Criccieth is a town as well as community on the Llyn peninsula in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd in Wales. The community lies 5 miles (8 km) west of Porthmadog, 9 miles (14 kilometres) eastern of Pwllheli and 17 miles (27 kilometres) south of Caernarfon. It had a population of 1,826 in 2001, lowering to 1,753 at the 2011 census. The community is a seaside resort, preferred with families. Tourist attractions include the ruins of Criccieth Castle, which have comprehensive views over the community and also bordering countryside. Nearby on Ffordd Castell (Castle Way) is Cadwalader's Ice Cream Parlour, opened up in 1927, whilst Stryd Fawr (High Street) has several bistro-style restaurants. In the centre lies Y Maes ("The Field", or town square), part of the original middle ages community common. The town is noted for its fairs, hung on 23 May and also 29 June each year, when great deals of people check out the fairground as well as the marketplace which spreads with much of the streets of the town. Famous people connected with the town include the British head of state, David Lloyd George, that grew up in the close-by town of Llanystumdwy, and poet William George. Group Captain Leslie Bonnet, RAF policeman, writer and also producer of the Welsh Harlequin Duck as well as his spouse Joan Hutt, artist, both lived at Ymwlch simply outside Criccieth from 1949 until their fatalities in 1985. Criccieth hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1975 as well as in 2003 was given Fairtrade Town condition. It won the Wales in Bloom competition annually from 1999 to 2004. The community styles itself the "Pearl of Wales on the Shores of Snowdonia".