Barmouth Bridge - Misplaced Pages

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84-638: Barmouth Bridge ( Welsh : Pont Abermaw ), or Barmouth Viaduct is a Grade II* listed single-track wooden railway viaduct across the estuary of the River Mawddach near Barmouth , Wales. It is 900 yards (820 m) long and carries the Cambrian Line . It is the longest timber viaduct in Wales and one of the oldest in regular use in Britain. Barmouth Bridge was designed by and constructed for

168-455: A British Rail Class 37 diesel locomotive number 37427 was named Bont Y Bermo ( Welsh for Barmouth Bridge) to celebrate the reintroduction of locomotive-hauled trains following repairs. Locomotive-hauled trains were forbidden shortly afterwards after weight restrictions were imposed upon all bridge traffic. After major repairs in 2005, the weight restriction was finally relaxed and locomotive-hauled trains are allowed to cross. In March 2013,

252-492: A "troll house". In December 2018, it was reported that the future of the bridge was once again in doubt, but a £25 million 3-year restoration project was announced by Network Rail in May 2020. Network Rail had considered building a new bridge, involving significant groundwork and piling, but chose refurbishment because timber is lighter and the 1867 structure is considered iconic. The restoration intended to replace like-for-like

336-441: A Welsh Language Scheme, which indicates its commitment to the equality of treatment principle. This is sent out in draft form for public consultation for a three-month period, whereupon comments on it may be incorporated into a final version. It requires the final approval of the now defunct Welsh Language Board ( Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg ). Thereafter, the public body is charged with implementing and fulfilling its obligations under

420-594: A Welsh-language edge inscription was used on pound coins dated 1985, 1990 and 1995, which circulated in all parts of the UK prior to their 2017 withdrawal. The wording is Pleidiol wyf i'm gwlad (Welsh for 'True am I to my country'), and derives from the national anthem of Wales, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau ". UK banknotes are in English only. Some shops employ bilingual signage. Welsh sometimes appears on product packaging or instructions. The UK government has ratified

504-663: A census glossary of terms to support the release of results from the census, including their definition of "main language" as referring to "first or preferred language" (though that wording was not in the census questionnaire itself). The wards in England with the most people giving Welsh as their main language were the Liverpool wards of Central and Greenbank ; and Oswestry South in Shropshire . The wards of Oswestry South (1.15%), Oswestry East (0.86%) and St Oswald (0.71%) had

588-408: A fireworks display and special charter trains were run. The same month, Bill Kelly, the chief operating officer of Network Rail Wales, spoke of unapproved ambitions to spend around £20 million to secure the long-term future of Barmouth Bridge between 2019 and 2024. In late 2017, an "honesty toll" of £1 for adults and 50p for children was introduced with a troll mascot, and the old toll house rebranded as

672-422: A large number of timber elements of the viaduct, the metallic spans of the viaduct, as well as the entire 820 metres (2,690 ft) length of track across it. The swinging elements of the bridge were not to be restored, but all key mechanisms associated with the swing bridge were to be retained in situ in accordance with the 1988 Grade II* listing of the structure. The work was not intended to speed up journeys along

756-537: A line between Aberystwyth and Pwllheli. Authorisation for the railway was received in 1861–1862 and the detailed design of the bridge was started. Barmouth Bridge was designed by the civil engineers Benjamin Piercy and Henry Conybeare in 1864. Conybeare decided on the use of a timber viaduct because it was about four times cheaper to import wood from the Baltic by sea than to construct an iron bridge. The decision

840-479: A single discourse (known in linguistics as code-switching ). Welsh speakers are largely concentrated in the north and west of Wales, principally Gwynedd , Conwy County Borough , Denbighshire , Anglesey , Carmarthenshire , north Pembrokeshire , Ceredigion , parts of Glamorgan , and north-west and extreme south-west Powys . However, first-language and other fluent speakers can be found throughout Wales. Welsh-speaking communities persisted well into

