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Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Hidden railway exposed by tide at popular Welsh beach
Hidden railway exposed by tide at popular Welsh beach Low tides have revealed the ghostly remnants of a railway line A section of old rail track uncovered but still submerged (Image: Sheila Rosemary Stephenson ) As the tide slips away, the sands of Barmouth beach in Gwynedd reveal a haunting spectacle: the ghostly skeleton of an old railway line, stretching out across the shore as if travelling out to sea. Rusted wheels and axles, long hidden beneath layers of silt, have emerged alongside narrow bands of iron track, now gently rusting on the sand. This eerie scene on Barmouth beach in Gwynedd is reminiscent of the Welsh legend of the submerged kingdom of Cantre'r Gwaelod in Cardigan Bay. Unlike the kingdom's bells, which are said to still ring beneath the surface, Barmouth's mysterious beach railway remains eerily silent, save for the sounds of the seashore. It's believed that this track has remained hidden on the beach for over a century. In recent years, it's been occasionally exposed by shifting sand patterns on a coastline that's constantly evolving. The old railway tracks are thought to be a legacy of the resort's rapid expansion in the 19th century (Image: Sheila Rosemary Stephenson ) There have been several theories proposed to explain the existence of the railway. Some speculate it was an historic lifeboat launch site, while others suggest it was a ramp for bringing fishing ships ashore for repairs. As far as anyone knows, the tracks end at the low tide line, so disappointingly, they're unlikely to be part of a long-lost smuggling route from Ireland, as commonly supposed, reports North Wales Live. Article continues below It's often imagined that these narrow-gauge tracks were installed to move Edwardian bathing machines up and down the beach – the idea being to preserve the modesty of ladies taking to the waters. Historical sketches from the mid-19th century confirm that Barmouth did have these machines, but they were never on tracks. Instead, horses are depicted hauling the huts to the water's edge. Sketch by William Home Lizars from around 1845 showing the seafront in Barmouth and visiting families enjoying leisure time on the beach. Bathing machines can be seen lined up by the sea, drawn there by horses, not rail tracks (Image: National Library of Wales/Wiki ) A significant amount of construction was carried out on the beach after the resort's promenade was severely damaged by the Great Storm of 1928. Photos from the time show the entire seafront transformed into a massive building site, with steam-powered machinery doing much of the heavy lifting. In 1930, iron tracks were laid along the promenade to remove debris, and more on the beach for the construction of a new wave-return wall. A plausible conclusion is that the railway tracks seen today are remnants from that period of intense building activity. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here However, this theory has been dismissed by Barmouth historian Hugh Griffth Roberts, who believes there's a rather more mundane explanation. Ironically, the existence of the beach railway may owe much to the arrival of rail travel in the mid-19th century. For centuries, Barmouth was a crucial port serving the woollen, slate and herring sectors in Meirionnydd. It also had a ship-building industry that stretched up along the majestic Mawddach Estuary. A pair of rusting iron wheels poke up from the water's edge (Image: Sheila Rosemary Stephenson ) Despite the poor roads of the times, by the 1750s the port town was already attracting affluent tourists drawn by its location between the sea and the 'romantic' landscapes of Eryri. Visitors included the likes of William Wordsworth, Shelley, Byron and Charles Darwin. The unveiling of Cambrian Railways' new coastal line to Barmouth in 1867 significantly changed the town's fortune, with the Barmouth Heritage Trail highlighting a substantial tourism and building boom as a result. The heritage site states: "When the first train arrived some 1,200 passengers got off and the town was barely ready!" With tourism came fresh challenges, including increasing incidents of drunkenness that led to the construction of a modest lock-up during that period. A particularly unpleasant problem also arose — the disposal of waste from the burgeoning guesthouse industry. The heritage trail's solution to this issue involved the construction of a sewage holding tank at the north end of the beach in 1890. This allowed for waste to be released into the sea during high tide through a long cast-iron pipe. While discharging into the sea was common practice then and continues to some degree today, Barmouth modernised its wastewater management in 1987 by replacing and burying the old discharge pipe under the beach. Moreover, a new sewage treatment plant and pumping station were established. It is believed that rail tracks visible on the beach today were originally used for laying down the Victorian discharge pipe, which may have been left there to become buried over time, re-emerging more than a hundred years later. Article continues below
