A councillor has called on an area to be referred only by its Welsh place name. It comes after someone painted over the English name of Cwm Maethlon, which is 'Happy Valley', on a road sign in the area over the weekend.
A photo of the sign was shared on social media. In response to the post shared by Welsh Independence Memes for Angry Welsh Teens page on Facebook most people supported the idea of officially getting rid of 'Happy Valley' with some questioning why places in Wales needed two names in the first place. However others described the move as an act of "vandalism" while others feared that officially getting rid of the English name would "alienate visitors".
Elwyn Vaughan has been the county councillor of Glantwymyn ward in Powys since 2017. The ward covers a large part of Dyffryn Dyfi, which is a region that includes parts of Powys, Gwynedd, and Ceredigion. According to the councillor Cwm Maethlon, which is near Pennal in Machynlleth, has been referred to 'Happy Valley' since the Victorian era and more than likely refers to the original name of the area which is 'Dyffryn Gwyn'.
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According to Uned Iaith, the language unit of Cyngor Gwynedd, the name Cwm Maethlon came about at the end of the 19th century after a nearby chapel, Capel Maethlon, was opened. The chapel was named after a farm called Erw Faethlon and although the latter part of the name can be translated to 'nutritious' (maethlon) or 'nutrition' (maeth) the name actually derives from its old name Erw Aethlon.
Councillor Elwyn Vaughan is now calling on Cyngor Gwynedd and Ceredigion Council to get rid of the Happy Valley name and to simply call it Cwm Maethlon. Speaking to WalesOnline he said: "I think there are two factors to it. Firstly I fully support the idea of naming areas just by their Welsh names – it is their natural, inherited names, and they should not be eroded.
"But also secondly – and something that is timely at the moment – is the fact that Eryri National Park decided to refer to the highest mountain in Wales as Yr Wyddfa in November of last year. This is of a similar argument in that context – we want to protect our language and place names but also allow people outside of Wales to engage with these Welsh place names."
The councillor also added that it was particularly important at the moment due to the fact that the recent xensus found a decrease in the number of Welsh speakers in Wales. He added: "What we are trying to do here in the community is respond to that census in a positive way.
"Dyffryn Dyfi is located in an area that is a Unesco biosphere reserve, which puts an emphasis on the importance of environmental sustainability biodiversity, and yet there is a dire lack of sustainability for the Welsh language. Cwm Maethlon is what it’s known as locally – the Welsh language is ingrained in the community and is a big part of its identity.
"Happy Valley is a name which was created in the Victorian era for tourists. And of course we see the decision to change Welsh place names into English increasing across Wales. It’s a pattern that needs to change. The Welsh language is a very descriptive language. The names describe these places, their historical context, what they meant to us, and their importance whereas the names used by tourists have been created by chance to make it sound like a romantic image."
It is believed that the English name was painted over at some point over the weekend and according to Cllr Vaughan the 'Happy Valley' wording on the sign is still covered. He added: "The first thing that needs to be done is ensure that Cyngor Gwynedd and Cyngor Ceredigion get rid of the Happy Valley name and simply call it Cwm Maethlon. Secondly to ensure that the Welsh place name is the official name for the area."
In response Ceredigion Council said that as the A487 between Aberystwyth and Machynlleth was a trunk road and therefore the road sign falls under the responsibility of the Welsh Government. A Cyngor Gwynedd spokesman said: “The council’s language policy was reviewed in 2022, reaffirming our commitment to protecting Welsh place names. As part of this the council will be taking into consideration appropriate changes to road signs as they are renewed so as to use Welsh place names only.
“We can confirm that Cyngor Gwynedd is responsible for the maintenance of the Cwm Maethlon sign and officers are looking at the damage. We will be considering how we can act on the policy statement as the sign is repaired.
“Cyngor Gwynedd’s Place Names Project is responsible for a range of matters in relation to protecting original and indigenous Welsh place names – from trying to ensure that house names are not changes to English to raising awareness of the varied and fascinating names that local people have for places and features which do not appear on standardised maps.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "We work closely with local authorities and all relevant stakeholders to safeguard Welsh language place names."
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