There are a lot of perks to being ‘forgotten’ – but it can be very annoying, as people moving to the village found out pretty quickly
Steeped in history and dating back to the 13th century, the scenic Welsh village of Penmachno is the birthplace of the bishop who translated the bible into Welsh. Like many communities in north Wales, it saw its population swell on the back of slate quarrying but this came to an end in the 1960s.
Situated in Cwm Penmachno in Conwy, the village with a strong farming community is surrounded by beautiful landscapes but is also fairly isolated. When it came to mobile services it was truly “cut-off”.
The village – home to around 600 residents – was among the “forgotten” four per cent in the UK without a reliable mobile signal from any operator. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter
Residents had to travel to nearby villages to make mobile phone calls, could struggle with organising home deliveries of food and medication, and were restricted with access to secure online banking and other digital services.
A holiday cottage operator said for them it meant some “negative reviews” due to the non-existent mobile service. That has all changed now.
EE, with the support of Bro Machno Community Council, has discreetly built a new mobile mast at the edge of a forest on the slopes of the Machno Valley, providing fast and reliable 4G connectivity to the village, as well as critical signal for the emergency services as part of the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network.
“We’ve always been 100% behind the mast and that has helped our journey to where we are today, with a mast in the forest and signal for everybody,” said Daniel Tomos, clerk of Bro Machno community council.
Being in the heart of Eryri National Park means Penmachno attracts a lot of tourists, including hikers and mountain bikers.
Residents David and Emma Dallimore, who regularly ride Penmachno’s mountain bike trails, believe the additional safety offered by reliable mobile signal will encourage more people to visit the area.
They said: “Safety was quite a concern for people coming into the area because there was no mobile reception. If people were injured, particularly if they were out riding on their own, there was no way of getting hold of anyone to help. The fact it is now safer is a very good thing for all of us.”
They are also excited about how the new mobile connectivity will enable them to use more sustainable technology, including a smart meter and EV charging point.
“There are people that we know in the village that have got mobile reception for the very first time and are chuffed to bits. It’s important for mobile operators to come to places like this and offer what the rest of the country has, as it enables us to contribute and live and work in the way people in more urban areas can.”
Paul Huckstep is co-owner of Benar Cottages, a local holiday-let business offering luxurious stays in 16th century cottages overlooking the surrounding valley. The new mobile connectivity is having a positive impact on his customers, many of whom come to explore Penmachno’s forest and river walks as well as its natural scenery.
He said: “Now that we’ve got the mobile mast it will make running our business easier. In the past we have had guests leave us negative reviews because of the lack of mobile phone service but now all that has gone away.
“Guests can arrive, open their phones when they get here, find out where they are staying on-site, and keep in contact with everyone they need to.”
The new mast in Penmachno is part of EE’s ongoing work to help close the UK’s digital divide so rural communities can thrive in the modern age and attract future generations to live and work in countryside communities.
Owen Davis is a father of four and has lived in Penmachno for more than 25 years. He said: “Having a mobile network here in the village is making an immediate difference to everyone who lives here, helping them feel that they have the same opportunities as other places.
“When I think of my family and particularly my younger children, it’s reassuring to be able to track them using tools like Find my iPhone and just know where they are, as we don’t want to restrict them when we live in such a lovely area.”
Owen is also a co-ordinator for Penmachno’s new community hub – the village’s old memorial hall which has been renovated into a vibrant and modern community space running events, fitness classes, and skills sessions for all ages.
He believes the new connectivity will also help support the local economy while bringing the tight-knit community even closer together.
He said: “One of the opportunities we’re exploring with the community hub is starting a monthly local producer’s market, for people to sell their eggs and fresh vegetables. The opportunity to be able to use the mobile signal to take online card payments will be a benefit to us.”
Research from analysts at Farrpoint examining the impact of mobile connectivity in Trawsfynydd, which is a 30-minute drive from Penmachno, shows that 4G signal from a single EE mast can deliver up to £383,000 in economic value to rural Welsh communities over its lifetime.
EE’s investment has seen it expand and strengthen its network in more than 1,800 rural locations across the UK in the last five years, including some of the most remote and hard-to-reach communities – taking its mobile coverage in Wales to record levels, with reliable signal now covering more than 90% of the country’s landmass.
Greg McCall, chief security and networks officer at BT Group, added: “As part of our work to connect the unconnected, we’re going further and faster than anyone else to ensure every rural community in the UK has the reliable connectivity they need.
“There is more to do to completely eradicate the UK’s digital divide but our collaboration with the local residents of Penmachno is a shining example of what can be achieved when mobile operators and communities work together to tackle the issue head on.”
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