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
National Library of Wales missing 2,200 items
About 2,200 items are missing at the National Library of Wales - an increase of 84% in two years. Among the archives and manuscripts missing are deeds of 13th Century Powis Castle, and "rolls" and "pedigree" documents from Gwrych Castle in Abergele, Conwy county, which twice hosted ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! Among missing books are the history of the national library building itself in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, by Daniel Huws, and books by George Bernard Shaw and Virginia Woolf. The library is creating a new "collection care" department and is currently recruiting a head of the department, as well as a head of unique collections. The number unaccounted for is significantly higher than the 1,200 items that were missing when BBC Wales gained figures through a Freedom of Information request in September 2023. A spokesperson said the increase is due to "new stock checking processes". The library is a legal deposit library, which means it is entitled to a copy of every print publication in Britain and Ireland, and no items are allowed to be taken from the building. Of the 2,206 missing items, the request under the latest Freedom of Information Act by BBC Wales showed that: 1,708 books and magazines are missing, some since 1999 393 maps, some since 1939 82 in the "archives and manuscripts" category, some since 1978 21 "screen and sound" items, some since 2019 two items in the "pictures and photographs" category, one since 2009 and the other since 2023 Missing archives include papers of J Glyn Davies whose songs for children include Cerddi Huw Puw (1923), which are based on sailors' songs he had heard during his youth. These have been described as bearing "the marks of a genius". Also missing are papers relating to Chirk Castle near Wrexham, the construction of which began around 1295 during the reign of Edward I. Missing sound recordings include the satirical song "Carlo" by Dafydd Iwan which was written for the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969, and a recording by Treorchy Male Choir. Missing journals include issues of the library's own journal, Welsh History Review, Flintshire Historical Society, Gwent Local History and The Carmarthen Historian. Missing books cover topics from Owain Glyndŵr, the last native-born Welshman to claim the title Prince of Wales, to a biography of Keir Hardie, the first parliamentary leader of the Labour party. An 1818 edition of 'The Pleasures of Imagination' by Mark Akenside is missing, as is Lady Charlotte Schreiber's journals (1911), the "confidences" of a collector of ceramics and antiques. A book by Phil Thompson and Tommy Smith called "Do That Again Son, and I'll Break Your Legs: Football's Hardmen" is also not accounted for. Missing maps include a malt whisky map of Scotland, and several maps relating to Gogerddan, the principal estate of the old county of Cardiganshire in the 17th century. The library's head of communications, Rhodri ap Dyfrig, said that staff had "introduced new stock checking processes for published collections and therefore we fully expected that there would be an increase in the items recorded as not being in their correct location". He added: "The thorough process of monitoring of misplaced items takes place continuously and these checks are a normal and integral part of maintaining standards and good practice in the library sector. "Due to this constant monitoring and work, the data we provide is a snapshot of a specific period in time, and this figure fluctuates regularly as items are found and relocated." The library carries out an annual audit of items worth more than £10,000 and no missing items that cross that threshold were found over the last year. The library's collections include seven million books and newspapers, 1.5 million maps and 950,000 photographs located across 160 miles of shelves. The Welsh government said: "The care and management of its collections is a matter for the National Library. "In doing so, it meets the Archive Service Accreditation – the UK-wide standard for archive services." Wales' national library can't find 1,200 items Peace petition from 1923 returns to Wales from US 'Devil's shawl' painting to remain in Wales
BBC News
4 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
National Library of Wales is missing 2,200 items
