The Snowdonia Beano Venue

Trigonos is a residential education centre with a difference. It is run as a not-for-profit company which hosts a range of courses. Trigonos has a working commitment to environmental restoration and sustainable land use, and runs an organic market garden. It was awarded the Best Sustainable Tourism Business in the 2008 Green Snowdonia Tourism Awards, and has obtained a Green Dragon Environmental Standard level 2.

Trigonos is divided into two main buildings about 80 yards apart. The Victorian house was originally built to house a quarry manager and his family. It contains the dining room, lounge, library, most of the en-suite bedrooms and some that are not en-suite. The more modern 'arts' complex was converted from the farm buildings in the 1970s to house an arts centre. It has another lounge, art studio (used as our bike shed), table-tennis room, tea bar, and the rest of the bedrooms that are not en-suite. A further three en-suite bedrooms open on to the 'arts' complex courtyard.

For us, Trigonos' position in the Nantlle Valley is special. To the west are the gentle lanes of the Lleyn Peninsula and the coastal plain; to the east is the spectacular mountain scenery of the Snowdonia National Park. The view up the valley to Snowdon and Nantlle Ridge is beloved of artists and famously painted by Richard Wilson.


The Victorian house from the walled flower garden	Part of the 'arts' complex with the Nantlle Ridge in the background	Sitting in the garden with the lake in the background. Snowdon is in the clouds top left (Photo: Sue Norwood)

The library (Photo: Trigonos)	Bay window in the dining room. Ros is shelling beans from the garden for dinner	The art studio which we use as a glorified bike shed

A twin en-suite bedroom in the Victorian house	The double en-suite bedroom in the Victorian house	A twin bedroom, not en-suite, in the 'arts' complex

Pond in the flower garden	Looking at the Victorian house from the lake (Photo: Bruce Johnson)	Looking at the lake from the Victorian house

After dinner, stroll down to the lake to watch the colours change as the sun sets