924-564: Is a route of the United Kingdom National Cycle Network , running from Cardiff to Holyhead . The route passes through the heart of Wales, and is also known as Lôn Las Cymru ( Welsh for 'Wales' green lane'). It is largely north–south from Holyhead to Cardiff or Chepstow , and in total measures some 400 km (250 mi) in length. Some of its route follows the trackbed of former railway lines, such as Lôn Las Menai , Lôn Eifion ,

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1092-642: Is available throughout Europe on satellite and online throughout the UK. Since the digital switchover was completed in South Wales on 31 March 2010, S4C Digidol became the main broadcasting channel and fully in Welsh. The main evening television news provided by the BBC in Welsh is available for download. There is also a Welsh-language radio station, BBC Radio Cymru , which was launched in 1977. National Cycle Route 8 National Cycle Route 8 (or NCR 8 )

1176-688: Is considered to have lasted from then until the 14th century, when the Modern Welsh period began, which in turn is divided into Early and Late Modern Welsh. The word Welsh is a descendant, via Old English wealh, wielisc , of the Proto-Germanic word * Walhaz , which was derived from the name of the Celtic people known to the Romans as Volcae and which came to refer to speakers of Celtic languages, and then indiscriminately to

1260-495: Is insufficient to cover the council's share of costs, and there is no budget to employ staff to collect payments. Gwynedd Council proposed closing the bridge to pedestrians and cyclists for cost reasons, as it needed to find £9 million of savings by April 2016. Closing the bridge is one of over 100 cost saving options totalling £13 million that were put to a public consultation in autumn 2015. The council pays Network Rail £30,800 per year towards maintenance costs. A petition calling on

1344-549: Is one of the longest timber viaducts standing in Britain, and has been a Grade II* listed structure since its designation on 22 March 1988. Most of the bridge is built on top of a gravel bed, covered by shifting sand. The northern end of the viaduct, where the swing bridge is located, is next to Figle Fawr, a rock at the base of the Rhinogydd mountains. Water passing through the channel flows at up to 9 knots (17 km/h; 10 mph). The first two spans at this end are built on

1428-787: Is spoken natively in Wales , by some in England , and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province , Argentina ). It is spoken by smaller numbers of people in Canada and the United States descended from Welsh immigrants, within their households (especially in Nova Scotia ). Historically, it has also been known in English as "British", "Cambrian", "Cambric" and "Cymric". The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 gave

1512-511: Is the label attached to the Welsh of the 12th to 14th centuries, of which much more remains than for any earlier period. This is the language of nearly all surviving early manuscripts of the Mabinogion , although the tales themselves are certainly much older. It is also the language of the existing Welsh law manuscripts. Middle Welsh is reasonably intelligible to a modern-day Welsh speaker. The Bible translations into Welsh helped maintain

1596-732: The Cynfeirdd or "Early Poets" – is generally considered to date to the Primitive Welsh period. However, much of this poetry was supposedly composed in the Hen Ogledd , raising further questions about the dating of the material and language in which it was originally composed. This discretion stems from the fact that Cumbric was widely believed to have been the language used in Hen Ogledd. An 8th-century inscription in Tywyn shows

1680-677: The Mawddach Trail and the Taff Trail ; in other places, the route is on public highways. Both ends are easily accessible via the rail network. This largely follows the Taff Trail : Cardiff | Pontypridd | Abercynon | Merthyr Tydfil | Brecon Lon Las Cymru provides an alternative south route for those coming into Wales from the Severn Bridge , following Route 42 from Chepstow to Glasbury , where it joins Route 8: Chepstow | Usk | Abergavenny | Glasbury There

1764-500: The 2016 Australian census , 1,688 people noted that they spoke Welsh. In the 2011 Canadian census , 3,885 people reported Welsh as their first language . According to the 2021 Canadian census , 1,130 people noted that Welsh was their mother tongue. The 2018 New Zealand census noted that 1,083 people in New Zealand spoke Welsh. The American Community Survey 2009–2013 noted that 2,235 people aged five years and over in

