Love is in the air…… If you’re in Wales on 25 January, then St Dwynwen’s Day, is the date we honour our Welsh patron saint of lovers. It’s our very own version of St Valentine’s Day – we’re celebrating both days here at the Oak (being such old romantics we can’t help it…)
So who was St Dwynwen we hear you ask….
She was a 4th-century Welsh princess,the most beautiful of King Brychan Frycheiniog’s 24 daughters but who was so unlucky in love she became a nun…
Dwynwen fell in love with a prince called Maelon Dafodrill, but unfortunately her father had already arranged that she should marry someone else.
Dwynwen was so upset that she could not marry Maelon that she begged God to make her forget him. After falling asleep, Dwynwen was visited by an angel, who appeared carrying a sweet potion designed to erase all memory of Maelon and turn him into a block of ice.
God then gave three wishes to Dwynwen. Her first wish was that Maelon be thawed; her second that God meet the hopes and dreams of true lovers; and third, that she should never marry. All three were fulfilled, and as a mark of her thanks, Dwynwen devoted herself to God’s service for the rest of her life.
She set up a convent on Llanddwyn Island, a stunning spot on Anglesey, and a great afternoon out from Betws, as long as you get the tides right!
what to do on St Dwynwen’s Day…
Why not take a romantic walk by the River Llugwy, start at the Pont-y-Pair Bridge and follow the boardwalk up into the woodland all the way to the Miners Bridge.
Treat your loved one to a piece of Clogau Welsh Gold jewellery from Anna Davies. Welsh gold is famous for being selected to create generations of Royal Family wedding rings including those of Her Majesty The Queen, and most recently, The Duchess of Cambridge.
Sample some warming Welsh spirits with your loved one, from Penderyn Whisky to Foragers Gin, we stock a huge range of Welsh tipples for you to cwtch up with after a brisk January walk…
Indulge in one of our Sharing Platters – especially made for two, served in the Grill Room and the Llugwy River Restaurant and includes a surf n turf of butter fried king prawns, cracked crab claws and rib eye steak… #droolingalready
Book an Adrenalin Adventure with Go-Below and explore deep underground, nothing like being tied on a wire in the dark to bond you to your loved one even more….
Whatever you chose to do we hope you enjoy the most romantic date on the Welsh calendar and that the only ice you encounter on Dydd Santes Dwynwen’s is in your favourite tipple!
