Dolgarrog 100 - 2nd November 2025
On 2nd November 2025, the village and wider community came together to mark the centenary of the Dolgarrog Dam Disaster—a pivotal event in our history. This anniversary was an opportunity to reflect on the past, honour those lost, and celebrate the enduring strength and resilience of our community.
Taking months of planning, the Community Council, residents and local businesses created a memorable event to mark the special day.
The commemorative event started a week before at St Mary's Church with exhibitions showing Dolgarrog Past, Present and Future.
The church exhibitions included an historical exhibition which told the story of the disaster and its aftermath. This was created by academics from the Universities of Cardiff and Bangor, who were in attendance throughout the 2 November to speak to visitors. There was also an art exhibition by the Dolgarrog Art Group reflecting the years since the disaster.
Cog Dolgarrog CIC hosted, Now Dolgarrog, a unique photographic portrait exhibition showing 25 portraits of people who work and live in the village. This was delivered in conjunction with the Northern Eye Photographic Festival,. 11th October - 21st November.
On 2 November the Community Centre will hosted a display showing the history of Hydro Power and hosted a reception.
There was also be a special afternoon tea for the older residents of the community at the Ixora, where they were entertained by the Harmony Belles, singers.
At the Memorial Gardens people were able to walk through the site of the disaster and reflect on the 100 years of regrowth since the terrible event. The walks were animated with live performances along the way, where Bangor University Drama students read monologues and stories devised by our Creative Writers' group.
At 4pm the road was closed for the evening’s special events.
Starting with a lantern parade from Adventure Parc and proceeding to the Cenotaph what followed was a plaque unveiling ceremony and short and moving commemoration service led by Canon Stuart Elliot and minister Owain Davies which included contributions from community members and the debut of the Dolgarrog Community Choir. There was a moving piece written and presented by poet Siôn Aled Owen.
After the service people moved to the Memorial Gardens for the premiere of “Argraff” - a specially commissioned piece of music for Dolgarro, composed by Gareth Churchill.
The day ended at around 6.15 with the switching on of the Commemorative ceramic lanterns, hand built by local potter Vicky Buxton who lives on the disaster site. The beautiful lanterns have been gifted to the Community of Dolgarrog and will be sited permanently around the village.
A Huge Thank You
A heartfelt Thank You / Diolch from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who came, to all who contributed in the weeks and months leading up to the Dolgarrog 100 commemoration, and to those who continue to nourish and strengthen our very special community. This gathering was not just an event — it was a beautiful reflection of Dolgarrog’s spirit, resilience, and unity.
Our sincere gratitude goes to our funders, and to Judith Sharp and the remarkable Conwy Council events team, whose dedication, patience, and hard work helped us bring our vision to life.
We offer our deepest thanks for the extraordinary art direction from Ruth Fabby MBE and her remarkable vision and the dedication to bring the human stories of the disaster to life, and for commissioning Gareth Churchill’s wonderfully moving musical composition, which carried so much emotion and meaning.
We are truly grateful to the actors who so powerfully brought the stories of the Dolgarrog writers group to life, reminding us of the voices, memories, and lives that shape our shared history. Our warmest thanks also go to everyone involved in the exhibitions across the church, COG, and Community Centre — including Bangor and Cardiff Universities, RWE and Mark McNulty whose thoughtful collaboration created spaces of reflection, learning, and honour.
The lighting of the hand-crafted lamps made by Vicky Buxton was a tender and unforgettable moment. And as we carried the lanterns made by the Dolgarrog Art Group, school children, and families — accompanied by the gentle and uplifting voices of the Dolgarrog Choir — we shared a moment of peace, togetherness, and quiet reflection that will stay with many of us for a long time.
We offer special appreciation to Ann Jones for her months of devoted work gathering the names for the afternoon tea, contributing hours of research into her written and art pieces exhibited at Canolfan and the Church and for her continued dedication in invigilating the special church exhibition, which remains open from 2–6pm daily for anyone who has not yet had the chance to visit.
Thank you also to the extra staff at Cog Dolgarrog, Ixora Hotel and Adventure Parc, and to Sian for opening up as a quiet space for people to pop in for a chill and relax. Thanks too to Lee for opening up Fusspots to feed us all at the end of such a meaningful day! — all your support meant so much!
The Knit and Natter group goes from strength to strength and they are already planning their next letter box cover so be quick to see the Dolgarrog 100 cover and don’t miss that photo opportunity!
There are truly too many people to name individually, but please know that every single contribution, every shared story, every hand offered, and every moment given has helped make this commemoration deeply moving and unforgettable for Dolgarrog. From our hearts to yours — a huge DIOLCH to all who helped create such a special and lasting memory for our village and for everyone connected to it.
Photo credit: Mark McNulty
