National parks officials are voting to refer to the names of more than 200 lakes and waterfalls in Welsh only

Officials at the largest national park in Wales have voted to only refer to the names of more than 200 lakes and waterfalls in Wales to promote cultural heritage.

Eryri National Park – which changed its official name from Snowdonia last year – wants to ‘standardise’ the names and protect them for future generations.

It means popular beauty spots known in English as Lake Australia and Bala Lake will now only be referred to by their Welsh names, Llyn Bochlwyd and Llyn Tegid. Llyn Barfog – also called Bearded Lake – will also adopt its Welsh name.

While some of the more than 200 lakes are already named in Welsh, others have an English translation. The National Park Authority unanimously supported the move in a vote Wednesday.

It comes amid a growing call from language activists for Welsh sites to be renamed in their native language.

English-speaking tourists have branded the measure a “waste of money” and accused officials of focusing on the wrong priorities. Pictured: Llyn Tegid (Lake Bala)

Snowdonia officially became known as Eryri last year and Mount Snowdon – which is within the national park – was renamed Yr Wyddfa. Earlier this year, the Brecon Beacons National Park also renamed itself Bannau Brycheiniog.

Bannau means peaks in Welsh, while Brycheiniog refers to the kingdom of the fifth-century king Brychan.

The move was met with strong opposition – with even Prime Minister Rishi Sunak admitting he would use the old name Brecon Beacons. National park bosses were accused by both British ministers and Welsh Conservatives of trying to look ‘trendy’ with this measure.

Earlier this week it also emerged that Caerphilly and Barry could be renamed as language campaigners push for ‘Welsh names for Welsh places’.

Following the vote to refer to the Lakes of Snowdonia in Welsh, National Park Authority head of cultural heritage Naomi Jones said the park’s “wealth of names” is a “cherished part of our cultural heritage”.

“By recommending the standard list of names of Eryri’s lakes, the authority is ensuring that these historic names are recorded for future generations and widely used in everyday life,” she added.

But English-speaking tourists have branded the measure a “waste of money” and accused officials of focusing on the wrong priorities.

One said: ‘Strongly disagree with this. We all speak English.’

Another said: ‘What percentage of people in Wales speak Welsh?’

Llyn Bochlwyd, which literally translates as ‘grey cheek lake’, has been called Australia Lake on maps and in guidebooks in recent years because of its contours that resembled land.

Snowdonia officially became known as Eryri last year and Mount Snowdon – which is within the national park – was renamed Yr Wyddfa. Pictured: Llyn Barfog (Bearded Lake)

The National Park Authority unanimously supported the move in a vote Wednesday. Pictured: Snowdonia’s mountains and lakes, looking down from Mount Snowdon

The original name refers to a legend of an old gray deer that escaped from archers and dogs by plunging into the water and swimming with its head above the water’s surface.

Dr. Dylan Foster, head of Cardiff University’s Welsh School, said: ‘Place names are part of everyone’s heritage and in a digital age where information is shared online in an instant, standardized names benefit everyone.

‘Projects like these also draw attention to the richness of our local dialects and folklore and allow us to share a range of stories about the names that are such an important part of our communities’ identities.’

A petition calling for ‘Welsh names for Welsh places’ has won sympathy from a Labor government minister to put an end to the English spelling of well-known tourist towns.

This week it emerged that campaigners want Caerphilly cheese to become Caerffili Cheese – and for the beloved home town of TV comedy Gavin and Stacey to switch from Barry to Barri during England’s latest purge.

A 1,300-person petition, submitted to Cardiff-based Senedd by linguist Mihangel ap Rhisiart, called for the use of ‘only Welsh names for places in Wales’.

He also hit out at ‘cultural oppression’ by English people against Welsh speakers.

Labor Welsh Language Minister Jeremy Miles – a candidate to take over from First Minister Mark Drakeford – said there was “a strong argument” for using only Welsh in some cases.

Mr ap Rhisiart said it would show ‘respect for Wales as its own nation with its own history and culture; and as a sign of recognition of some of the cultural oppression historically imposed on Wales and its language and culture’.

He added: ‘English names may initially still be used by some out of habit, but in all official channels and in both spoken and written media, the original Welsh names for places in Wales must be used.’

Minister Miles said: ‘We should aim for one spelling if there is only a few letters difference between the Welsh and English versions.’

It would mean that places with distinctively English names like Cardiff, Swansea or Newport would not automatically be changed to Caerdydd, Abertawe or Casnewydd because of the differences.

But Caerphilly would be changed to Caerffili, Merthyr Tydfil to Merthyr Tudful and Treorchy to Treorchi to join Welsh as the sole official name.

It would mean that road signs and other official documents are changed over time.

The crackdown follows a campaign to have Anglesey known only by its Welsh name Ynys Môn, despite a backlash from locals.