21-540: The Barmouth Ferry provides a passenger service across the River Mawddach in Gwynedd county, north Wales . There are currently two ferry operators on the harbour. The service usually operates from April to October. The ferry connects the town of Barmouth with Penrhyn Point on the opposite bank of the estuary, and about two miles north of Fairbourne . There is a direct interchange with Barmouth Ferry railway station ,
42-757: A section of the GWR branch line from Ruabon to Barmouth , has now been designated the Mawddach Trail , an 8-mile cycle path running from Dolgellau to Morfa Mawddach, at the south side of the Barmouth railway bridge. It is managed by the Eryri National Park Authority as a leisure route for walkers and cyclists, and is part of the Sustrans Cross-Wales Cycling Route. The estuary of the Mawddach
63-430: A visitor to Barmouth in the 19th century, described it thus: "With a fine sea view in front, the mountains behind, the glorious estuary running eight miles [13 km] inland, and Cadair Idris within compass of a day's walk, Barmouth can always hold its own against any rival." Dinas Oleu (Citadel of Light), which is located east of the town on the adjoining hillside, was the first tract of land to be donated to
84-515: Is listed at Grade II , was extended in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and an important garden laid out which is designated at Grade II* on the Cadw/ICOMOS register. Barmouth features prominently in the novel Austerlitz by Max Sebald . The town is featured in an idyllic light, with the narrator visiting several times during his childhood [see box]. In January 2014, two trains were stranded at Barmouth after severe winter storms destroyed
105-583: Is 28 miles (45 km) in length, and is much branched; many of the significant tributaries are of a similar size to the main river. The catchment area is bounded to the east by the Aran Fawddwy massif and to the west and north by the Harlech dome which forms a watershed just south of Llyn Trawsfynydd . The Mawddach has been the site of significant industrialisation and land management. Gold mining and subsequently gold panning have had major impacts but forestry,
126-711: The Cambrian Line over the River Mawddach, was also previously at the end of the Ruabon–Barmouth line ; this line passed through Bala and Dolgellau . The southern end of the bridge is now the start of the Mawddach Trail , a cycle path and walkway that uses the old trackbed . Local bus services are provided by Lloyds Coaches and link the town with nearby destinations such as Harlech, Tan-y-Bwlch , Porthmadog and Dolgellau. Cross-country bus services are available to Wrexham via Bala, Corwen and Llangollen , as part of
147-685: The National Trust . Panorama Walk, to the east of the town, was developed as a coastal footpath in the Victorian era to contribute to the town's attractions for visitors. The walk is designated at Grade II on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales . On the route of the walk stands the Glan-y-Mawddach estate . Originally a Regency villa, the house, which
168-556: The Welsh Alliance League . Barmouth is the venue for the annual Barmouth Beach Race, a motocross event. Usually taking place on the last weekend in October, the event sees riders take part in beach racing , using a temporary motocross course constructed on the beach. Over 200 riders typically take part in this event, with spectators attending free of charge. The event attracts champion riders from England and Wales. The harbour hosts
189-591: The Welsh Government funded TrawsCymru network. The Barmouth Ferry sails from Barmouth to Penrhyn Point , where it connects with the narrow-gauge Fairbourne Railway for the village of Fairbourne . The town has a RNLI lifeboat station , which includes a visitors' centre with shop and viewing gallery. The nearest rugby club is in Dolgellau , 7 miles (11 km) away. Barmouth has one major football team: Barmouth & Dyffryn United , which competes in
210-552: The county of Gwynedd , north-west Wales ; it lies on the estuary of the Afon Mawddach and Cardigan Bay . Located in the historic county of Merionethshire , the Welsh form of the name is derived from aber (estuary) and the river's name, Mawddach . The English form of the name is a corruption of the earlier Welsh form Abermawdd . The community includes the villages of Llanaber , Cutiau and Caerdeon . "Finally, when we left
