150th anniversary of Welsh voyage to Patagonia

A new memorial marking 150 years since a Welsh community was established in Patagonia has been unveiled at Princes Dock in Liverpool.

The voyage to South America set off from Merseyside in May 1865, carrying 153 people.

Read More: Why is there a Welsh community halfway around the world?

Their aim was to save the Welsh culture and language which they believed was under threat in their native Wales.

The community still exists in Argentina today, with a population of more than 70,000.

First Minister Carwyn Jones described it as "a remarkable story for a language like Welsh to thrive, all those years, across the Atlantic."

Over a million pounds has been awarded to the creation of a new tourist and heritage centre within a church in Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd, to mark the 150th anniversary of first voyage of Welsh emigrants to South America.

The Heritage Lottery Grant will restore and bring the Grade II listed Eglwys Deiniol Sant back into use for the first time since 2006 and will include an exhibition space to share the story of the first Welsh colony in Patagonia in 1865.