Is There a Heirarchy of Settlement In the Vale of Ffestiniog?

... Is there a Heirarchy of Settlement in the Vale of Ffestiniog? Introduction The Vale of Ffestiniog is a 'U' shaped valley stretching from Blaenau Ffestiniog to the coast, in Gwynedd, in Northwest Wales (Fig.1), approximately 80 Km², surrounded by mountains to the North, East & South, and the sea to the West. It's a rural area, and historically, revolved around agriculture, forestry and mining, particularly slate. Slate mining is the main reason behind the rise and fall of Blaenau Ffestiniog, the largest settlement in the Vale of Ffestiniog. As the industry grew, in the early eighteenth century, the population of Blaenau Ffestiniog did also, but as the industry declined in the nineteenth century, the population of Blaenau Ffestiniog was reduced to less than half, and shops and services forced to close. Another town, Porthmadog, which grew due to its' accessibility, created by the River Glaslyn Estuary, and which used to be the main port

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