Oracl Cwrwgl - Coracle Conversations

"With the approach of the investiture of the Prince of Wales in 1969, efforts were made to seek a political solution.

Denis Coslett of the Free Wales Army invited the Prime Minister Harold Wilson to meet him for coracle based discussions in the middle of the River Tywi but this invitation was declined."

- Rivers in the Welsh physical and cultural landscape by Catherine Duigan (p 19)

A allai Cwrwgl Conwy ein helpu i gael sgyrsiau da am ddŵr croyw?

Mae cwryglau yn cynrychioli cysylltiad agos rhwng pobl a'r amgylchedd, eu gwneuthuriad a'u defnydd. Ac roedd cwrwgl Conwy yn unigryw (wel, yn anarferol o leiaf) gan ei fod wedi'i gynllunio ar gyfer dau berson.

A allai Cwrwgl Conwy fod yn ofod neu’n symbol perffaith ar gyfer sgyrsiau dŵr croyw? Ar gyfer pysgota neu ‘gasglu’ safbwyntiau gwahanol?

Mae’r Ministry Dŵr am geisio adeiladu fflyd fechan o Gwryglau Conwy ac yn chwilio am bobl a hoffai gymryd rhan. Cynhaliwyd y gweithdai cyntaf yn Llanrwst ym mis Mawrth 2025.

I ddarganfod mwy/mynegi diddordeb mewn adeiladu Oracl Cwrwgl yn y dyfodol e-bostiwch ni

Could the Conwy Coracle help us have good conversations about freshwater?

Coracles represent an intimate connection between people and the environment, in their making and in their use.  And the Conwy coracle was unique (well, unusual at least) in that it was designed for two people.

Could the Conwy Coracle be the perfect space or symbol for freshwater conversations? For fishing for or ‘gathering in’ different perspectives?

The Ministry of Water wants to try building a small fleet of Conwy Coracles and are seeking people who would like to take part. The first workshops took place in Llanrwst in March 2025.

To find out more/express interest in future Conversational Coracle building please email us

Adeiladu'r Oracl Cwrwgl Conwy Cyntaf // Building the first Conwy Conversational Coracle

Llanrwst, Mis Mawrth/March 2025

Adeiladwyd Cwrwgl Sgwrsio cyntaf Conwy yn Llanrwst, gan ddefnyddio helyg ym mis Mawrth 2025. Fe'i hadeiladwyd yn ôl dyluniad gwreiddiol Cwrwgl Conwy gan dîm o wirfoddolwyr (gan gynnwys Ilsa Elford, Vicky Atkinson, Dave Rimmer ac Urtha Felda) ac fe'i harweiniwyd gan yr adeiladwr cwryglau profiadol, James Carpenter. Cymerodd llawer o rai eraill ran yn yr adeiladu a'r lansiad.

Adeiladu’r oracl cwrwgl
- Building the conversational coracle

The first Conwy Conversational Coracle was built in Llanrwst, using willow in March 2025. It was built to the original Conwy Coracle design by a team of volunteers (including Ilsa Elford, Vicky Atkinson, Dave Rimmer and Urtha Felda) and led by seasoned coracle builder, James Carpenter. Many others took part in the build and the launch.

Lansiad! 29.3.25 Launch!

Elfennau sgwrsio

Wrth i ni adeiladu'r cwrwgl, fe wnaethon ni siarad am sut y gallai'r cwrwgl ddod yn lle ar gyfer sgwrs, efallai archwilio rhai o'r cwestiynau y mae Gofod Glas wedi bod yn eu casglu.

Fe wnaethon ni ychwanegu geiriau, lluniau a symbolau at yr adeiladwaith, a gwneud cysylltiadau ag Eog Gwybodaeth o'r Mabinogi. Diolch arbennig i Dave Rimmer ac Ilsa Elford.

Conversational elements

While we were building the coracle, we talked about how the coracle could become a space for conversation, perhaps exploring some of the questions Gofod Glas has been collecting.

We added words, pictures and symbols to the build, and made connections to the Salmon of Knowledge from the Mabinogi. Special thanks to Dave Rimmer and Ilsa Elford.

Beth nesa? What next?

Byddwn yn mynd â’r Oracl Cwrwgl Conwy amryw o sioeau a digwyddiadau yn Nyffryn Conwy dros haf 2025.

Ymunwch â ni i roi cynnig ar sgwrs yn y cwrwgl, ac i enwebu pobl a sgyrsiau am ddŵr croyw. Rydym hefyd yn gobeithio adeiladu mwy o gwryglau mewn gwahanol gymunedau yn ardal Dyffryn Conwy.

Os hoffech i ni ddod i'ch cymuned neu ddigwyddiad, neu i enwebu sgwrs, anfonwch e-bost atom.

We will be taking The Conwy Conversational Coracle to various shows and events in the Conwy Valley over the summer 2025.

Join us to try out a conversation in the coracle, and to nominate people and conversations about freshwater. We also hope to build more coracles in different communites in the Conwy Valley area.

If you would like us to come to your community or event, or to nominate a conversation, please email us

Hanes y Cwrwgl Conwy - History of the Conwy Coracle

Ioan Glan Lledr

"Aed heibio cartref John Jones, neu Ioan Glan Lledr, yr olaf yn ôl traddodiad i bysgota â chwrwgl ar afonydd Lledr a Chonwy. Roedd yn fardd gwlad a lluniodd englyn sydd ar garreg fedd ei rieni ym Mynwent Sant Tudclud, Penmachno:

            O dan hon mae ’nhad yn huno – a mam
                  ’Run modd yn gorffwyso,
               Ac yn fuan tan run to
               Finnau geir, rwyf yn gwyro.

Ac yn wir, ni fu byw’n hir wedyn ac wedi ei gladdu yntau yn yr un bedd yn 1897, ychwanegodd rhywun y cwpled hwn:

            Gwyrais, wyf yma’n gorwedd
            Teulu ŷm mewn tawel hedd."

Cwrwgl o blaen Tu Hwnt I’r Bont

Extracts from Welsh Heritage Series No.5 ‘Traditional Fishing in Wales’ by Emrys Evans 1995

(First published in Welsh in 1989 by Gwasg Carreg Gwalch, Llanrwst)

Boyne style of Coracle - the forerunner of the later lath designs…

…. and how we built our Conwy Coracle