Mountain pass on the road between Dinas Mawddwy and Bala, seemingly of medieval origin, and travelled by many travellers in the late C18. S of the pass is Llanymawdwwy parish and the road here was said in 1796 to be newly re-made, whereas to the N side of the pass, in Llanwchllyn parish, was said to be a 'miserably rugged road of loose slates'. However, this section of the road may have been improved in 1797, since in that year John Warwick Smith painted a view 'from the New Road from Bwlch y Groes to Bala, above Cwm Llwyd'. Contemporary with the re-making of the road is a milestone (nprn 526102). Now a tarmac road.
A Aikin, Journal of a Tour through N Wales, 1797, p 35.
Recorded as part of RCAHMW Uplands Initiative Project, R. Hayman, H&H, 26/06/2012.