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1848-466: The 2021 census , 7,349 people in England recorded Welsh to be their "main language". In the 2011 census, 1,189 people aged three and over in Scotland noted that Welsh was a language (other than English) that they used at home. It is believed that there are as many as 5,000 speakers of Patagonian Welsh . In response to the question 'Does the person speak a language other than English at home?' in

1932-599: The Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway on its line between Aberystwyth and Pwllheli . Work was authorised in 1861 and commenced in 1864. On 10 October 1867, the completed bridge was officially opened. Following the discovery of severe corrosion on underwater sections of ironwork, an intensive restoration programme was performed between December 1899 and late 1902. By 1980, the viaduct was under attack by marine woodworm , which led to concerns that it would have to be closed and demolished. Because of its value to tourism , it

2016-538: The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in respect of Welsh. The language has greatly increased its prominence since the creation of the television channel S4C in November 1982, which until digital switchover in 2010 broadcast 70 per cent of Channel 4's programming along with a majority of Welsh language shows during peak viewing hours. The all-Welsh-language digital station S4C Digidol

2100-756: The Polish name for Italians) have a similar etymology. The Welsh term for the language, Cymraeg , descends from the Brythonic word combrogi , meaning 'compatriots' or 'fellow countrymen'. Welsh evolved from Common Brittonic , the Celtic language spoken by the ancient Celtic Britons . Classified as Insular Celtic , the British language probably arrived in Britain during the Bronze Age or Iron Age and

2184-542: The Snowdonia National Park . The Cambrian Coast Line was operated by Arriva Trains Wales until 2018, and is now operated by Transport for Wales Rail , which provides connecting services north to Pwllheli and east to Machynlleth , Shrewsbury and Birmingham International . The timber section of the bridge is 699 metres (764 yd) long, and is made up of 113 wooden trestles, each about 5.5 metres (6.0 yd) span, supported by cast iron piers. It

2268-640: The United States spoke Welsh at home. The highest number of those (255) lived in Florida . Sources: Calls for the Welsh language to be granted official status grew with the establishment of the nationalist political party Plaid Cymru in 1925, the establishment of the Welsh Language Society in 1962 and the rise of Welsh nationalism in the later 20th century. Of the six living Celtic languages (including two revived), Welsh has

2352-542: The "hugely important role", adding, "I look forward to working with the Welsh Government and organisations in Wales in developing the new system of standards. I will look to build on the good work that has been done by the Welsh Language Board and others to strengthen the Welsh language and ensure that it continues to thrive." First Minister Carwyn Jones said that Huws would act as a champion for

2436-596: The 1880s identified a small part of Shropshire as still then speaking Welsh, with the "Celtic Border" passing from Llanymynech through Oswestry to Chirk . The number of Welsh-speaking people in the rest of Britain has not yet been counted for statistical purposes. In 1993, the Welsh-language television channel S4C published the results of a survey into the numbers of people who spoke or understood Welsh, which estimated that there were around 133,000 Welsh-speaking people living in England, about 50,000 of them in

2520-615: The 1960s, passenger train services through Barmouth declined after the closure of the Ruabon to Barmouth line via Llangollen and Dolgellau in 1965, causing all traffic to take the longer and slower route from Shrewsbury via Machynlleth and Dovey Junction . The old trackbed from Morfa Mawddach railway station to Dolgellau now forms the Mawddach Trail , a walking and cycle trail. By 1980, the bridge's 500 timber trestle piles were under attack from marine woodworm at river bed level and

2604-536: The 1993 Act nor secondary legislation made under it covers the private sector, although some organisations, notably banks and some railway companies, provide some of their information in Welsh. On 7 December 2010, the Welsh Assembly unanimously approved a set of measures to develop the use of the Welsh language within Wales. On 9 February 2011 this measure, the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 ,

