Criccieth is a community and also area on the Llyn peninsula in the Eifionydd location of Gwynedd in Wales. The community lies 5 miles (8 kilometres) west of Porthmadog, 9 miles (14 kilometres) eastern of Pwllheli as well as 17 miles (27 kilometres) south of Caernarfon. It had a population of 1,826 in 2001, decreasing to 1,753 at the 2011 census. The town is a seaside resort, popular with family members. Destinations include the ruins of Criccieth Castle, which have extensive sights over the town as well as surrounding countryside. Close-by on Ffordd Castell (Castle Way) is Cadwalader's Ice Cream Parlour, opened in 1927, whilst Stryd Fawr (High Street) has a number of bistro-style dining establishments. In the centre exists Y Maes ("The Field", or town square), part of the initial medieval community common. The community is kept in mind for its fairs, held on 23 May and also 29 June every year, when multitudes of individuals see the fairground and the marketplace which spreads through most of the streets of the community. Famous people related to the town consist of the British prime minister, David Lloyd George, who grew up in the close-by village of Llanystumdwy, as well as poet William George. Group Captain Leslie Bonnet, RAF officer, writer and also begetter of the Welsh Harlequin Duck and his better half Joan Hutt, artist, both lived at Ymwlch just outside Criccieth from 1949 until their deaths in 1985. Criccieth held the National Eisteddfod in 1975 and in 2003 was approved Fairtrade Town condition. It won the Wales in Bloom competition every year from 1999 to 2004. The community styles itself the "Pearl of Wales on the Shores of Snowdonia".
