Fairbourne
Encyclopedia
Fairbourne is a village
on the coast of Barmouth Bay
to the south of the estuary
of the River Mawddach
in Gwynedd
, surrounded by the Snowdonia National Park. Before the seaside resort
was built the coastal area was known as Morfa Henddol, while the outcrop now occupied by the Fairbourne Hotel was called Ynysfaig. Fairbourne was founded as a seaside resort
by Arthur McDougall (of flour making fame.)
at Fairbourne is a two mile stretch of beach
, backed by steep pebble
banks, which exposes a vast amount of golden sandy beaches from mid-tide level. At the northern end the beach joins the Mawddach Estuary, while at the southern end of the beach is squeezed between sheer cliff
s and the sea. The beach is an attractive venture for people exercising their dogs, however, during the summer months there is a dog ban enforced on the central area. There is sufficient access to the beach for those visitors with prams and/or wheelchairs, making this a welcoming rural location for all. The beach is fronted by tank traps dating from the Second World War and known locally as "Dragon's Teeth".
http://www.fairbournerailway.com/ has provided a link from the village to Penrhyn Point for over a century. It runs regular passenger services between April and October.
Ferries
sail from the seaward end of the Fairbourne Railway to Barmouth
/Abermaw.
is served by the Cambrian Coast Railway, which runs from Machynlleth
to Pwllheli
and operated by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva
also operate a regular bus
service to Dolgellau
, Tywyn
and Aberystwyth
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
on the coast of Barmouth Bay
Barmouth
Barmouth ; Y Bermo ) is a town in the county of Gwynedd, north-western Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Mawddach and Cardigan Bay.The town is served by Barmouth railway station.- History :...
to the south of the estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of the River Mawddach
River Mawddach
The River Mawddach is a river in North Wales which has its source in a wide area north of Dduallt in Snowdonia. The river is much branched and many of the significant tributaries are of a similar size to the main river...
in Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
, surrounded by the Snowdonia National Park. Before the seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
was built the coastal area was known as Morfa Henddol, while the outcrop now occupied by the Fairbourne Hotel was called Ynysfaig. Fairbourne was founded as a seaside resort
Seaside resort
A seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
by Arthur McDougall (of flour making fame.)
Beach
The Blue Flag beachBlue Flag beach
The Blue Flag is a certification by the Foundation for Environmental Education that a beach or marina meets its stringent standards.The Blue Flag is a trademark owned by FEE which is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation consisting of 65 organisations in 60 member countries in Europe,...
at Fairbourne is a two mile stretch of beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, backed by steep pebble
Pebble
A pebble is a clast of rock with a particle size of 4 to 64 millimetres based on the Krumbein phi scale of sedimentology. Pebbles are generally considered to be larger than granules and smaller than cobbles . A rock made predominantly of pebbles is termed a conglomerate...
banks, which exposes a vast amount of golden sandy beaches from mid-tide level. At the northern end the beach joins the Mawddach Estuary, while at the southern end of the beach is squeezed between sheer cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s and the sea. The beach is an attractive venture for people exercising their dogs, however, during the summer months there is a dog ban enforced on the central area. There is sufficient access to the beach for those visitors with prams and/or wheelchairs, making this a welcoming rural location for all. The beach is fronted by tank traps dating from the Second World War and known locally as "Dragon's Teeth".
Railway and Ferry
The Fairbourne RailwayFairbourne Railway
The Fairbourne Railway is a gauge miniature railway running for from the village of Fairbourne on the Mid-Wales coast, alongside the beach to the end of a peninsula at Barmouth Ferry, where there is a connection with a pedestrian ferry across the Mawddach estuary to the seaside resort of...
http://www.fairbournerailway.com/ has provided a link from the village to Penrhyn Point for over a century. It runs regular passenger services between April and October.
Ferries
Barmouth Passenger ferry
The Barmouth Ferry provides a passenger service across the River Mawddach and connects the town of Barmouth with Penrhyn Point and Barmouth Ferry railway station, the northern terminus of the Fairbourne Railway. The journey takes approximately five minutes. There are two ferry operators on the...
sail from the seaward end of the Fairbourne Railway to Barmouth
Barmouth
Barmouth ; Y Bermo ) is a town in the county of Gwynedd, north-western Wales, lying on the estuary of the River Mawddach and Cardigan Bay.The town is served by Barmouth railway station.- History :...
/Abermaw.
Transport
Fairbourne railway stationFairbourne railway station
Fairbourne railway station serves the village of Fairbourne in Gwynedd, Wales. The station is on the Cambrian Coast Railway with passenger services to Barmouth, Harlech, Porthmadog, Pwllheli, Tywyn, Aberdovey, Machynlleth and Shrewsbury....
is served by the Cambrian Coast Railway, which runs from Machynlleth
Machynlleth
Machynlleth is a market town in Powys, Wales. It is in the Dyfi Valley at the intersection of the A487 and the A489 roads.Machynlleth was the seat of Owain Glyndŵr's Welsh Parliament in 1404, and as such claims to be the "ancient capital of Wales". However, it has never held any official...
to Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pwllheli is a community and the main market town of the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-western Wales. It has a population of 3,861, of which a large proportion, 81 per cent, are Welsh speaking. Pwllheli is the place where Plaid Cymru was founded. It is the birthplace of Albert Evans-Jones -...
and operated by Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales
Arriva Trains Wales is a train operating company, owned by Arriva, that operates urban and inter urban passenger services in Wales and the Welsh Marches...
Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
also operate a regular bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service to Dolgellau
Dolgellau
Dolgellau is a market town in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the county town of the former county of Merionethshire .-History and economy:...
, Tywyn
Tywyn
Tywyn is a town and seaside resort on the Cardigan Bay coast of southern Gwynedd , in north Wales. The name derives from the Welsh tywyn and the town is sometimes referred to as Tywyn Meirionnydd...
and Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth
Aberystwyth is a historic market town, administrative centre and holiday resort within Ceredigion, Wales. Often colloquially known as Aber, it is located at the confluence of the rivers Ystwyth and Rheidol....