Barmouth
OS Grid Ref:- SH 615155
.The fishing village of Barmouth or Abermaw as it is known in Welsh, lies on the coast of Snowdonia, and is situated about eight miles from Dolgellau. Barmouth is a traditional seaside resort that owes much to the advent of the railways. Flanked by steep cliffs it offers some two miles of golden sandy beaches which are popular with surfers, swimmers and wind sailors alike.
Spanning the river estuary stands a 800 yard (732 metre) long bridge, which houses a railway line.
The poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and his wife Mary visited the town in 1812 and were very taken with it. Other famous visitors to Barmouth include the poet Alfred Tennyson, Victorian poet, artist, critic and conservationalist John Ruskin and Charles Darwin, author of the 'Origin of Species'.
The characterful settlement has a good selection of interesting and unusual shops and pubs and offers a range of hotel and guest house accomodation to suit all budgets and pockets. In addition there are also several well located caravan parks in the area.
The interesting Ty Gwyn Museum is set in a medieval tower house, purported to have once been occupied by Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke, and the uncle of the first Tudor king, Henry VII. Jasper is said to have plotted the downfall of his hated rival, Richard III, the last of the Plantagenet dynasty, at Ty Gwyn, prior to the historic Battle of Bosworth in 1485, fought in Leicestershire, where Richard met his end and Henry VII acquired the throne and established the Tudor dynasty on the throne of England and Wales.
The Church of St. John was built in the 1890's, and is set dramatically against the cliffs.
The railway bridge which spans the estuary has a footpath beside it from which there are superb views. A ferry sails from the village to across to the popular family resort of Fairbourne.
The annual Three Peaks Yacht Race, which is held in June, starts from Barmouth.
Barmouth is surrounded by some superb scenery. On the hillside at the back of the town is Dinas Oleum, which overlooks the bay, consists of four acres of cliff land owned by the National Trust.Dinas Oleum was the first acquisition of the fledgling National Trust in 1895.
The village makes an excellent base for exploring the surrounding area, the beautiful Mawddach Estuary is within easy reach, as is towering and legend haunted Cadair Idris and there are many excellent walks in the area.