Mochdre, Conwy

Mochdre is a village outside Colwyn Bay in north Wales. The name of the village comes from Welsh words meaning Pig (Moch) and Town (Dref). The origin of the name is explained in the mythological Welsh tales "The Mabinogion", which were first written down in the early middle ages, but which actually go much further back into the history of oral Welsh storytelling. One of the tales in The Mabinogion concerns the theft of a herd of sacred pigs. One of the places where the stolen animals were kept overnight became known as Pigtown or Mochdre as a result.

The village of Mochdre is also famed for its parish church, which is actually the church of the parish of Llangwstennin (Cystennin being the Welsh version of Constantine Constantine I, the Roman Emperor who is reputed to have been born at the Roman settlement of Segontium in Caernarfon, north Wales), as it allegedly sits on the site of the oldest christian church in Wales.

Mochdre also has a place in railway history. It was the site of experimental trackside water troughs, from which passing steam locomotives could scoop up fresh water supplies without having to stop. These devices became commonplace around the world, but Mochdre was the first place they were ever used.