35-568: Fairbourne is a seaside village in Gwynedd , Wales . Located on the coast of Barmouth Bay in Arthog community , to the south of the estuary of the River Mawddach , it is surrounded by Snowdonia National Park . It is in an area that had been listed by Gwynedd Council for managed retreat due to rising sea levels. Fairbourne is part of the historic county of Meirionnydd . The area
70-399: A seaside resort. In July 1895, Arthur McDougall purchased a substantial acreage from land speculators, which he enlarged by additional lots the following year. He then immediately hired a builder to begin the development of a model seaside resort. Unusually for Gwynedd county, the village has no official Welsh-language name. Unlike most of Gwynedd, where Welsh is the majority language, English
105-446: A seawall for tidal protection and several houses. To facilitate this, he built a 2 ft ( 610 mm ) gauge horse-drawn tramway from the main railway to the site in order to bring in building materials. In 1916, the tramway was converted to a 15 in ( 381 mm ) gauge steam railway. The wealthy flour-maker Sir Arthur McDougall had been looking for a country estate but when he discovered this area, he soon conceived of it as
140-489: Is also very important for the local economy, including Bangor University and Further Education colleges, Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor and Coleg Menai , both now part of Grŵp Llandrillo Menai . Gwynedd has the highest proportion of people in Wales who can speak Welsh . According to the 2021 census , 64.4% of the population aged three and over stated that they could speak Welsh, while 64.4% noted that they could speak Welsh in
175-489: Is based on tourism: many visitors are attracted by the many beaches and the mountains. A significant part of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park , which extends from the north coast down to the district of Meirionnydd in the south. But tourism provides seasonal employment and thus there is a shortage of jobs in the winter. Agriculture is less important than in the past, especially in terms of
210-476: Is important. Is Gwynedd Council just relying on consultants with computers?" In March 2022, the issue of Fairbourne was raised in the Welsh Senedd by Mabon ap Gwynfor AS: "The west of Wales shoreline management plan is based on work done 10 years ago. Now, since then, of course, a great deal of work has been done on coastal flood defences, which changes the forecast for communities such as Fairbourne, but
245-583: Is operated by Transport for Wales . Lloyds Coaches also operate a regular bus service to Dolgellau and Tywyn . Gwynedd Gwynedd ( Welsh: [ˈɡwɨnɛð] ) is a county in the north-west of Wales . It borders Anglesey across the Menai Strait to the north, Conwy , Denbighshire , and Powys to the east, Ceredigion over the Dyfi estuary to the south, and the Irish Sea to
280-468: Is potentially one way to minimise the present-day harms resulting from the projected effects of sea level rise and to imagine more open-ended, hopeful futures for affected coastal communities." The beach is a two-mile stretch of sand, backed by a steep storm beach of pebbles which is as high as the sea defences in some places. At the northern end the beach joins the Mawddach Estuary , while at
315-560: Is protected by the Llŷn AONB . Gwynedd also contains several of Wales's largest lakes and reservoirs, including the largest, Bala Lake ( Llyn Tegid ). The area which is now the county has played a prominent part in the history of Wales. It formed part of the core of the Kingdom of Gwynedd and the native Principality of Wales , which under the House of Aberffraw remained independent from
350-555: Is the predominant language in Fairbourne with most of its inhabitants coming from or descended from those who came from England. Fairbourne had been identified as unsustainable to defend, given predicted sea level rise . The best estimate was that the area would be abandoned between 2052 and 2062. This was based on a rise in critical sea level of 0.5 metres (1.6 ft). However, based on current rates of sea level rise it would take 100 to 200 years from 2014 to reach 0.5 metres. There
385-470: The 2011 census . It is estimated that 83% of the county's Welsh-speakers are fluent, the highest percentage of all counties in Wales. The age group with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd were those between ages 5 and 15, of whom 92.3% stated that they could speak Welsh in 2011. The proportion of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd declined between 1991 and 2001, from 72.1% to 68.7%, even though
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#1732794556091420-614: The Kingdom of England until Edward I 's conquest between 1277 and 1283. Edward built the castles at Caernarfon and Harlech , which form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site . During the Industrial Revolution the slate industry rapidly developed; in the late nineteenth century the neighbouring Penrhyn and Dinorwic quarries were the largest in
