A hotel cum language school in Ceredigion has been crowned as the “Welshest place in the World”.

Nia Llewelyn, described as a “human hurricane”, has been running courses and Welsh language “boot camps” at Garth Newydd in Lampeter for the past three years.

Welsh learners travel from as far afield as America, Australia and Scandinavia to gain more confidence speaking the language.

Garth Newydd was honoured at the inaugural Gwobrau Mwyaf Cymraeg y Byd (Most Welsh in the World Awards) where it won the prize as the Most Welsh Space in the World.

The ceremony at Tan y Graig near Aberystwyth was organised by Lafan to promote the economic benefit of Welsh in business in the four counties that are strongholds of the language, Ynys Môn, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire.

The aim of the awards is to celebrate businesses in the four counties that are benefiting financially from using the Welsh language and boosting their bottom line.

Garth is owned by Marcus Whitfield, who lives in Kent, but is originally from Buckley, in Flintshire, and who has learned the language himself and accompanied Nia to the awards ceremony.

Afterwards Nia said: “Our stays can be from a night to a week and it’s an opportunity for people to immerse themselves in the Welsh language.

“These days there is a lot of learning that goes on from in front of a screen but it’s much nicer for people to socialise together and to encourage them to speak I ask them to bring items with them.

“Last week we had a lady from Texas, people from Canada and Australia and last month someone from Sweden who had never spoken to anyone in Welsh face-to-face and he coped brilliantly.”

The award for Garth Newydd was one of seven presented at the event and also winning from Ceredigion was Llanon fish and chip shop Sglods who took the award for the best Welsh Brand

Pictured from left to right, Dyfrig Siencyn (Leader of Gwynedd County Council) Nia Roberts and Sian Thomas (Sglods)
Pictured from left to right, Dyfrig Siencyn (Leader of Gwynedd County Council) Nia Roberts and Sian Thomas (Sglods) (Phil Blagg photography)

Nia Roberts, who runs Sglods with her husband, Aled, said: “We started the business 18 months ago and wanted to name the business in Welsh and it’s an easy name that anyone can understand and say.

“Our success has been that we get people coming in and they may be learning Welsh and they look at the board which is bilingual and so they can order in Welsh because they want to try.”