9 minute read
Town in Focus
Porthmadog is a gem of a harbour town that offers Porthmadog Exploring
something for everyone. Steve Goodier takes a visit…
In a previous life I travelled North Wales for several years selling timber – and if you’re wondering what that has to do with the town of Porthmadog, let me explain. My abiding memory of the area is desperately scrabbling about my car to find the 5p toll money I needed to pay the toll to cross the Cob
embankment over the Glaslyn Estuary and reach the town in time to deposit the day’s cheques before the bank shut for the afternoon. Those of us who remember this toll will sigh at a bit of lost Wales that is never coming back. There was something very traditional about the elderly man who sat by his little toll hut be it summer or winter and took your money which he dropped into a tin.
The toll was abolished in 2003 when the Welsh Assembly Government bought the Cob. In fact, so much has changed since those days thirty odd years ago, but I still visit Porthmadog to get a coffee after a day in the nearby Molwyn mountains, or to pick up an Indian takeaway from a little restaurant I know on the back streets. I am also partial to parking in the town and climbing the rugged and exciting mini mountain, Moel y Gest which rises above the sea and the streets of Porthmadog.
Times have certainly altered since Porthmadog was the busiest slate port in North Wales, but it is still a bustling seaside town with numerous yachts and boats mooring in the pretty harbour. It has a good range of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants and, despite the newish road that bypasses the town now, it is still very popular with tourists.
Geographically Porthmadog lies near the entrance to the estuary of the Afon Glaslyn where it runs into Tremadog Bay. It is serviced by the A487 which runs to Bangor and the A498 which goes to Beddgelert. The town lies on the Cambrian Coast railway line and is also the southern terminus of the rebuilt Welsh Highland Railway line which runs from Caernarfon through spectacular Snowdonian mountain scenery. As well as this the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway line has its main station and visitor centre near the north end of Stryd Fawr opposite the mainline station – it runs to Pen-yMount and is much loved by railway enthusiasts and general tourists alike. Lovers of coastal scenery are well catered for in this area with Morfa Bychan and the huge beach at Black Rock Sands a mere two miles away. Between Black Rock Sands and Porthmadog you will find the picturesque harbour
village of Borth-y-Gest which has a lovely estuary and offers superb mountain views. And to top it all Criccieth is close by (just five miles away) with two more superb beaches and its
medieval castle.
Porthmadog has a population of around 4,200 and was home to the 1987 National Eisteddfod. The town was known as Portmadoc prior to 1974 with the name being derived from the word ‘port’ and the surname of one William Maddocks who was instrumental in establishing the town as the place we know today.
So let’s take a look at him. It was William Maddocks who built the sea wall known as the Cob between 1808 and 1811 (its opening was marked by a four-day feast) and inadvertently established Porthmadog’s credentials as a developing town. Three weeks after it opened it was breached by high tides
and William Maddocks and his supporters were forced to drum up money and find men from all over Caernarfonshire
to repair the breach and strengthen the embankment. It was opened again in 1814, but by this time Maddocks was financially ruined. The cob was breached again in 1927 and it
took several months to repair.
Once the Cob was complete it helped reclaim most of Traeth Mawr from the sea so it could be used for farming purposes (which was what it was intended to do). But as the course of the Afon Glaslyn was diverted by the construction of the Cob it soon scoured out a new natural harbour deep enough for small ocean going sailing ships. By 1825 the first public
wharves appeared and quarry companies soon followed – these were set on the shore line and went almost as far as Borth-y-Gest. Also seeing the opportunities the new harbour offered, the slate companies at nearby Blaenau Ffestiniog and Ffestiniog carted their slate to quays along the Afon Dwyryd where it was boated to Porthmadog to be transferred to ocean going vessels for onward shipment all over the world. Because of this new found prosperity Porthmadog flourished as a
town and, by the late 19th Century, the port was booming – by 1861 the town’s population had grown to over three thousand. The demand for Welsh slate was immense all around the UK and further afield too. To cope with this the Ffestiniog slate
quarries used a new tramway to speed up slate deliveries to the new port. The Ffestiniog Railway opened in 1836 (and ran its line across the Cob) and was followed in 1856 by the Goresddau Tramway. In 1864 the Croesor Tramway opened and by 1873 over 116,000 tons of slate was being shipped out of Porthmadog in over a thousand ships.
