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Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Illicit history behind 'secret' and often hidden beach and why there's tracks to it
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info The illicit history of a 'secret' beach has been revealed. Shell Island near Harlech is home to three beaches with one only showing during low tide. This week Richard Workman, whose family own the campsite, used a Facebook Live to give an insight into the history of this beach, which is surrounded by rocks except for two tracks to the sands. These were actually part of the smuggling heritage of the site. Richard explained: "Ships came across from the Atlantic and places like the Mediterranean, they would bring the ships up through between here and go to Porthmadog to pick up the slates because the roofing slate was Welsh slate, the best quality in the world. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now "So the roofing slate was made in obviously the quarries up by Blaenau Ffestiniog. So shipped down on the Ffestiniog Railway and obviously picked up over there. "But on the way they didn't have any slate to go that way. So what they did, they used to load up with goods and stuff. But what they used to do years ago, before we had HMRC all digitalised and keeping an eye on things as they do now, they used to beach the boats here on this middle beach. "And when the tide went out, you can just make out the tracks through there. There's one track there and there's another one on the other side of the beach. "And they used to come down through here with the horse and cart, unload half the stuff, not that our family did this obviously for legal reasons. They would unload some of the stuff and the ship would then float, you're talking these three master schooners and stuff. "They would then go to Porthmadog then and declare customs, obviously minus a few things because the old horse and cart came here. And by the house, there's a tunnel that they used to store it at. "Obviously, nowadays, you can't do that, it's all digitalised and this, that and the other. But back then the way the beach is formed, it's an ideal place to put a boat, and get the horse and carts on." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
North Wales Live
2 days ago
- North Wales Live
Illicit history behind 'secret' and often hidden beach and why there's tracks to it
The illicit history of a 'secret' beach has been revealed. Shell Island near Harlech is home to three beaches with one only showing during low tide. This week Richard Workman, whose family own the campsite, used a Facebook Live to give an insight into the history of this beach, which is surrounded by rocks except for two tracks to the sands. These were actually part of the smuggling heritage of the site. Richard explained: "Ships came across from the Atlantic and places like the Mediterranean, they would bring the ships up through between here and go to Porthmadog to pick up the slates because the roofing slate was Welsh slate, the best quality in the world. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now "So the roofing slate was made in obviously the quarries up by Blaenau Ffestiniog. So shipped down on the Ffestiniog Railway and obviously picked up over there. "But on the way they didn't have any slate to go that way. So what they did, they used to load up with goods and stuff. But what they used to do years ago, before we had HMRC all digitalised and keeping an eye on things as they do now, they used to beach the boats here on this middle beach. "And when the tide went out, you can just make out the tracks through there. There's one track there and there's another one on the other side of the beach. "And they used to come down through here with the horse and cart, unload half the stuff, not that our family did this obviously for legal reasons. They would unload some of the stuff and the ship would then float, you're talking these three master schooners and stuff. "They would then go to Porthmadog then and declare customs, obviously minus a few things because the old horse and cart came here. And by the house, there's a tunnel that they used to store it at. "Obviously, nowadays, you can't do that, it's all digitalised and this, that and the other. But back then the way the beach is formed, it's an ideal place to put a boat, and get the horse and carts on."
