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A half-mile lantern procession through the Conwy Valley will serve as a poignant reminder of terrible tragedy that hit the area a century ago. The steam of light will lead to Dolgarrog where an “avalanche” of water and boulders left a trail of destruction after two dams burst.
Sixteen lives were lost in a disaster that shook the nation and led to a rethink of reservoir safety. Dolgarrog has never forgotten and on Sunday, November 2, a series of events will take place to remember an evening when the church bell was silenced exactly 100 years earlier.
At 4pm the B5106 Conwy Road is to close between Tal y Bont and Dolgarrog. The lantern parade will leave St Mary’s Church, Tal y Bont, at 4.15pm and proceed to Dolgarrog’s Cenotaph by the Ixora Hotel for a plaque-unveiling ceremony.
A new community choir will deliver their debut performance at the service before the focus switches to the nearby Memorial Gardens for the “world premiere” of Argraff, (Impression) a specially commissioned piece of music written for Dolgarrog.
The day will end around 6.15pm with the switching on of commemorative lights, which are to be sited permanently around the village. These have been hand-crafted by pottery maker Vicky Buxton who lives on the disaster site.
A series of exhibitions and other activities have also been arranged – details below. The local community council said the commemorations will “honour the past while celebrating Dolgarrog’s future”.
The disaster originated at Llyn Eigiau, a reservoir up in the hills west of Dolgarrog. After 66cm (26 inches) of rain in just five days, its shoddily made dam began to give way under its shallow foundations. Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community
On reaching Coedty reservoir further down, the leakage built up until its embankment dam was overtopped. When the dam’s core suddenly collapsed, a tidal wave of water cascaded down a narrow gorge, raining giant boulders on Dolgarrog’s unsuspecting villagers.
Two loud bangs were heard as far away as Llanrwst. Contemporary newspaper reports describe how a “mountainous avalanche of water” stormed through part of the village. A road bridge and a corrugated iron church were also carried away by the flood “like matchwood” .
Had not most of the villagers been attending a cinema show in the community hall on higher ground, it’s likely the death toll would have been much higher. Even so, it was the worst disaster to hit the village since the Black Death left it virtually deserted in the 1350s.
Some of the boulders brought down by the torrent were estimated to weigh over 500 tonnes, and were too heavy to shift. Over the years the area become overgrown and hidden, prompting concerns the village’s history was being slowly eroded.
It led to the creation in 2004 of a memorial walk amid the boulder field next to the B5106. Among those present at its unveiling was Fred Brown, the only living survivor. He was 14 when his mother, Elizabeth, and sister, Betty, died in the disaster.
Almost 80 years after the tragedy, he broke down as the names of those who lost their lives were read out.
Even today, visitors to Llyn Eigiau say the place is “eerie and haunting”. Its concrete dam wall was made safe by cutting out its undermined section to leave a large gap as a permanent reminder of the tragedy.
The centenary commemorations will see another big push to remember what happened that dreadful night.
Already open is Now Dolgarrog, a photographic exhibition celebrating the village and its residents. Running until November 8, this is at the Cog Dolgarrog gift shop and art gallery on Conway Road.
Also open is an historical exhibition at St Mary’s Church telling the story of the disaster and its aftermath. This was created by academics from Cardiff and Bangor universities. The church also has an art exhibition by the Dolgarrog Art Group.
On November 2, events get underway at 2pm, with Dolgarrog Community Centre is hosting a display on the history of Hydro Power from 2pm until 3pm.
Organisers said: “At the Memorial Gardens from 2pm there will be an opportunity to walk through the site of the disaster and reflect on the 100 years of regrowth since that terrible event.
“The walks will be animated with live performances along the way. Performances finish at 3.30pm.” After the B5106 closes at 4pm, efforts will be made to reopen it “as soon as possible” after the commemorations have finished at around 6.15pm-6.30pm.
In recent weeks and months, local people have been tidying up the village in preparation for the commemoration. The events have been organised by Dolgarrog Community Council, Caru Dolgarrog Community Group and other partner organisations. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
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