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Meanwhile in North West Wales

(7 posts)
  • Started 9 years ago by HankChief
  • Latest reply from HankChief

  1. HankChief
    Member

    Wales Coast Path walkers face detour if bridge shuts

    It's not just walkers that would be put out if this were to close. It's the final part of a very picturesque former railway turned into a cyclepath running 9miles from Dolgellau to Barmouth, called the Mawddach Trail alongside the Mawddach estuary.

    I did it yesterday and it was heaving with visitors heading to Barmouth for lunch/ice creams, so it seems odd to consider it, but maybe they have to consider everything...

    I'd actually say it was the highlight of the holiday again this year (we dud it twice last time...) as we can relax and let the wee ones roam free whilst enjoying the view. One of the panel boards quotes John Ruskin as saying "that only one other journey in the world had views to compare with the one from Dolgellau to Barmouth, and that was the journey from Barmouth to Dolgellau"

    So the locals have set up a change.org petition which is already over 5,000 signatures in a day, if anyone is interested in signing.
    Keep Barmouth Bridge open to walkers and cyclists

    Posted 9 years ago #

  2. amir
    Member

    It's a fantastic cycle path that. Beautiful scenery with Cadair Idris to the south with Welsh oakwoods, the lovely Estuary and the mysterious Rhinogs to the north. I've used that bridge loads to access the coastal road south to Bird Rock and Tal-y-lyn. The bridge and path are very popular - it seems complete madness to close it. There used to be a toll.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  3. gembo
    Member

    Features on an excellent episode of Coast too. (If I have the correct place) I remember when watching that programme - what a lovely amenity and just for walkers and cyclists. Curiously, given my love of JC, I would pay a toll to get away from cars - 50p one way, a pound return?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  4. chdot
    Admin

    (2013)

    "

    the toll was removed after the couple who were employed to collect it left and were not replaced. The council have not yet decided how to pay for the bridge's maintenance costs, which were £39,405 for the year.[5] This has proved to be problematic as the revenue collected from tolls has not been sufficient to cover the council's share of maintenance costs, and there is not a sufficient budget to employ any full-time staff to collect payments.

    "

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barmouth_Bridge

    Posted 9 years ago #

  5. HankChief
    Member

    There us a toll booth and most of the literature talks about a toll but in the last 3 years that I've been visiting I've never seen it being collected. Probably not worth their while to employ someone to do it.

    The Mawddach Trail did feature on Julia Bradbury's Railway walks.

    It also used to be blighted by hideous bike gates which who give a Krypton Factor challenge to anyone with a tag-a-long or trailer. Thankfully they have now disappeared.

    Old Mawddach Trail gates. Good riddence by HankChief, on Flickr

    Posted 9 years ago #

  6. amir
    Member

    Seems as if the council pays 10% of the maintenence bill for the bridge (including the railway bit?) to Network Rail. I wonder if there's a bit of politics going on.

    Still - how much does the road to Barmouth cost to maintain? Somewhat more that the approx £40k , given that it costs £gazillion to fix a pothole?

    Posted 9 years ago #

  7. HankChief
    Member

    Looks like the council have agreed to keep Barmouth bridge open.

    http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/caernarfon-barmouth-bridges-saved-axe-10860382

    Posted 9 years ago #

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