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2688-486: The Assembly which confirms the official status of the Welsh language; which creates a strong advocate for Welsh speakers and will improve the quality and quantity of services available through the medium of Welsh. I believe that everyone who wants to access services in the Welsh language should be able to do so, and that is what this government has worked towards. This legislation is an important and historic step forward for

2772-519: The Barmouth Viaduct Access Group (B-VAG), was established to investigate an alternative route from the town centre to the bridge, as the walkway is steep, narrow, and unsuitable for pushchairs or wheelchairs. In June, the bridge toll was removed after the collectors left and were not replaced. The council is undecided as to how to pay for maintenance costs, which were £39,405 for the year. This is problematic as revenue from tolls

2856-522: The Grade II* listing of the structure. The nearest road across the Afon Mawddach is the toll bridge at Penmaenpool about 5 miles (8 km) upstream, which can carry vehicles up to 2.5 tonnes (5,500 lb). Heavier vehicles must use the first public road bridge, at Dolgellau , about 10 miles (16 km) from Barmouth. Pedestrians, motorcyclists and cyclists and can cross the estuary via

2940-550: The Greater London area. The Welsh Language Board , on the basis of an analysis of the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study, estimated there were 110,000 Welsh-speaking people in England, and another thousand in Scotland and Northern Ireland. In the 2011 census , 8,248 people in England gave Welsh in answer to the question "What is your main language?" The Office for National Statistics subsequently published

3024-496: The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, all new signs have Welsh displayed first. There have been incidents of one of the languages being vandalised, which may be considered a hate crime . Since 2000, the teaching of Welsh has been compulsory in all schools in Wales up to age 16; this has had an effect in stabilising and reversing the decline in the language. Text on UK coins tends to be in English and Latin. However,

3108-704: The Welsh Language Scheme. The list of other public bodies which have to prepare Schemes could be added to by initially the Secretary of State for Wales, from 1993 to 1997, by way of statutory instrument . Subsequent to the forming of the National Assembly for Wales in 1997, the Government Minister responsible for the Welsh language can and has passed statutory instruments naming public bodies who have to prepare Schemes. Neither

3192-667: The Welsh language official status in Wales. Welsh and English are de jure official languages of the Welsh Parliament, the Senedd , with Welsh being the only de jure official language in any part of the United Kingdom, with English being merely de facto official. According to the 2021 census , the Welsh-speaking population of Wales aged three or older was 538,300 (17.8%) and nearly three quarters of

3276-526: The Welsh language, though some had concerns over her appointment: Plaid Cymru spokeswoman Bethan Jenkins said, "I have concerns about the transition from Meri Huws's role from the Welsh Language Board to the language commissioner, and I will be asking the Welsh government how this will be successfully managed. We must be sure that there is no conflict of interest, and that the Welsh Language Commissioner can demonstrate how she will offer

3360-487: The Welsh of the 16th century, but they are similar enough for a fluent Welsh speaker to have little trouble understanding it. During the Modern Welsh period, there has been a decline in the popularity of the Welsh language: the number of Welsh speakers declined to the point at which there was concern that the language would become extinct. During industrialisation in the late 19th century, immigrants from England led to

3444-630: The Welsh-speaking heartlands, with the number dropping to under 50 per cent in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire for the first time. However, according to the Welsh Language Use Survey in 2019–20, 22 per cent of people aged three and over were able to speak Welsh. The Annual Population Survey (APS) by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that as of March 2024, approximately 862,700, or 28.0 per cent of

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3528-463: The bridge was officially opened, and steam-hauled services started using the track. In August 1899, Alfred Jones Collin, the chief engineer of Cambrian Railways (which had absorbed the A&;WCR in 1865), ordered underwater inspections to check the integrity of the drawbridge span's ironwork. They discovered that the supports were severely corroded , undermining its structural integrity and requiring

