If you register, you can do a lot more. And become an active part of our growing community. You'll have access to hidden forums, and enjoy the ability of replying and starting conversations.

Trawsfynydd and Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway

Discussion in 'Heritage Railways & Centres in the UK' started by WickhamofWare, Aug 21, 2009.

  1. Kingscross

    Kingscross Member

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2009
    Messages:
    711
    Likes Received:
    484
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    South West
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    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.
     
  2. MuzTrem

    MuzTrem Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2011
    Messages:
    937
    Likes Received:
    1,225
    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...
     
  3. sonicboom

    sonicboom New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2008
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    20
    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.
     
    pete2hogs likes this.
  4. mickpop

    mickpop Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Jun 18, 2010
    Messages:
    6,408
    Likes Received:
    5,603
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Cheshire
    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!
     
  5. talerddig14

    talerddig14 New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2014
    Messages:
    30
    Likes Received:
    12
    Gender:
    Male
    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.
     
  6. michaelh

    michaelh Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2006
    Messages:
    3,080
    Likes Received:
    1,291
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Very comfortably early retired
    Location:
    1029
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer

    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.
     
  7. pete2hogs

    pete2hogs Member

    Joined:
    Oct 16, 2007
    Messages:
    721
    Likes Received:
    418
    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.
     
    35B, mickpop, Wenlock and 2 others like this.
  8. Steve B

    Steve B Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jun 20, 2008
    Messages:
    2,069
    Likes Received:
    1,502
    Location:
    Shropshire
    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
     
  9. sonicboom

    sonicboom New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 20, 2008
    Messages:
    29
    Likes Received:
    20
    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.
     
    sem34090 likes this.
  10. michaelh

    michaelh Part of the furniture

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2006
    Messages:
    3,080
    Likes Received:
    1,291
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Very comfortably early retired
    Location:
    1029
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer


    Establishments? - are there more besides the Salt Marsh?
     
    Last edited: Mar 2, 2020
  11. sem34090

    sem34090 Member

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2018
    Messages:
    218
    Likes Received:
    167
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Where Summer comes soonest...
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    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
     
  12. Old Wusser and Wusser

    Old Wusser and Wusser New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 30, 2020
    Messages:
    26
    Likes Received:
    28
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    England
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    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.
     
  13. mdewell

    mdewell Well-Known Member Friend

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2005
    Messages:
    1,653
    Likes Received:
    2,564
    Occupation:
    UK & Ireland Heritage Railways Webmaster
    Location:
    Ruabon, Wrexham
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    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).
     
  14. Jamessquared

    Jamessquared Nat Pres stalwart

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    Messages:
    26,099
    Likes Received:
    57,414
    Location:
    LBSC 215
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
  15. marshall5

    marshall5 Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Oct 26, 2010
    Messages:
    2,375
    Likes Received:
    3,981
    Location:
    i.o.m
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    Yes I am an active volunteer
    Pete Thornhill likes this.
  16. Pete Thornhill

    Pete Thornhill Resident of Nat Pres Staff Member Administrator Moderator Friend

    Joined:
    Jul 24, 2008
    Messages:
    7,498
    Likes Received:
    5,455
    Now sorted and threads merged.
     
    jnc, mdewell and marshall5 like this.
  17. Martin Adalar

    Martin Adalar New Member

    Joined:
    May 2, 2018
    Messages:
    184
    Likes Received:
    64
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    5D
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    That scheme was never a goer and is now well and truly dead.
     
  18. Penrhynfan

    Penrhynfan New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2013
    Messages:
    116
    Likes Received:
    96
    Gender:
    Male
    Why is it now "well and truly dead"? What's changed?
     
  19. 30854

    30854 Resident of Nat Pres

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2017
    Messages:
    12,172
    Likes Received:
    11,493
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired
    Location:
    Brighton&Hove
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    Nothing of substance ..... and that's really the trouble.
     
  20. City of truro fan

    City of truro fan Member

    Joined:
    Nov 29, 2015
    Messages:
    783
    Likes Received:
    84
    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Honiton
    Heritage Railway Volunteer:
    No I do not currently volunteer
    It said in steam railway they caused trouble so got stopped doing it
     

Share This Page