Bethesda is a village and community in Gwynedd in north‑west Wales, sitting at the foot of the Ogwen Valley on the edge of Snowdonia. Its setting makes it a handy gateway for walkers and climbers heading into the mountains, and the surrounding landscape of slate tips and peaks gives the place a strong industrial‑landscape character alongside wild uplands.
The village grew up around Penrhyn Quarry, once one of the world’s largest slate quarries, and the quarrying past - including the long industrial disputes around the turn of the 20th century - still shapes local identity. Today Bethesda retains a strongly Welsh‑speaking community with chapel and musical traditions, while tourism, outdoor recreation and small local enterprises supplement the remnants of its industrial economy.
Postcode districts covering Bethesda
Most populated places nearby
- Colwyn Bay 16 miles
- Bangor 4.6 miles
- Abergele 20.7 miles
- Llandudno 13.6 miles
Neighbouring places
- Bethesda Built-up area 0.2 miles
- Canol Bethesda Ward 0.2 miles
- Gerlan Ward 0.5 miles
- Rachub Built-up area 0.6 miles
- Llanllechid Parish 0.8 miles
- Arllechwedd Ward 1.2 miles
- Tregarth Built-up area 1.3 miles
- Tre-garth a Mynydd Llandygái Ward 1.6 miles
- Llandygai Built-up area 2.9 miles
- Clwt-y-bont Built-up area 3.9 miles
- Dwyrain Bangor Ward 3.9 miles
- Aber Parish 4 miles
Example postcodes in Bethesda
LL57 3EH, LL57 3BW, LL57 3UB, LL57 3RD, LL57 3AH, LL57 3DB, LL57 3TH, LL57 3EN, LL57 3PG … See all
Transport links
- Liverpool John Lennon Airport 51 miles
- Manchester Airport 74.7 miles
- Bangor 4.2 miles
- Llanfairfechan Railway Station 6 miles
Hotels near Bethesda Ad
- The Slate 2.7 miles
- Bishopsgate House Hotel 3 5.7 miles
- Gazelle Hotel 4 5.2 miles
- Victoria Hotel Menai Bridge 4 5.2 miles
- Bold Arms 5.8 miles
- Nomi Rooms and Restaurant 4.5 miles
- Garddfon Inn 6.3 miles
- Padarn Hotel 3 5.2 miles
- Royal Victoria Hotel Snowdonia 3 5.2 miles
- The Bulkeley Hotel 3 5.7 miles
Schools in Bethesda
- Ysgol Abercaseg (Babanod) Primary
- Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen Bethesda Secondary
- Ysgol Llanllechid Primary
- Ysgol Penybryn Primary
Local points of interest
- Carneddau Mountains 2.3 miles
- Penrhyn Castle Estate 2.9 miles
- Farrar Road stadium Stadium 4.2 miles
- Treborth Estate 4.6 miles
- National Slate Museum Museum 4.9 miles
- Plas Newydd Country house 6.7 miles
- Llanidan House Estate 7.3 miles
- Caernarfon Town FC Stadium 9.2 miles
- Maenan Abbey Historic site 10.2 miles
- Bodnant Garden Gardens 11.4 miles
- Gwydyr Forest Forest 11.6 miles
- Aberconwy Abbey (Conwy, Wales) 1199-1283 Historic site 11.7 miles