About 2,200 items are missing at the National Library of Wales - an increase of 84% in two the archives and manuscripts missing are deeds of 13th Century Powis Castle, and "rolls" and "pedigree" documents from Gwrych Castle in Abergele, Conwy county, which twice hosted ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!Among missing books are the history of the national library building itself in Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, by Daniel Huws, and books by George Bernard Shaw and Virginia library is creating a new "collection care" department and is currently recruiting a head of the department, as well as a head of unique collections. The number unaccounted for is significantly higher than the 1,200 items that were missing when BBC Wales gained figures through a Freedom of Information request in September 2023. A spokesperson said the increase is due to "new stock checking processes".The library is a legal deposit library, which means it is entitled to a copy of every print publication in Britain and Ireland, and no items are allowed to be taken from the the 2,206 missing items, the request under the latest Freedom of Information Act by BBC Wales showed that:1,708 books and magazines are missing, some since 1999 393 maps, some since 193982 in the "archives and manuscripts" category, some since 1978 21 "screen and sound" items, some since 2019two items in the "pictures and photographs" category, one since 2009 and the other since 2023Missing archives include papers of J Glyn Davies whose songs for children include Cerddi Huw Puw (1923), which are based on sailors' songs he had heard during his have been described as bearing "the marks of a genius".Also missing are papers relating to Chirk Castle near Wrexham, the construction of which began around 1295 during the reign of Edward sound recordings include the satirical song "Carlo" by Dafydd Iwan which was written for the investiture of Charles as Prince of Wales in 1969, and a recording by Treorchy Male journals include issues of the library's own journal, Welsh History Review, Flintshire Historical Society, Gwent Local History and The Carmarthen books cover topics from Owain Glyndŵr, the last native-born Welshman to claim the title Prince of Wales, to a biography of Keir Hardie, the first parliamentary leader of the Labour 1818 edition of 'The Pleasures of Imagination' by Mark Akenside is missing, as is Lady Charlotte Schreiber's journals (1911), the "confidences" of a collector of ceramics and antiques.A book by Phil Thompson and Tommy Smith called "Do That Again Son, and I'll Break Your Legs: Football's Hardmen" is also not accounted maps include a malt whisky map of Scotland, and several maps relating to Gogerddan, the principal estate of the old county of Cardiganshire in the 17th century. The library's head of communications, Rhodri ap Dyfrig, said that staff had "introduced new stock checking processes for published collections and therefore we fully expected that there would be an increase in the items recorded as not being in their correct location".He added: "The thorough process of monitoring of misplaced items takes place continuously and these checks are a normal and integral part of maintaining standards and good practice in the library sector."Due to this constant monitoring and work, the data we provide is a snapshot of a specific period in time, and this figure fluctuates regularly as items are found and relocated."The library carries out an annual audit of items worth more than £10,000 and no missing items that cross that threshold were found over the last library's collections include seven million books and newspapers, 1.5 million maps and 950,000 photographs located across 160 miles of Welsh government said: "The care and management of its collections is a matter for the National Library. "In doing so, it meets the Archive Service Accreditation – the UK-wide standard for archive services."
Telegraph
21-05-2025
- Telegraph
How Aberystwyth plans to revive the glory days of the British seaside
It was a hub of lead mining and shipbuilding. It boomed again thanks to genteel Victorians taking the seaside air, turning it into the ' Biarritz of Wales'. And, more recently, it provided the backdrop to a genre-defying Welsh noir. The idiosyncratic seaside resort of Aberystwyth, 'Aber' to the locals, pivots around its Norman castle and twin beaches – and maintains an isolated air thanks to its westerly position on Cardigan Bay. Proudly Welsh-speaking, it's now home to the National Library of Wales, the nation's largest arts centre, and bolstered by a lively student population during university term times. But there's also an air of faded grandeur, with some of the pastel-coloured Victorian and Edwardian resort hotels in desperate need of some love. The arrival of the railway in the 1860s transformed the town's fortunes, establishing a thriving coastal resort; the opening of the Royal Pier, the first in Wales, soon followed. The current version is somewhat shorter than its 1865 original after a series of heavy storms, but it retains a kiss-me-quick array of arcade games, attractions and bars. There are green shoots of regeneration, too. The first phase of the wave-crashed promenade's £10.8 million facelift is almost complete, although the introduction of promenade parking charges is a bugbear to locals. The renaissance of the Old College, the grand old Victorian building that first served as the first home of the University of Wales, should be completed by 2027, with a new cultural centre and a four-star hotel. Britain's only statue of Edward VIII, who abdicated, will be restored to its starring role upon reopening. The wider Ceredigion coastline, too, has plenty to offer, forming part of the 870-mile Wales Coast Path. Expect spectacular hiking, tales of smugglers and shipwrecks, and possible glimpses of bottlenose dolphins south towards Cardigan at Mwnt beach. What's it really like? Aber wears its quirks with pride, a