Drive up the Conwy valley from Conwy towards Llanrwst and you pass the village of Dolgarrog, tucked under the eastern edge of the Carneddau on the fringe of Eryri (Snowdonia). Today most visitors know it for Adventure Parc Snowdonia, the activity centre built around what was the world’s first commercial artificial surf lake. The site’s story goes back much further, to hydro power, heavy industry and one of the worst dam disasters in British history.
Water, power and aluminium
Dolgarrog grew up around water. Reservoirs high in the hills above the village, at Llyn Eigiau and Coedty, fed a hydro-electric scheme that powered an aluminium works on the valley floor. Aluminium reduction began here in 1907, and the works became the reason the village existed, providing jobs for generations of local families. It is one chapter in the wider story told in our guide to historic Eryri.
The Dolgarrog dam disaster, 1925
On the evening of 2 November 1925, at about 8pm, the dam at Llyn Eigiau failed. The wall had been built on glacial clay and boulders; a dry summer cracked the clay and autumn rain seeped through until the dam gave way. The torrent overwhelmed the lower Coedty dam and swept down the hillside into Dolgarrog.
Sixteen people were killed and the settlement of Porth Llwyd was destroyed. The death toll would almost certainly have been higher had many villagers not been at the cinema that evening, away from the path of the flood.
Public anger over the disaster led directly to the Reservoirs (Safety Provisions) Act 1930, the first UK law to regulate dam safety. It required large reservoirs to be inspected by qualified, independent engineers, ending the days when private companies policed themselves. Every reservoir safety inspection in Britain today traces back to Dolgarrog. Water is still a risk in the valleys today, as our guide to flood risk in Eryri explains.
You can still see the broken wall of the Eigiau dam high in the Carneddau, and huge boulders carried down by the flood lie in the woods above the village. A memorial walk, created in 2004, follows the route of the flood, and in 2025 the village marked the centenary of the disaster. If you visit, please treat the memorials with respect. “Er cof” (in memory) is a phrase you will see on Welsh memorials.
Closure of the works
The aluminium works continued under various owners for decades, but its owner Alcoa announced closure in 2002 and the plant finally shut in late 2007. It was demolished in 2009, leaving a large industrial site on the valley floor and a village that had lost its main employer.
Surf Snowdonia
In 2008 the site was bought by the Ainscough family business, and plans emerged for something no one had built before: a commercial inland surf lake using Wavegarden technology. Planning permission came in 2013, final approval followed in spring 2014, and construction started that May, helped by Welsh Government funding. Our earlier Surf Snowdonia feature follows the site’s story.
Surf Snowdonia opened on 1 August 2015. Its freshwater lagoon could generate consistent, rideable waves on demand, and within weeks it was hosting Red Bull Unleashed, an international surf competition in the Conwy valley. Over the following years the site grew into Adventure Parc Snowdonia, adding indoor activities such as a high ropes course, caving, soft play and a ninja-style assault course, plus camping pods and a hotel and spa.
Closure and reopening
The wave machine was switched off in 2022 after mechanical problems, and the whole site closed in September 2023 while its owners looked for investment. It was then acquired by The Interesting Hotels Group and reopened in September 2025 as an indoor and outdoor activity centre. Check the Adventure Parc Snowdonia website for current activities, opening times and whether surfing is available before you travel.
Visiting Dolgarrog and the Conwy valley
- Dolgarrog is on the B5106 between Conwy and Llanrwst and has a request-stop station on the Conwy Valley line.
- The walk up to the Eigiau dam is a long, remote outing into the Carneddau. Take a map, check the forecast and go prepared.
- Betws-y-Coed is a short drive south. See our Betws-y-Coed guide and the wider villages of Eryri.
- For more big days out, browse our 100 greatest experiences in Eryri.
FAQs
How many people died in the Dolgarrog dam disaster?
Sixteen people died when the Eigiau and Coedty dams failed on 2 November 1925.
When did Surf Snowdonia open?
It opened on 1 August 2015 on the site of the former Dolgarrog aluminium works.
Is Adventure Parc Snowdonia open?
It reopened in September 2025 under new owners as an activity centre. Check its website for what is currently running.