231-448: The preparation of animal skins, the storage of old munitions and the use of hill-sides as artillery ranges have all added to the legacy of pollution. The river is also very flashy - prone to very rapid rise and fall in level depending on rainfall. Rainfall can also be very heavy and it falls on very base-poor soils leading to episodes of strongly depressed pH . Despite this, the river sustains an important salmon and trout fishery and
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#1732859288040252-531: The Barmouth Harbour Trust was founded by Act of Parliament , as Barmouth had become the primary shipbuilding port in Wales, and the Trust was given responsibility for the ferry service. It franchised the operation of the ferry to various local operators. The Barmouth Ferry continues to operate under franchise. Today services operate from around Easter until the end of October. In general, ferries operate on all
273-457: The countryside through which it flows is some of the most spectacular and scenic in the UK. The main tributaries starting in the west and working clockwise are: Below Dolgellau the river enters a wide and sandy estuary of great beauty. The head of the estuary is marked by the confluence of the Mawddach and Wnion . At its mouth is the town of Barmouth and its railway bridge . The Mawddach estuary
294-557: The days on which the Fairbourne Railway is operational, and ferries are timed, where possible, to connect with trains. The ferry boats are small open vessels, and are not suitable for operating in heavy seas or poor weather conditions. River Mawddach Afon Mawddach ( Welsh for ' River Mawddach ') is a river in Gwynedd , Wales, which has its source in a wide area SH820300 north of Dduallt in Snowdonia . It
315-487: The forecourt of the house you had a view of the full length of the estuary from Dolgellau to Barmouth, while these places themselves were excluded from the panorama, which was almost devoid of human habitations, by a rocky outcrop on one side and a laurel-grown hill on the other. Only on the far side of the river could the little village of Arthog be seen - in certain atmospheric conditions, said Austerlitz, you might have thought it an eternity away - infinitesimally small, with
336-511: The northern terminus of the Fairbourne Railway . The crossing takes approximately five minutes. Barmouth Bridge , which carries a railway and a foot/cycle path, also crosses the estuary. The Barmouth Ferry is an ancient service. It was originally operated by local monks, until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII , when the service was taken over by local fishermen. In 1797
357-496: The sea wall at nearby Llanaber . The town is served by Barmouth railway station . Transport for Wales operate northbound services to Pwllheli via Harlech , Porthmadog and Criccieth ; eastbound services travel to Birmingham International via Tywyn , Machynlleth , Welshpool , Shrewsbury , Telford Central and Wolverhampton . Connections for southbound services to Borth and Aberystwyth can be made at Dovey Junction or Machynlleth. Barmouth Bridge , which takes
378-411: The shadow of Cadair Idris rising behind it to a height of almost three thousand feet above the shimmering sea." — Austerlitz , page 113-114 The town grew around the shipbuilding industry, and more recently as a seaside resort . Notable buildings include the medieval Tŷ Gwyn tower house , the 19th century Tŷ Crwn roundhouse prison and St John's Church . William Wordsworth ,
399-421: The southern bank and crawled to the opposite side over the bridge, almost a mile long and supported on mighty posts of oak, on our right the river bed, inundated by the sea at high tide and looking like a mountain lake, on our left Barmouth bay stretching to the bright horizon, I felt so joyful that I often scarcely knew where to look first... To the south-west the terrain lay open in a wide semi-circle, so that from
420-404: Was a great centre of ship building in the 18th century and probably for some centuries before. There is no evidence remaining of this activity in the estuary today. 52°51′16″N 3°45′14″W / 52.85452°N 3.75388°W / 52.85452; -3.75388 Barmouth Barmouth ( Welsh : Abermaw (formal); Y Bermo ( colloquial )) is a seaside town and community in
441-515: Was formed from a glaciated valley which was flooded by the sea during the Holocene glacial retreat to form a fjord . The valley occupied by the present Mawddach was later infilled by coarse-grained sub-glacial and pro-glacial deposits. In the Holocene (12,000 BP - present), gravel from the Irish Sea was introduced to the estuary. The southern bank of the Mawddach estuary, along which used to run
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