3612-460: The census. In terms of usage, ONS also reported that 14.4 per cent (443,800) of people aged three or older in Wales reported that they spoke Welsh daily in March 2024, with 5.4 per cent (165,500) speaking it weekly and 6.5 per cent (201,200) less often. Approximately 1.7 per cent (51,700) reported that they never spoke Welsh despite being able to speak the language, with the remaining 72.0 per cent of

3696-527: The council to "cease considerations of closing this much loved walking and cycling route" attracted 20,000 signatures in a week. In February 2016, it was reported that the bridge would not close. On 4 October 2016, Barmouth Bridge was closed to traffic for a week following a fire on the structure. The following day, Liz Saville Roberts MP called for its speedy renovation as a matter of urgency. The viaduct celebrated its 150th anniversary in October 2017 with

3780-414: The course of the 20th century this monolingual population all but disappeared, but a small percentage remained at the time of the 1981 census. Most Welsh-speaking people in Wales also speak English. However, many Welsh-speaking people are more comfortable expressing themselves in Welsh than in English. A speaker's choice of language can vary according to the subject domain and the social context, even within

3864-489: The creation of Old Welsh, Davies suggests it may be more appropriate to refer to this derivative language as Lingua Britannica rather than characterising it as a new language altogether. The argued dates for the period of "Primitive Welsh" are widely debated, with some historians' suggestions differing by hundreds of years. The next main period is Old Welsh ( Hen Gymraeg , 9th to 11th centuries); poetry from both Wales and Scotland has been preserved in this form of

3948-432: The deck, with driven piles as fenders . The water around the trestles had a maximum depth of 54 feet (16 m) at spring tides but the river bed was raised by tipping stones to protect the piles. The viaduct had a 47 feet (14 m) wooden drawbridge near its northern end allowing tall ships to pass upstream. The drawbridge span, which was carried on top of wrought iron piles, opened by tilting and rolling back over

4032-479: The decline in Welsh speakers particularly in the South Wales Valleys. Welsh government processes and legislation have worked to increase the proliferation of the Welsh language, for example through education. Welsh has been spoken continuously in Wales throughout history; however, by 1911, it had become a minority language, spoken by 43.5 per cent of the population. While this decline continued over

4116-560: The factory at Penrhyndeudraeth which was re-routed via Maentwrog Road railway station and the Conwy Valley Line . Gwynedd County Council opposed permanently closing the bridge as 40 per cent of all tourism in the area was rail-related. The government applied for a £2.5 million grant from the European Economic Community (EEC) to finance repairs, and £4.6 million was spent on signalling improvements upon

4200-523: The following Friday attended by Wales Office minister Fay Jones , Senedd member Joyce Watson , the mayor of Barmouth and representatives of Network Rail and their engineering contractors. Welsh language Welsh ( Cymraeg [kəmˈraːiɡ] or y Gymraeg [ə ɡəmˈraːiɡ] ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people . Welsh

4284-491: The following decades, the language did not die out. The smallest number of speakers was recorded in 1981 with 503,000 although the lowest percentage was recorded in the most recent census in 2021 at 17.8 per cent. By the start of the 21st century, numbers began to increase once more, at least partly as a result of the increase in Welsh-medium education . The 2004 Welsh Language Use Survey showed that 21.7 per cent of

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4368-500: The footbridge on the bridge's eastern side. Since 1996, the footbridge has been part of National Cycle Route 8 linking Cardiff and Holyhead . The footbridge is owned by Network Rail , and Gwynedd Council contributes 10 per cent of its annual maintenance cost in exchange for a licence to use it. A bridge across the Mawddach Estuary at Barmouth was proposed by the Aberystwith and Welsh Coast Railway , which constructed

4452-469: The highest number of native speakers who use the language on a daily basis, and it is the Celtic language which is considered the least endangered by UNESCO . The Welsh Language Act 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 provide that the Welsh and English languages be treated equally in the public sector, as far as is reasonable and practicable. Each public body is required to prepare for approval

