Swallow Falls is a name coined by early tourists for the Rhaeadr Ewynnol (English: Foaming Waterfall), a multiple waterfall system in Wales, located on the Afon Llugwy near Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy County Borough.

Swallow Falls
Swallow falls (Rhaeadr Ewynnol)
Location	Conwy County Borough, Wales, United Kingdom
Coordinates	53°06′09″N 3°50′48″W
Type	Cascade
Total height	42 m (138 ft)
Watercourse	Through limestone hard rock

History

Swallow Falls is located on Afon Llugwy near Betws-y-Coed, in Conwy County Borough. It is thought that the English name arose from a mis-hearing of the Welsh word ewynnol ('foaming') as the similar-sounding y wennol ('swallow').[1]

It was suggested in 1899 that the falls could be used to generate electricity for the nearby village of Betws-y-Coed, as well as overhead lighting for the falls.[2] In 1913 the second Lord Ancaster, the landowner, gave the Swallow Falls to the local council, who decided to charge for visiting it in order to pay off some of the £15,000 debt incurred through the installation of water and electricity supplies to the village. Once the debt of costs of installation was cleared the parish retained the fee, resulting in Betws-y-Coed having the lowest rates in the country.[3] By the 1930s, the waterfall had become a popular tourist destination, although there were few visitors during the winter off-season. A writer in the Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer on 17 January 1933, described the waterfall as coming "over the rocks in a perfect torrent, peerless white in the dusk."[4]

In 1939, Richard Morris, the former chairman of the local council, was charged with making false entries in the upkeep of the tolls. There was a total deficiency of £67 15s 6d; by the time the charge was laid, Morris had already repaid the sum.[5] The cheap water and electricity rates ended after local government reorganisation in 1974.[3]

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