A FARM linked to a legend about Merlin, King Arthur and the red dragon on the Welsh flag has been saved with the help of Hollywood stars Matthew Rhys and Catherine Zeta Jones.
The National Trust has managed to raise the £1million it needs to buy the "very special" site in Snowdonia.
The fundraising drive saw 20,000 people respond to calls to help secure the future of Llyndy Isaf, a 614-acre (248-hectare) farm on the shores of Llyn Dinas, a lake near Beddgelert, Gwynedd.
The bid to save the farm was spearheaded by Welsh actor Matthew Rhys (pictured) and supported by Catherine Zeta Jones.
Matthew, known for his roles in US drama Brothers & Sisters and as poet Dylan Thomas in The Edge of Love, said: "Thank you so much to so many of your who dug so deep and supported our campaign to save Llyndy Isaf, this very special farm in the heart of Snowdonia.
"You raised £1million which now means it will be cared for forever by the National Trust, and secures that future generations shall also enjoy it free from the threat of commercial development."
The hills around the farm are steeped in mythology, with legend telling of the battle between a white dragon and a red dragon which took place at the hill Dinas Emrys that overlooks Llyn Dinas.
The hill was the setting of a meeting between the warlord Vortigern and a young Merlin. Vortigern had fled into Wales from Anglo-Saxon invaders and was attempting to build a fort on the hill but it kept collapsing.
He was advised to seek the help of the young boy, who explained that the fort was being shaken to the ground by a battle between a white dragon and a red dragon in an underground pool beneath the site.
Merlin revealed that the white dragon, representing the Saxons, was winning the battle but would eventually be defeated by the red dragon, representing the Britons and becoming the national emblem of Wales. It is seen as a prophecy of the coming of King Arthur. Merlin is also said to have hi...
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[Source: Coventry Telegraph - The Geek Files]
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