October 17, 2026 - 313 views
Two outdoor education centres in North Wales are celebrating 60 years of helping young people build confidence, develop new skills and discover the benefits of learning beyond the classroom.
The milestone was marked at Nant Bwlch yr Haearn, near Llanrwst, last Saturday (10 October), with past and present staff and former visitors coming together to celebrate six decades of outdoor learning.
The centres at Nant Bwlch yr Haearn, known as Nant BH, and Pentrellyncymer provide residential stays and outdoor activities for young people from across North Wales.
Their work goes beyond adventure and recreation, giving children and young people opportunities to develop independence, resilience and teamwork in an unfamiliar environment.
For many pupils, a residential visit can be their first experience of spending time away from home, tackling physical challenges or working closely with classmates outside the usual school setting. Activities such as mountain biking, canoeing and other outdoor pursuits can help build self-belief, encourage problem-solving and give young people the chance to discover abilities they may not have recognised in themselves.
Outdoor education can also offer an alternative way of learning for children who may find traditional classroom environments challenging. Practical activities encourage communication, cooperation and a connection with the natural world, while shared experiences can help strengthen friendships and improve relationships between pupils.
Nant BH began life as a school building serving the local mining community before being repurposed as an outdoor education centre and developed over subsequent decades. Today, it hosts residential courses for school groups, day courses for groups with specific needs and referral work with families.
Pentrellyncymer, near Cerrigydrudion, also provides residential experiences for schools, with activities including canoeing on Llyn Brenig and mountain biking.
Both centres serve schools across the six North Wales local authorities, helping to make outdoor learning available to young people from a wide range of backgrounds.
Conwy County Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Aaron Wynne, said the centres had provided a wealth of experiences for children across the region.
Having visited both centres himself as a child, he said he understood first-hand the positive impact the experiences could have on young people.
He added that many former attendees had returned for Saturday's celebration to reflect on the time they had spent at the centres.
Safety and quality remain central to the service, with both centres holding AHOEC Gold Standard accreditation, the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge and a current Adventure Activities Licensing Authority licence.
The service is also developing its work with social services and is preparing a new partnership with Bangor University to deliver outdoor programmes for families as a health intervention.
The anniversary highlights the continuing role of outdoor education in supporting young people's personal development, wellbeing and learning, while giving them lasting memories of the North Wales countryside.
