Campaign group criticise the ‘colonial aspect’ of the Ordnance Survey

Stephen Price

Campaigners from Eryri have launched a new campaign against the ‘colonial aspect’ of the Ordnance Survey – targeting the use of names such as The Mushroom Garden and ‘The Nameless Cwm’.

Following the success of their campaign to get the name Llyn Celanedd instead of The Spinnies on the nature reserve in Aberogwen near Tal-y-bont in Arfon, the group from the Ogwen Valley and Cylch yr Iaith has set its sights on locations in Eryri, with an aim to protect Welsh place names from being replaced by English names across the region.

At the moment, the Ordnance Survey, the mapping agency which has its office in Southampton, insists on including English names either instead of Welsh names or alongside Welsh names. The aim of the campaigners is to get the Ordnance Survey to change their policy to only use Welsh names.

The campaigners have been calling on the Welsh Government to legislate in order to prevent the process of replacing indigenous Welsh names from being replaced by English names.

As examples, the campaigners draw attention to three English names in particular that are on the map of the Glyderau and Tryfan area, places that have historical Welsh names for them, namely The Mushroom Garden (Coed Cerrig y Frân), The Nameless Cwm (Cwm Cneifion) and Heather Terrace Path (Llwybr Gwregys).

Ieuan Wyn said on behalf of Cylch yr Iaith: “The Ordnance Survey is contributing to the process of replacing historic Welsh names with English names in the natural environment, and this is a disgrace.

“The agency’s current language policy is completely unacceptable, and should be changed immediately. It is our Welsh place names that define Wales as a different country, and they should be respected and used as an essential part of our national heritage.

“We will contact national Welsh bodies and the politicians to ask for their support to bring pressure on the Ordnance Survey to change their colonial attitude.

“The same attitude in the past gave the name Victoria Falls to Mosi-oa-Tunya waterfall in Africa, and Ayers Rock to Uluru in Australia.”

Cylch yr Iaith will collaborate with a group in Bethesda and the surrounding area, and Emyr Roberts, the local campaign coordinator.

Emyr shared” “As in the case of the fight to get the North Wales Wildlife Trust to give the name Llyn Celanedd instead of The Spinnies in Aberogwen, we will invite individuals, local associations and groups, and community councils to join us again in order to strengthen the call on the Ordnance Survey to change their disrespectful policy, and give full status to indigenous Welsh place names.”

A spokesperson for Ordnance Survey said: “Ordnance Survey is committed to holding authoritative versions of place names within its mapping where they are in common usage. Accurate representation of place names, including bilingual names if they are both in use, is essential for delivering high-quality mapping products to the public and supporting government and emergency services.

“Ordnance Survey cannot decide by itself to change a name. Any rare changes we do make are usually as a result of changes made by either authoritative bodies or when a name falls into disuse and another name comes into use.

“We continue to see an increase in the number of Welsh names, and have supported recent work to adopt a number of standardised Welsh place names for lakes within Eryri National Park, ensuring they are captured in our database.

“We are committed to working in collaboration with the Welsh Government, Welsh Language Commissioner and National Parks to identify what more we can do to support the Welsh language in our mapping.”