4536-476: The highest percentage of residents giving Welsh as their main language. The census also revealed that 3,528 wards in England, or 46% of the total number, contained at least one resident whose main language is Welsh. In terms of the regions of England , North West England (1,945), London (1,310) and the West Midlands (1,265) had the highest number of people noting Welsh as their main language. According to

4620-456: The history of Welsh, with rather indistinct boundaries: Primitive Welsh, Old Welsh, Middle Welsh, and Modern Welsh. The period immediately following the language's emergence is sometimes referred to as Primitive Welsh, followed by the Old Welsh period – which is generally considered to stretch from the beginning of the 9th century to sometime during the 12th century. The Middle Welsh period

4704-595: The language already dropping inflections in the declension of nouns. Janet Davies proposed that the origins of the Welsh language were much less definite; in The Welsh Language: A History , she proposes that Welsh may have been around even earlier than 600 AD. This is evidenced by the dropping of final syllables from Brittonic: * bardos 'poet' became bardd , and * abona 'river' became afon . Though both Davies and Jackson cite minor changes in syllable structure and sounds as evidence for

4788-506: The language, its speakers and for the nation." The measure was not welcomed warmly by all supporters: Bethan Williams, chairman of the Welsh Language Society, gave a mixed response to the move, saying, "Through this measure we have won official status for the language and that has been warmly welcomed. But there was a core principle missing in the law passed by the Assembly before Christmas. It doesn't give language rights to

4872-555: The language. As Germanic and Gaelic colonisation of Britain proceeded, the Brittonic speakers in Wales were split off from those in northern England, speaking Cumbric, and those in the southwest, speaking what would become Cornish , so the languages diverged. Both the works of Aneirin ( Canu Aneirin , c. 600 ) and the Book of Taliesin ( Canu Taliesin ) were written during this era. Middle Welsh ( Cymraeg Canol )

4956-497: The line. In the 1985–1986, the bridge was closed to traffic again for a seven-month period during the repair works, which entailed replacing 48 of the piles with greenheart hardwood. Others were encased and strengthened with grout and glass-reinforced concrete shrouds. Within the trestles, wailing timbers and diagonals were replaced with Douglas fir timber. Rail services resumed when the viaduct reopened in April 1986. On 13 April 1986,

5040-467: The line; the viaduct's long lateral structure gives it limited stability, meaning that maximum speeds of 20 mph (32 km/h) for passenger trains and 10 mph (16 km/h) for freight will remain. FSC -certified greenheart hardwood was sourced by NR from Guyana for its long track record of use in challenging applications, and preservative treatment is unnessary as it is resistant to attack by shipworm and wood rotting fungi. The first phase of

5124-622: The modern period across the border in England. Archenfield was still Welsh enough in the time of Elizabeth I for the Bishop of Hereford to be made responsible, together with the four Welsh bishops, for the translation of the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer into Welsh. Welsh was still commonly spoken there in the first half of the 19th century, and churchwardens' notices were put up in both Welsh and English until about 1860. Alexander John Ellis in

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5208-448: The number of Welsh-language speakers to one million by 2050. Since 1980, the number of children attending Welsh-medium schools has increased, while the number going to Welsh bilingual and dual-medium schools has decreased. Welsh is considered the least endangered Celtic language by UNESCO . The language of the Welsh developed from the language of Britons . The emergence of Welsh was not instantaneous and clearly identifiable. Instead,

5292-489: The passage of tall ships, the bridge incorporated a drawbridge , which was replaced between 1899 and 1902 by a swing bridge , which is no longer operational due to a lack of use. There is no provision for road traffic. Barmouth Bridge crosses the estuary of the Afon Mawddach between Barmouth to the north and Morfa Mawddach near Arthog on the south. It lies within both a Site of Special Scientific Interest and