455-576: The Local Government Act 1972 . It covered the entirety of the historic counties of Anglesey and Caernarfonshire , and all of Merionethshire apart from Edeirnion Rural District (which went to Clwyd ); and also a few parishes of Denbighshire : Llanrwst , Llansanffraid Glan Conwy , Eglwysbach , Llanddoged, Llanrwst and Tir Ifan. The county was divided into five districts : Aberconwy , Arfon , Dwyfor , Meirionnydd and Anglesey . The Local Government (Wales) Act 1994 abolished
490-512: The 1974 county (and the five districts) on 1 April 1996, and its area was divided: the Isle of Anglesey became an independent unitary authority, and Aberconwy (which included the former Denbighshire parishes) passed to the new Conwy County Borough . The remainder of the county was constituted as a principal area, with the name Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire , as it covers most of the areas of those two historic counties. As one of its first actions,
525-523: The Council renamed itself Gwynedd on 2 April 1996. The present Gwynedd local government area is governed by Gwynedd Council . As a unitary authority , the modern entity no longer has any districts, but Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd remain as area committees . The pre-1996 boundaries were retained as a preserved county for a few purposes such as the Lieutenancy . In 2003, the boundary with Clwyd
560-632: The European Blue Flag criteria. The Fairbourne Railway has provided a link from the village to Penrhyn Point for over a century. It runs regular passenger services between April and October. The Barmouth Ferry sails from the seaward end of the Fairbourne Railway to Barmouth /Abermaw. Fairbourne railway station is served by the Cambrian Coast Railway , which runs from Machynlleth to Pwllheli and
595-610: The Snowdonia National Park Authority; Conwy County Borough Council appoints three; and the Welsh Government appoints the remaining six. There has been considerable inwards migration to Gwynedd, particularly from England. According to the 2021 census, 66.6% of residents had been born in Wales whilst 27.1% were born in England. The county has a mixed economy. An important part of the economy
630-511: The highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Wales, at 64.4%, and is considered a heartland of the language . The geography of Gwynedd is mountainous, with a long coastline to the west. The county contains much of Snowdonia ( Eryri ), a national park which contains Wales's highest mountain, Snowdon ( Yr Wyddfa ; 3,560 feet, 1,090 m). To the west, the Llŷn Peninsula is flatter and renowned for its scenic coastline, part of which
665-520: The larger diameter stones typically arrayed at the highest beach elevations. It may also contain many small parts of shipwrecked boats. A noted textbook example is the 18-mile (29 km) long Chesil Beach in Dorset , one of three major shingle structures in Britain. It also connects the Isle of Portland to the mainland at Abbotsbury , west of the resort of Weymouth . Other examples appear in
700-979: The name and the Irish Féni , an early ethnonym for the Irish themselves, related to fían , 'company of hunting and fighting men, company of warriors under a leader'. Perhaps *u̯en-, u̯enə ('strive, hope, wish') is the Indo-European stem. The Irish settled in NW Wales, and in Dyfed , at the end of the Roman era. Venedotia was the Latin form, and in Penmachno there is a memorial stone from c. AD 500 which reads: Cantiori Hic Iacit Venedotis ('Here lies Cantiorix, citizen of Gwynedd'). The name
735-452: The negative impact on the community as a consequence of the mention of 'decommissioning' Fairbourne in '2054' by the press and other stakeholders"...."There are no current plans to decommission the village". An email to Arthog Community Council from Mr Williams from July 2022 also contains the line: "No public body – let alone Gwynedd Council – is intending to destroy Fairbourne." In May 2023, Welsh Government Climate Change minister Julie James
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#1732794556091770-425: The number of people who earn their living on the land, but it remains an important element of the economy. The most important of the traditional industries is the slate industry, but these days only a small percentage of workers earn their living in the slate quarries. Industries which have developed more recently include TV and sound studios: the record company Sain has its HQ in the county. The education sector
805-479: The plans haven't changed to reflect this work... There is room to doubt the modelling of Natural Resources Wales, which is based on inadequate data and old software." In May 2022, Arthog Community Council approved a motion to reject the plans by Gwynedd Council to decommission Fairbourne village, citing various failings in the decision-making process. In November 2022, Huw Williams of Gwynedd Council stated: "The Fairbourne Moving Forward Project Board has been aware of
840-573: The proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales as a whole increased during that decade to 20.5%. The Annual Population Survey estimated that as of March 2023, 77.0% of those in Gwynedd aged three years and above could speak Welsh. Storm beach A storm beach is a beach affected by particularly fierce waves , usually with a very long fetch . The resultant landform is often a very steep beach (up to 45°) composed of rounded cobbles , shingle and occasionally sand . The stones usually have an obvious grading of pebbles , from large to small, with