tradition celebrated by the author Malcolm Pryce in his detective novel Aberystwyth Mon Amour. There's offbeat charm to the back streets, plus old-school seaside fun, but also stylish cafés and boutiques. It's these contrasts that struck me most of all. For every top-notch café such as the Cabin, or Driftwood Designs, with its cool Cymru souvenirs, there's a Lip-Licking Fried Chicken. And for every dive-bombing seagull after your chips, there are people sitting on the beach, fed by street-food carts, soaking up another glorious Aber sunset. Independent outlets worth checking out include Ystwyth Books, a second-hand seller, or the Bottle & Barrel for a range of Welsh craft ales. And for fans of the television series Hinterland, the original Welsh noir, it's location-spotting heaven. The programme recast the region as the murder capital of Mid Wales and made much of its folkloric back story with ominous inland visits to Devil's Bridge, located at the end of the heritage Vale of Rheidol Railway, and the spookily submerged forest at Borth to the north. What's not to like? Sunbathing is a gritty experience. The beach is more shingle than sand thanks to offshore currents – the sand ends up at Harlech. A promenade stroll is great for sea air, albeit tempered with regular wafts of rotting seaweed. It was captured in 1404 by Welsh folk hero Owain Glyndwr, but destroyed on the instruction of Oliver Cromwell so that it could not be used against him during the Civil War in the 1640s. Do this… Visitors have been strolling along the 1½-mile promenade since the time of Queen Victoria, with the tradition of kicking the iron bar at the end of Marine Terrace for good luck. Constitution Hill, at the top of visitor hub North Beach, offers widescreen bay views and glimpses of the mountains of Snowdonia on a clear day. Take the Aberystwyth Electric Light Railway, the longest electric cliff railway in Britain, to the top and visit the Camera Obscura. For a culture fix, the National Library of Wales maintains the tradition of more books than people in Aber, including the oldest existing Welsh text, the 12th-century Black Book of Carmarthen. It hosts regular events and exhibitions. Eat this… Most people make a beeline for Ultracomida, the excellent deli-café on Pier Street, with its Aladdin's cave of Iberian, French and Welsh foodie treats. But hidden-gem alternatives include the Italian coffee house Agnelli's, a bustling, family-run place for Italian coffees, pastries (try a Sicilian lemon cannoli) and a small lunch menu. Medina is a great place for all-day dining, the north African-motif venue having transformed an old spit-and-sawdust pub. It turns into a popular restaurant by night and the owners also run an open-air kiosk for snacks on the promenade. But don't do this… The Ceredigion Museum, sharing a building with the tourist information centre and the Coliseum Coffee House downstairs, documents Aberystwyth's history against an elegant backdrop of a restored Edwardian theatre. But the museum closes this May for maintenance work, with the Grade II-listed building expected to reopen in 2026/27. It plans to host pop-up displays in the interim. From a local Sean Westlake is the chairman of the Wales Official Tourist Guides Association and based in Aberystwyth. He says: 'Aber has everything you need, from cultural events via shopping to coastal walks. Yet, within 15 minutes, you're lost among waterfalls and mountains, watching the red kites circling overhead. Most of all, Aber has the best sunsets in Wales.' From a tourist Carys Mitchell, 11, and Olivia Mitchell, eight, visiting from Hamilton, New Zealand, are having a day out with auntie Ffion and nanny Vera (Mitchell). They say: 'We're having a day at the seaside, loving the ice creams and arcade games on the pier. We like the different-coloured houses. It looks very different to the North Island back home.' Chris and Jayne Maxwell are visiting from Telford, Shropshire: 'Aberystwyth is our go-to seaside day trip from Shropshire. I've been coming for years on my motorbike, but it looks on the up these days with new investment. Aber took a battering in the 2015 storm but it's cleaner and smarter these days. It's perfect for a sunny day.' Get there Aberystwyth is the terminus for Transport for Wales services with connection to Shrewsbury in two hours and Birmingham New Street in three. By car, take the A44 via Welshpool, and follow the A487 into the town centre. Stay here Gwesty'r Marine Hotel & Spa (doubles from £135 B&B) is a classic seaside hotel a short walk from the train station. Book a sea-view room and the sounds of the waves will lull you to sleep.
Cambrian News
19-05-2025
- Cambrian News
Aberystwyth named one of the happiest places to live in the UK
"The university campus, perched on Penglais Hill above the town, teaches students from more than 100 countries, lending the town more of a global feel than might be expected. Also on the hill is the National Library of Wales, one of the great libraries of the world. Opened in 1907, it is at the centre of research into the culture and heritage of Wales and the other Celtic nations, and home to rare books, manuscripts, archives, film and video, newspapers, maps and works of art.
