A NEW housing estate in Tywyn is to be named after a 19th century poet.
Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd announced this week that the new development will be named Llys Elen Egryn.
The name was suggested by Tywyn Town Council, who were keen for name of the estate to represent the community and to have local ties.
Elin Evans was a Welsh-language poet – her poetic name was Elen Egryn – who came from Llanegryn.
She was the first woman to publish a secular Welsh-language book in 1850.
Sarah Schofield, director of customer and communities at CCG, said: “It’s really important to us that the names we give our new housing estates reflect and respect culture, heritage and the history of the community.
“This is why we ask the local community or town councils for suggestions. I’m really pleased that on this occasion the name chosen is that of an influential woman who had strong local connections to the area.”
Award-winning author Manon Steffan Ros, who lives in the area and is familiar with Elen’s work, added: “I’m so pleased to see Elen Egryn being acknowledge and remembered. She remains an important figure in the literary world and has inspired many.
“Her poetry was quite typical of the time; it talks a lot about religion, but one of the things that stands out is that she writes quite openly about her depression.
“It also feels modern and timely. She was not only progressive in the sense of being a woman who was publishing in Welsh, but her themes were also brave and poignant.”
Four two-bedroom houses and eight flats, which are a mixture of one and two-bedroom units for people over 55, are being built on site and are due for completion this summer.
For more information on the scheme and renting one of the houses or flats, register your details with Gwynedd Council’s housing options team on 01286 685100.