Snowdon's summit cafe celebrates 10 years

Snowdon's summit cafe and shop is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Tickets for trips to the summit yesterday sold out in advance as long queues of hundreds of visitors came to enjoy the record Easter temperatures.

Hafod Eryri, which loosely translates as 'high summer dwelling on Snowdon', opened in June 2009 by then-First-Minister Rhodri Morgan.

It replaced the ageing building once dubbed the 'highest slum in Wales' by Prince Charles, that had stood there since 1935.

At 3,507ft above sea level it is Wales' highest inhabited building and the last stop on the Snowdon Mountain Railway.

It offers shelter, refreshments and views to around half-a-million visitors a year.

Designed by architect Ray Hole, the structure was designed to withstand the extreme mountain weather conditions.

The building is clad in oak and granite, with panoramic windows revealing views across the valleys below. The Isle-of-Man and Ireland are visible on a clear day from the iconic spot.

Hafod Eryri was part of a more than £8 million project, with half the money funded by the European Union. It opened a year later than planned after harsh weather conditions delayed construction.

The original concrete building was built by Clough Williams-Ellis who created nearby Portmeirion. However, it was not the first building on the summit and it’s thought there was a building there from 1820.

With the exception of two World Wars, Snowdon Mountain Railway has run uninterrupted since 1896.

During World War Two, the building was taken over by the UK Government to develop radar and radio work. It has even been used to help mountain rescue teams working on Mount Snowdon.