol oedd pwnc Owain Wyn, Cadeirydd Bwrdd Plas Tan y Bwlch, gan ddod a traed pawb yn ôl i’r ddaear ar ol rhamant y sgyrsiau cynt. Soniodd am y sialensau sy’n gwynebu’r Awdurdod a phwysigrwydd yn y dydd sydd ohoni i feddwl am y Plas fel busnes er mwyn sicrhau fod y ganolfan yn agored i genhedlaethau’r dyfodol gael cyfleoedd dysgu fel cenhedlaethau’r gorffennol.
Wedi gadael y Stablau rhannodd bawb yn grwpiau i gael eu tywys trwy flodau’r gerddi. Dyma un o’r gerddi mwyaf amrywiol yn Ngogledd Cymru. Soniwyd am deulu’r Oakeley, a theuluoedd bonheddig eraill y cyfnod a’u hoffter at blanhigion o wahanol rannau o’r byd oherwydd bod hynny yn gwella’u statws. Esboniwyd hefyd nad oedd stormydd gaeaf 2014 a ddymchwelodd nifer o’r coed yn ddrwg i gyd gan fod mwy o olau bellach i blanhigion dyfu a bod gerddi heddiw yn gyfuniad o blanhigion ecsotig o bedwar ban byd cyfnod yr Oakeleys a phlanhigion brodorol Eryri.
Wedi codi awydd bwyd ar ôl y daith, cafodd pawb wledd o’r safon uchaf gan staff y gegin. Yn wir roedd yn bechod pigo’r arlwy oddi ar y platiau, cymaint oedd harddwch eu hedrychiad, ond roedd y blas yn well byth! A hyn i gyd i gyfeiliant rhamantus telyn Dylan Cernyw yn y cefndir.
Ni fedrwyd cael clo gwell ar y dathliadau na thrwy lansiad swyddogol llyfr newydd ‘Hanes Plas Tan y Bwlch’. Y diweddar Merfyn Williams, un o gyn-benaethiaid y ganolfan fu’n gyfrifol am waith ymchwil trylwyr y llyfr a gafodd ei gwblhau gan yr amryliw Twm Elias, cyn-ddarlithydd ym Mhlas Tan y Bwlch. Mynnwch gopi o’r llyfr o’r Plas neu’ch siop lyfrau lleol!
Diwrnod heb ei ail, gan obeithio am lawer mwy yn y degawdau i ddod!
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As the Ffestiniog Railway’s train horn sounded on its way to the platform and hearing the hustle and bustle of the Plas’ staff eagerly awaiting their guests below, it was pretty obvious that it wasn’t a normal day at the Snowdonia National Park’s study centre on the 1st of September.
This was a celebration, and a celebration of some standard of the 40th anniversary from when the Authority took responsibility over one of Snowdonia’s most iconic buildings.
After a brew to quench thirst, we had a feast of speeches awaiting us at the Stables with an opening from the Chairman of the Authority, Cllr. Caerwyn Roberts. As an audience he picked our consciences by delivering incredible statistics about the various audiences that frequent the Plas. 60,000 people have attended a course here whilst 3,000 school children visit annually. An important resource which to today still holds the principles and values intended 40 years ago which is to offer accommodation and education to children and adults in the middle of Snowdonia to respect the countryside amongst other subjects.
In Dafydd Elis-Thomas’ absence, our Member of Parliament, Liz Saville Roberts took to the stage to highlight the importance of the Plas to the local society. She explained how the Plas employs 35 members of staff and does the best of local produce, be it eggs from Trawsfynydd, milk from Penrhyndeudraeth and so forth. She expressed her joy at seeing local societies taking advantage of the centre such as the Ted Breeze Jones society, Edward Llwyd society and Merched y Wawr, whilst showing the impact Plas has on the local community as well as being an inviting tourist centre.
It was Dr Dafydd Gwyn who took over the reins to talk about the local characters in the area and how they have contributed and enriched the Plas by learning and educating. He mentioned the high standard of archaeological work regarding the slate quarries produced in the Plas alongside the Royal Commission of Wales. Ironically it’s the subject we associate most with the Oakeley family which shows a neat lineage in Plas’ history from the beginning to the modern day.
The future was the subject of Owain Wyn’s speech. The Chairman of the Plas Tan y Bwlch Board brought everyone’s feet back to ground after the romance of the previous talks. He mentioned the challenges facing the Authority and the importance of recognising Plas as a business first and foremost in order to protect it for future generations to be able to take advantage of the facilities and education as previous generations have.
Once we left the Stables we were divided into groups to be guided through the flowers of the gardens. This is one of the most varied gardens in all of north Wales. The Oakeley family was mentioned as well as other noble families as having a keen interest in plants from around the world because it would boost their status. It was also explained that the storms of winter 2014 when a number of trees were felled was not all bad news, it gave the gardeners a chance to restructure the gardens. Today they are a mixture of native plants and the flowers bought to Snowdonia from all parts of the globe during the Oakeley era. After building an appetite after the walk, we were spoilt by the kitchen staff who produced a buffet of the highest standard. It seemed a shame to pick the decorative food off the plates, but it was worth it since they were as tasty as they looked if not better! This all to the romantic background music of Dylan Cernyw playing the harp.
We couldn’t have had a more fitting end to the day than an official launch of the new book ‘Hanes Plas Tan y Bwlch’ (History of Plas Tan y Bwlch). It was the late Merfyn Williams one of the previous heads of the study centre who was responsible for the expansive research whilst it was completed by Twm Elias, one of our previous lecturers. Make sure you get a copy from Plas or your local bookstore!
It was a day to remember and hopefully we will see many more over the next decades.