Snowdonia: Eryri National Park to use Welsh lake names only

Llyn Bochlwyd has been called Lake Australia in some maps and guidebooks

A national park will refer to its lakes in Welsh only after more than 200 names were standardised.

Some lakes in Eryri National Park are also known by English names - Llyn Tegid is sometimes known as Lake Bala and Llyn Bochlwyd as Lake Australia.

But the national park authority voted to use the standardised list, with all names in Welsh.

The head of the authority's cultural heritage said it would mean the names were protected for future generations.

It follows a decision by the national park authority last year to drop the English names Snowdon and Snowdonia in favour of Yr Wyddfa and Eryri respectively.

Only a handful of the 200-plus lakes were also known by English names, with some of the standardisation relating to Welsh spellings of the lakes.

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Llyn Bochlwyd, which translates to grey cheek lake, has been called Australia Lake on maps and in guidebooks over recent years.

The Welsh name refers to a legend of an old grey stag which made a miraculous escape from archers and hounds by plunging into the lake and swimming with its head above water.

But it has been known as Lake Australia because its outline bears a resemblance to that of the country.

Llyn Tegid will only be known by its Welsh name, rather than Bala Lake

The national park authority will also refer to Llyn Tegid, also known as Bala Lake, and Llyn Barfog, sometimes called Bearded Lake, by their Welsh names only.

The project between the national park authority, Cardiff University's school of Welsh and the Welsh language commissioner aims to "safeguard" historic names.

The names and spellings were decided based on the history, meanings and origins of the names, as well as speaking to individuals and experts with specialist knowledge.

The next project will revolve around the names of waterfalls and mountains.

Maps and other material will be updated to mark the changes.

There is little debate over the name Llyn Idwal

Dylan Foster Evans, head of Cardiff University's school of Welsh, said the project drew "attention to the richness of our local dialects and folklore, and allow us to share all kinds of stories about the names that are such an important part of the identities of our communities".

Naomi Jones, head of cultural heritage for the national park authority, said the park's "wealth of names" is a "treasured part of our cultural heritage".

"By recommending the standard list of Eryri's lake names, the authority ensures that these historical names are recorded for future generations and used extensively in day-to-day life," she added.

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