Mount Snowdon to be renamed in Welsh after authorities adopt petition signed by 5,000 people
17 November 2022, 09:52 | Updated: 17 November 2022, 10:37
Mount Snowdon's official name has been changed after a petition was signed by over 5,000 people.
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Snowdonia National Park Authority has voted to use the Welsh name for both the mountain and the region in both Welsh and English contexts.
It means Snowdon will now be called Yr Wyddf, and Snowdonia will be called Eryri.
The decision to rename the mountain, which has been called Snowdon for 1,000 years, comes after 5,000 people signed a petition calling for the change, prompting the authority to take "decisive action".
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Head of the Park's cultural heritage Naomi Jones said Welsh names were part of the area's "special qualities".
She added that using Welsh names would "give people from all over the world the opportunity to engage with the Welsh language and its rich culture".
"We have historic names in both languages, but we are eager to consider the message we wish to convey about place names, and the role they have to play in our current cultural heritage by promoting the Welsh language as one of the National Park’s special qualities," she said.
"The National Park's statutory purposes denotes the requirement to protect and enhance our cultural heritage and provide opportunities for people to learn about and enjoy the special qualities.
"By referring to our most renowned landmarks by their Welsh names we give people from all over the world the opportunity to engage with the Welsh language and its rich culture."
Around 400,000 walkers visit Yr Wyddfa each year, to scale its 3,560ft peak and enjoy stunning views of the National Park.
The petition to change the name was instigated in response to a proposal by Councillor John Pughe Roberts to stop using the English names.
He said people were "complaining that people are changing house names, rock names, renaming the mountains".
The National Park was already using Welsh names on English publications.
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Ms Jones said she was confident the new official names for the area will be adopted, saying many organisations in England and Wales already used the Welsh words.
"Many public bodies across Wales have moved to use both the Welsh and English names, or the Welsh name only, when referring to Yr Wyddfa and Eryri, as have many of the mainstream English-language press and filming companies," she said.
"This is very encouraging, and gives us confidence that this change in the Authority’s approach will be accepted for the benefit of the Welsh language and as a mark of respect to our cultural heritage."
