Trawsfynydd and Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway

Countries are only allowed to put forward one WHS per year to be considered by UNESCO for inscription. There are a couple ahead of it - this year's is a trans-national WHS linking the Great Spa Towns of Europe (including Bath) and then I think it will be the turn of the Wetlands of the Flow Country (Caithness). So likely to be around 2022/3 when it's inscribed.

 

Yes, Aberdovey still seems to be popular. I made the mistake of going there a couple of years back in the middle of a heatwave...I couldn't find a parking space...the whole town was packed out. Sadly I didn't manage to find out how busy Tywyn or Fairbourne were on the same day...

 

I totally agree, but if I won the lottery, theres a part of me that would love to open a great contemporary pub with great food somewhere near the beach / main street in tywyn. I think the tourist population is around in the area, theres just not much to attract people into the town at all.

 

As someone who owns and operates two holiday rental cottages in N Wales I have to say the extreme nationalists and their anti English agenda do nothing to promote tourism. When I attempted in 2006 to renovate a derelict Grade 2 listed ruin to make a holiday let (not a second home!) the planning application was rejected by the nationalist dominated Gwynedd Council who had received a petition of 26 local residents who 'didn't want any more English people living in the village as it diluted the Welsh heritage and language'. They misquoted the Local Plan that discourages second homes but encourages the refurbishment of derelict premises for business use. I appealed to the Welsh Assembly and won. I am currently in dispute with Gwynedd over my other property having just spent a small fortune on it to upgrade it. As it was empty during this work , ie no holiday makers, they claim it is a 'second home' and is therefore subject to Council Tax plus 50% rather than business rates. I'm fed up with the stress so am selling up. Maybe some rich English person will buy and use it two weeks a year. So much for the custom for other local businesses. I once worked for another Welsh local authority and colleague commented he thought Gwynedd a joke and would employ a sheep along as it spoke Welsh.

PS. My mother's family is Welsh!

 

I'd consider building a large indoor soft play complex, but it would be in Aberystwyth. There is one in the surrounding area, but it needs a makeover and plenty of advertising.

 

The tourist population around the area is principally caravan based - owners in their own caravans rather than caravans let to a different family every week as they were in the 60's and early 70's. Said owners largely self cater with supermarket purchases or order take-aways. That's why there are no establishments of the type you describe there.

 

Although I was born in Essex my Gran was Welsh and I have lived in Gwynedd for over 20 years. Sadly I have had similar experiences., especially as a non-Welsh speaker dealing with planning, the NHS and social services. I have attempted to learn Welsh but as the country is officially bi-lingual I do not accept that i should get different treatment. Both my granddaughters speak Welsh so it's not as if I'm trying to undermine the language.

 

Added to this, people who return regularly to the same place tend not to visit the local attractions each time they visit - a frequent visitor to Tywyn might have "done" the Tal-y-llyn 10 years ago, but not since. That is no fault of the Tal-y-llyn - many non-enthusiasts will go once to a particular railway and that's it. We lived in Bangor for getting on for 15 years, and have returned there annually for a holiday for much of the last 30 years. It took me 30 years to go to Penrhyn Castle, and can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times that I have travelled on the Ffestiniog, even though I am a narrow gauge enthusiast!

Steve B

 

I'd certainly agree that the Welsh tourist population was historically caravan based, but I think Air B&B has very much changed that tourism model. You can now rent a farm next to the Talyllyn with its own halt for the price of a week in one of those caravans, and there are already new gastro pub styled establishments in Tywyn which break the old form.

 

Establishments? - are there more besides the Salt Marsh?

 

Hendy Farm - Wonderful place for the NG Enthusiast. I was there in the summer and could've easily done a trip to Blaenau purely by rail (TR, TfW, FR)

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

 

A scheme that seems to have crept under the radar a bit is a plan to re-open the stretch of line that used to service the now-closed Trawsfynydd nuclear power station from Blaeneau Ffestiniog, as a heritage railway. The group has a website at balaffest.org.uk where more details can be found.

 

I have heard of this scheme previously (but didn't have the website address).
It does seem to have a bit of a WIBN flavour to it (but then, that's how many heritage railways got started).

 

Is it the same - or different - from …

https://www.national-preservation.c...ffestiniog-railway.19760/page-32#post-2677378 ?

Tom

 

Correct Tom, another duplicate thread and reported again.
Cheers,
Ray.

 

That scheme was never a goer and is now well and truly dead.

 

Why is it now "well and truly dead"? What's changed?

 

Nothing of substance ..... and that's really the trouble.

 

It said in steam railway they caused trouble so got stopped doing it