5376-402: The people of Wales in every aspect of their lives. Despite that, an amendment to that effect was supported by 18 Assembly Members from three different parties, and that was a significant step forward." On 5 October 2011, Meri Huws , Chair of the Welsh Language Board , was appointed the new Welsh Language Commissioner. She released a statement that she was "delighted" to have been appointed to

5460-412: The people of the Western Roman Empire . In Old English the term went through semantic narrowing , coming to refer to either Britons in particular or, in some contexts, slaves. The plural form Wēalas evolved into the name for their territory, Wales. The modern names for various Romance-speaking people in Continental Europe (e.g. Walloons , Valaisans , Vlachs / Wallachians , and Włosi ,

5544-436: The population in Wales said they had no Welsh language skills. Other estimates suggest that 862,700 people (28.0%) aged three or older in Wales could speak Welsh in March 2024. Almost half of all Welsh speakers consider themselves fluent, while 20 per cent are able to speak a fair amount. 56 per cent of Welsh speakers speak the language daily, and 19 per cent speak the language weekly. The Welsh Government plans to increase

5628-471: The population not being able to speak it. The National Survey for Wales, conducted by Welsh Government, has also tended to report a higher percentage of Welsh speakers than the census, with the most recent results for 2022–2023 suggesting that 18 per cent of the population aged 3 and over were able to speak Welsh, with an additional 16 per cent noting that they had some Welsh-speaking ability. Historically, large numbers of Welsh people spoke only Welsh. Over

5712-502: The population of Wales aged 3 and over, were able to speak the language. Children and young people aged three to 15 years old were more likely to report that they could speak Welsh than any other age group (48.4 per cent, 241,300). Around 1,001,500 people, or 32.5 per cent, reported that they could understand spoken Welsh. 24.7 per cent (759,200) could read and 22.2 per cent (684,500) could write in Welsh. The APS estimates of Welsh language ability are historically higher than those produced by

5796-407: The population of Wales spoke Welsh, compared with 20.8 per cent in the 2001 census , and 18.5 per cent in the 1991 census . Since 2001, however, the number of Welsh speakers has declined in both the 2011 and 2021 censuses to about 538,300 or 17.8 per cent in 2021, lower than 1991, although it is still higher in absolute terms. The 2011 census also showed a "big drop" in the number of speakers in

5880-421: The project was completed in November 2020. The next two of the three planned closures were scheduled for September to December 2021 and October to December 2022. In August 2022, Network Rail announced that the final works would be carried out in two stages, in the autumn of 2022 and in 2023. The work was completed and the track reopened after a three-month closure on 2 December 2023, with a formal opening ceremony on

5964-423: The replacement of all the ironwork except for two piers. Repairs started that December and were completed by the end of 1902. The drawbridge was replaced with a swing bridge with a 41.5-metre-long (136 ft) single steel swing span, which rotated around a central pivot, close to a 36-metre-long (118 ft) fixed span. The spans are hogback-shaped lattice trusses , supported by pairs of cylindrical iron piers, and

6048-409: The required fresh approach to this new role." Huws started her role as the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. Local councils and the Senedd use Welsh, issuing Welsh versions of their literature, to varying degrees. Road signs in Wales are in Welsh and English. Prior to 2016, the choice of which language to display first was the responsibility of the local council. Since then, as part of

6132-440: The resulting damage was serious enough to threaten its closure. British Rail divers discovered that woodworm had eaten into 69 of the supporting pillars and estimated that it would cost around £2.5 million to repair. On 13 October 1980, the viaduct was temporarily closed to rail traffic, following which locomotive-hauled trains were banned, which resulted in the loss of traffic from Tywyn , including explosives traffic to and from

6216-403: The rock on cast iron cylindrical piers. The steel swing bridge section, which replaced the original drawbridge, was last opened (for testing) in April 1987. The installation of continuous rail across the movable section now prevents its movement, and the passage of tall ships in and out of the estuary. All mechanisms associated with the swing bridge, however, are left in situ, in accordance with