As the town developed several shipbuilders set up shop building brigs, schooners, barquentines and brigantines. Around 1841 the trackway across the reclaimed land had been straightened and soon developed into Stryd Fawr which became the main commercial street of the town with shops, a post office and pubs. A mineral railway ran from Heol Madog
to nearby Tremadog and to the north of the town was a large industrial area with slate works, sawmills, foundries, a gas works, a soda pop plant and a flour mill.
As the demand for slate began to decline worldwide Porthmadog’s use as a commercial port began to wane and was effectively ended by the outbreak of the First World War when the very lucrative German market for slate collapsed. The 19th Century wharves still survive but the slate warehouses have been replaced by holiday apartments. The once bustling harbour now has a more sedate role as home to leisure yachts.
Times may have changed but Porthmadog is still a prosperous location. In 2012 260 metres of the Cob were widened on the seaward side at the Porthmadog end to allow a second platform to be added to the Ffestiniog Railway’s Harbour station. The steady stream of tourists that regularly visit the town bring prosperity and colour.
And what about some interesting Porthmadog trivia? Well, Welsh singer Duffy shot her first video ‘Rockferry’ in the town
and the band Supergrass filmed a video at Morfa Bychan and
nearby Portmerion for their song ‘Alright’. The Manic Street Preachers 1998 album ‘This Is My Truth Tell Me Yours’ had its cover art photography shot in the area while part of the 1971 Roman Polanski movie Macbeth was filmed at Black Rock
Sands.
Perhaps one of the most famous people to come from the area was Thomas Edward Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia who became famous for his role in the Arab revolt of 1916 and his writings about his experiences. He was born at what is now Lawrence House in nearby Tremadog in 1888. So there you have it, Porthmadog is a mixture of industrial history, culture, superb tourist attractions and is quite simply just a fascinating and nice place to visit. n
What to do
The Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways
There is so much excitement around the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways as it welcomes visitors once again! This year the Railway is offering a range of experiences across both lines with departures from either Caernarfon of Porthmadog. Its named trains offer a choice of length and destination ranging from the ‘Woodland Wanderer’ service, a part day trip that is great for families, to the ‘Snowdonia Star’ – a full day out coast-to-coast from Caernarfon to
Porthmadog with optional hamper service and time to explore at the other end.
Make sure that you book online to be sure of your space on the train – prices vary depending on your choice of experience and work on the basis that you must first purchase a compartment or seating bay in order to travel. This
seating bay is cleaned before travel and is then yours for the duration of your visit. Most compartments and seating bays hold up to six passengers but larger groups may be catered for.
www.festrail.co.uk
BLACK ROCK SANDS
Black Rock Sands is a huge sandy beach stretching about two miles long, making it the ideal beach for a day out. As well as the usual runners and dog walkers, the lovely flat sands are ideal for cycling so you’ll see plenty
of people out and about on two wheels on the impressively wide beach.
Unusually, cars are also allowed onto the sand during the day here – although there is a charge in the summer – meaning that it is a great spot for launching motor boats and jet ski’s. Alternatively you can use your vehicle to pack up everything you need for a fantastic day out as you’ll always have it close to hand. Fancy a picnic anyone?
MOEL Y GEST
Moel y Gest is a 263 m (863 ft) hill to the slight west of Porthmadog. This small summit stands proudly above the surrounding countryside and is a prominent landmark in the area. But make no mistake, a day spent climbing to the summit (which has an ancient hillfort) is a strenuous experience that takes you into rugged and remote terrain. The views from the climb and the top are stunning as you are close to the sea – The Llŷn Peninsula,
the Rhinog Mountains, The Moelwyn mountains, Moel Hebog and Snowdon are all visible on a clear day. The summit of Moel y Gest is an inspiring place to be and you will find
yourself lingering there soaking in the panorama and taking lots of photos!
BORTH Y GEST
The picture postcard village of Borth y Gest is located within walking distance of Porthmadog, and is certainly worth a visit. Before Porthmadog was developed, Borth y Gest was actually the crossing over the wide and dangerous Glaslyn estuary, and locals earned money by guiding travellers across the treacherous sands of Traeth Mawr to Harlech.
