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, 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. [1] In 1797 the Barmouth Harbour Trust was founded by Act of Parliament, as Barmouth had become the primary shipbuilding port in Wales, [2] 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 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. [3]
Snowdonia is a mountainous region in northwestern Wales and a national park of 823 square miles (2,130 km2) in area. It was the first to be designated of the three national parks in Wales, in 1951. It contains the highest peaks in the United Kingdom outside Scotland.
The River Severn, at 220 miles (354 km) long, is the longest river in Great Britain. It is also the river with the most voluminous flow of water by far in all of England and Wales, discharging an average of 107 m3/s (3,800 cu ft/s) into the Bristol Channel at Apperley, Gloucestershire. It rises in the Cambrian Mountains in mid Wales, at an altitude of 2,001 feet (610 m), on the Plynlimon massif, which lies close to the Ceredigion/Powys border near Llanidloes. The river then flows through Shropshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire. The county towns of Shrewsbury, Gloucester and the City of Worcester lie on its course.
Barmouth is a seaside town and community in the county of Gwynedd, northwestern Wales, lying 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 tiny villages of Llanaber, Cutiau, and Caerdeon.
Fairbourne is a Welsh seaside village. It lies on the coast of Barmouth Bay in Arthog community, to the south of the estuary of the River Mawddach in Gwynedd, surrounded by the Snowdonia National Park. It is in an area listed by Gwynedd council for managed retreat due to rising sea levels.
Aberdyfi also known in English as Aberdovey is both a village and a community in Gwynedd, Wales, located on the northern side of the estuary of the River Dyfi.
North Wales, also known as the North of Wales, is a geographic region of Wales, encompassing its northernmost areas. It borders Mid Wales to the south, England to the east, and the Irish Sea to the north and west. The area is highly mountainous and rural, with Snowdonia National Park and the Clwydian Range, known for its mountains, waterfalls and trails, located wholly within the region. Its population is more concentrated in the north-east, and northern coastal areas of the region, whilst significant Welsh-speaking populations are situated in its western and rural areas. North Wales is imprecisely defined, lacking any defined defintion or administrative structure. For the public purposes of health, policing and emergency services, and for statistical, economic and cultural purposes, North Wales is commonly defined administratively as its six most northern principal areas, but other defintions of the geographic region exist, with Montgomeryshire historically considered to be part of the region.
A train operating company (TOC) is a business operating passenger trains on the railway system of Great Britain under the collective National Rail brand. TOCs have existed since the privatisation of the network under the Railways Act 1993.
The Fairbourne Railway is a 12+1⁄4 in gauge railway running for 2 miles (3.2 km) from the village of Fairbourne on the Mid-Wales coast, alongside the beach to the end of a peninsula at Barmouth Ferry railway station, where there is a connection with the Barmouth Ferry across the Mawddach estuary to the seaside resort of Barmouth.
Barmouth Bridge, or Barmouth Viaduct is a Grade II* listed single-track wooden railway viaduct across the estuary of the Afon Mawddach near Barmouth, Wales. It is 820 metres (900 yd) long and carries the Cambrian Line. It is the longest timber viaduct in Wales and one of the oldest in regular use in Britain.
Fishguard Harbour railway station serves the port of Fishguard Harbour, Wales. It is the terminus of one of the branches of the West Wales Line from Swansea. The area is also now served by Fishguard and Goodwick railway station.
Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the country's geography. Wales is predominantly hilly or mountainous, and the main settlements lie on the coasts of north and south Wales, while mid Wales and west Wales are lightly populated. The main transport corridors are east-west routes, many continuing eastwards into England.
The transport system in Scotland is generally well-developed. The Scottish Parliament has control over most elements of transport policy within Scotland, with the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity holding portfolio responsibility within the Scottish Government. Transport Scotland is the Executive Agency responsible for the Scottish transport network.
Fairbourne railway station serves the village of Fairbourne in Gwynedd, Wales. It is an unstaffed station on the Cambrian Coast Railway with passenger services to Barmouth, Harlech, Porthmadog, Pwllheli, Tywyn, Aberdovey, Machynlleth and Shrewsbury.
Transport in Sydney is provided by an extensive network of public transport operating modes including suburban rail, light rail, buses, metro and ferries, as well as an expansive network of roadways, cycleways and airports. According to the 2006 census, in terms of travel to work or study Sydney has the highest rate of public transport usage among the Australian capital cities of 26.3% with more than 80% of weekday trips to/from Central Sydney being made by public transport. According to the New South Wales State Plan, the state has Australia's largest public transport system. The public transport network is regulated by Transport for NSW.
Arthog is a village, post town and community in the Meirionnydd area in Gwynedd, north Wales including the villages of Fairbourne and Friog. It is located on the A493, approximately 8 miles (13 km) west of Dolgellau, and had a population of 1,010 in 2001, increasing slightly to 1,031 at the 2011 census.
Swansea Docks is the collective name for several docks in Swansea, Wales. The Swansea docks are located immediately south-east of Swansea city centre. In the mid-19th century, the port was exporting 60% of the world's copper from factories situated in the Tawe Valley. The working docks area today is owned and operated by Associated British Ports as the Port of Swansea and the northern part around the Prince of Wales Dock is undergoing re-development into a new urban area branded the SA1 Swansea Waterfront.
The Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway was a standard gauge railway company, running a line along the west coast of Wales.
Fairbourne Spit is a long spit of sand and shingle at the mouth of the River Mawddach where it reaches Cardigan Bay, on the west coast of Wales. The gravel probably originates from Llwyngwril to the south, while the sand and dunes at the north end of the spit are partly deposited from the river, which is a long-term sink for sandy sediment.