875-485: The southern end of the beach is squeezed between sheer cliffs and the sea. The beach is a venue for people exercising their dogs, however, during the summer months there is a dog ban enforced on the central area. There is access to the beach for those visitors with prams and/or wheelchairs. The beach is fronted by tank traps known as "Dragon's Teeth" dating from the Second World War . The beach regularly meets
910-509: The views of Fairbourne residents to the proposed plans for the village. There was a feeling by residents that their concerns were being ignored, and that Fairbourne was being selected for decommissioning without adequate justification. "Having attended the multi-agency meeting in the village hall, residents are 'stone walled', not listened to, and told what to do without our views being considered." "It has been stressed at public meetings and acknowledged by Natural Resources Wales that local knowledge
945-492: The west. The city of Bangor is the largest settlement, and the administrative centre is Caernarfon . The preserved county of Gwynedd, which is used for ceremonial purposes, includes the Isle of Anglesey . Gwynedd is the second largest county in Wales but sparsely populated, with an area of 979 square miles (2,540 km ) and a population of 117,400. After Bangor (18,322), the largest settlements are Caernarfon (9,852), Bethesda (4,735), and Pwllheli (4,076). The county has
980-529: The world, and the Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales is now a World Heritage Site. Gwynedd covers the majority of the historic counties of Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire . In the past, historians such as J. E. Lloyd assumed that the Celtic source of the word Gwynedd meant 'collection of tribes' – the same root as the Irish fine , meaning 'tribe'. Further, a connection is recognised between
1015-507: Was adjusted to match the modern local government boundary, so that the preserved county now covers the two local government areas of Gwynedd and Anglesey. Conwy county borough is now entirely within Clwyd. A Gwynedd Constabulary was formed in 1950 by the merger of the Anglesey, Caernarfonshire and Merionethshire forces. A further amalgamation took place in the 1960s when Gwynedd Constabulary
1050-420: Was an intent to maintain defences of the village for a period of only 40 years from 2014. This policy of managed retreat was strongly opposed by local residents. In November 2021, government officials declared that by 2052, it would no longer be safe/sustainable to live in the village. This has been disputed by a number of research reports. In 2021 a survey was carried out by Arthog Community Council to obtain
1085-407: Was asked about the future of the village. She was adamant that the village had not been written off. She said: "We have made no decision on the future of Fairbourne, I want to make that clear." Arnall and Hilson (2023) investigated the political conflict which had developed between residents of Fairbourne and Gwynedd Council. They concluded: "The paper highlights the need for improved dialogue...This
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1120-407: Was formed in 1951. After the 1974 local authority reorganisation, the park fell entirely within the boundaries of Gwynedd, and was run as a department of Gwynedd County Council. After the 1996 local government reorganisation, part of the park fell under Conwy County Borough , and the park's administration separated from the Gwynedd council. Gwynedd Council still appoints nine of the eighteen members of
1155-630: Was merged with the Flintshire and Denbighshire county forces, retaining the name Gwynedd. In one proposal for local government reform in Wales, Gwynedd had been proposed as a name for a local authority covering all of north Wales, but the scheme as enacted divided this area between Gwynedd and Clwyd. To prevent confusion, the Gwynedd Constabulary was therefore renamed the North Wales Police . The Snowdonia National Park
1190-471: Was originally salt marshes and slightly higher grazing lands. Before development began in the mid-19th century, there were three farms on the land. The coastal area was originally known as Morfa Henddol, while the promontory outcrop now occupied by the Fairbourne Hotel was called Ynysfaig. Circa 1865, Solomon Andrews, a Welsh entrepreneur, purchased the promontory. Over the next few years, he built
1225-528: Was retained by the Brythons when the kingdom of Gwynedd was formed in the 5th century, and it remained until the invasion of Edward I. This historical name was revived when the new county was formed in 1974. Gwynedd was an independent kingdom from the end of the Roman period until the 13th century, when it was conquered by England . The modern Gwynedd was one of eight Welsh counties created on 1 April 1974 under
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