EJO'S Wales

Elsie Jeanette Oxenham published 87 books and numerous short stories for girls during the first half of last century. Most of them were set in England but a few were set in Wales, Scotland, Switzerland and France. Here are the places in Wales that we have found so far. We hope you enjoy "visiting" the places you have read about so often.

The Lleyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, once Carnavonshire is where most of the Welsh stories are set. Fortunately Elsie didn't rename her Welsh locations.

SILVIA OF SARN and the GIRL WHO WOULDN'T MAKE FRIENDS, GIRLS OF GWYNFA, MISTRESS NANCIBELL and parts of ROBINS IN THE ABBEY are set here. Also many holidays were spent by the younger Abbey girls here, with Robin at Quellyn.

The locations that appear in RED actually exist. If you would like to know exactly where each is, go to Multi Media Mapping and enter the name. A map will usually appear on your screen.

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Above, right and below - 4 Views of Criccieth
featured in CONQUEST OF CHRISTINA

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Bala Lake from the Torment books

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Above right and below - 3 views of the Ffestiniog railway that Christina and her friends travelled on, to visit Davy while he was working at the slate mine. Above - at Portmadoc; below left at Blaenau. This narrow gauge railway still runs and you will, (as Elsie tells us through Christina) see much more of the scenery from it than the road.

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View of Lleyn Peninsula from Yr Eifl (The Rivals)
most of the Welsh books are set here.

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Beddgelert where Christina told the legend of
Gelert in Conquest of Cristina

Above part of the Lleyn Peninsula and right - South Stack
lighthouse at Holyhead the Brents saw the lights
of this lighthouse the night they arrived in
The Girl Who Wouldn't Make Friends.

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Llyn Gwynant

Right Porthmadog - Conquest of Cristina

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View of Snowdon which features in many of the books.

Cardigan Bay - Girl who wouldn't make Friends and Conquest of Christina

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Abersoch - Girls of Gwynfa

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Nefyn or Nevin– Mistress Nancibell, Girl who Wouldn't Make Friends

Llangower - Torment books -
Lake Bala

Pass of Aberglaslyn Conquest of Cristina

Cader Idris - Conquest of Christina

Beddgelert & River Glasyn

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Porthdinllean

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Porthdinllean

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Porthdinllean

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Llewlyn Cottage where Gelert lived

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Nefyn looking towards Yr Eifl (the Rivals) Girls of Gwynfa

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Cader Idris

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View from Criccieth Castle

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Bala Lake

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Lleyn Peninsula - Nevin Beach from Porthdinllean

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Narrow road on the side of Boduan near
Nevin, North Wales. If it were unpaved it
would be easy to imagine how Gwyneth
managed to force Robin up the bank to
avoid being run over.