Can you still see the ruins of Capel Celyn today?

Yes, during dry summers when the water level drops significantly, the ruins sometimes emerge from Llyn Celyn. You can see walls, roads, and building foundations appear, though when the reservoir's full there's not much visible apart from a memorial chapel and plaque.

How many people lived in Capel Celyn before it was flooded?

Sixty-seven people were evicted from the village itself, which had about a dozen houses, plus seventy farms in the surrounding valley. The village had existed since the sixteenth century and included a school, post office, chapel, and cemetery.

Did Liverpool ever apologize for drowning Capel Celyn?

Yes, but not until 2005 — forty years after the flooding. Liverpool City Council finally issued an apology for what happened, though obviously it doesn't bring the village or community back.

the-lost-villages

Capel Celyn: When Welsh Water Drowned a Village for Liverpool

In 1965, Liverpool needed a reservoir and Capel Celyn became one. Sixty-seven people, a school, a chapel, and a post office all went under — and the whole thing required an Act of Parliament that Wales voted against.

24 July 20268 min read