Corris
OS Grid Ref:- SH755078
The pleasant village of Corris, on the banks of the Afon Deri, is situated near to Machynlleth, and lies just outside the boundaries of the Snowdonia National Park.
The village is reputed to derive its name from the English word 'quarries' and was once known as Abercorris.
The popular Corris Craft Centre is situated between the villages of Corris and Corris Uchaf on the A487 road. The centre comprises ten individual and very different Craft workshops each housing talented Craftspeople producing a range of hand-crafted and unique products. Products range from traditional, rustic and contemporary. Visitors to the Craft Centre will see the Craftspeople at work and can buy directly from them. . The King Arthur's Labyrinth tourist attraction occupies the site of the former Braichgoch Quarry.
A unique visitor attraction, the Centre for Alternative Technology lies around two miles to the south of the village. The centre is dedicated to exploring and demonstrating 'globally sustainable, whole and ecologically sound technologies and ways of life and is open to visitors. The educational exhibition centre demonstrates sustainable building techniques as well as renewable energy, energy efficiency, organic growing, water conservation and environmenatlly friendly sewage systems.
The Corris Institute, a lively local community centre, is a handsome half-timbered building, the Institute has recently been renovated, extended and modernised. A memorial to Alfred Hughes, of nearby Fronwen, who founded a hospital in South Africa during the Boer War watches over the village from the hill of Braich Goch.
The Corris Railway, a narrow gauge preserved railway based in Corris, was reopened in 2002 and now serves as a tourist attraction. The line opened in 1859, and originally ran from Machynlleth north to Corris and on to Aberllefenni. Branches served the slate quarries at Corris Uchaf and Aberllefenni. The railway closed in 1948, but a society of enthusiasts to preserve the railway was formed in 1966.
One of the few areas of old broad-leaved woodland left in the Corris Valley, the North Wales Wildlife Trust's Abercorris Nature Reserve is home to many species of birds including redstarts, wood warblers, nuthatches, tree creepers and long tailed tits, as well as Britan's smallest mammal, the pygmy shrew. The river is a spawning ground for salmon.