6300-651: The shift occurred over a long period, with some historians claiming that it had happened by as late as the 9th century , with a watershed moment being that proposed by linguist Kenneth H. Jackson , the Battle of Dyrham , a military battle between the West Saxons and the Britons in 577 AD, which split the South Western British from direct overland contact with the Welsh. Four periods are identified in

6384-405: The track on four 4 feet (1.2 m) wheels, spaced 50 feet (15 m) apart, and nine steel rollers . When opened, there was a 36 feet (11 m) gap between the fenders. The drawbridge was never regularly used as the opening of the railway effectively eliminated the need for traditional boat traffic. From 3 June 1867, the viaduct was opened for horse-drawn carriages to cross, and on 10 October,

6468-456: The turntable rests on a cluster of four piers. In 1906–8, the timber portion of the bridge was completely renewed. In 1946, the bridge was nearly destroyed after a live naval mine was washed ashore close to it during stormy weather. According to reports, the mine had swept past one of the pillars, but did not detonate and the bridge escaped unscathed. Following the Beeching cuts of

6552-526: The use of Welsh in daily life, and standardised spelling. The New Testament was translated by William Salesbury in 1567, and the complete Bible by William Morgan in 1588. Modern Welsh is subdivided into Early Modern Welsh and Late Modern Welsh. Early Modern Welsh ran from the 15th century through to the end of the 16th century, and the Late Modern Welsh period roughly dates from the 16th century onwards. Contemporary Welsh differs greatly from

6636-622: Was complete by around AD 550, and labelled the period between then and about AD 800 "Primitive Welsh". This Primitive Welsh may have been spoken in both Wales and the Hen Ogledd ('Old North') – the Brittonic-speaking areas of what are now northern England and southern Scotland – and therefore may have been the ancestor of Cumbric as well as Welsh. Jackson, however, believed that the two varieties were already distinct by that time. The earliest Welsh poetry – that attributed to

6720-576: Was hindered by strong tidal currents which caused multiple failed attempts to sink the bridge's piers from barges . Between March and June 1866, staging was built from the northern abutment for the bridge, and the piers were dropped into the water, bedded into the rock, and filled with concrete . Wooden trestles were built on screw piles 10 inches (250 mm)-14 inches (360 mm) wide with screw discs 36 inches (910 mm) in diameter in groups of three piles per pier. Timber trellis girders, 40 feet (12 m) long and 4 feet (1.2 m) deep, supported

6804-420: Was influenced by the incorrect belief that the estuary was free from marine borers , which attack and weaken the timber over time. During this era, timber pile viaducts were commonplace on British coastal railways, although the bridge at Barmouth would be longer than most. Construction began in 1864; the contractor was Thomas Savin , and the ironwork was produced by John Cochrane & Sons. Early on, progress

6888-518: Was passed and received Royal Assent, thus making the Welsh language an officially recognised language within Wales. The measure: The measure required public bodies and some private companies to provide services in Welsh. The Welsh government's Minister for Heritage at the time, Alun Ffred Jones , said, "The Welsh language is a source of great pride for the people of Wales, whether they speak it or not, and I am delighted that this measure has now become law. I am very proud to have steered legislation through

6972-517: Was probably spoken throughout the island south of the Firth of Forth . During the Early Middle Ages the British language began to fragment due to increased dialect differentiation, thus evolving into Welsh and the other Brittonic languages. It is not clear when Welsh became distinct. Linguist Kenneth H. Jackson has suggested that the evolution in syllabic structure and sound pattern

7056-603: Was repaired between 1985 and 1986, a closure of six months; a weight restriction and ban on locomotive-hauled trains were also introduced. These restrictions have been relaxed since 2005. The viaduct, between Morfa Mawddach and Barmouth stations in Gwynedd , is used by rail, cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians and is part of the National Cycle Route 8 . Tolls were collected for foot and cycle traffic up to 2013 but this has been voluntary since 2017. To allow

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