Places to see in ( Porthmadog - UK )
Places to see in ( Porthmadog - UK )
Porthmadog, known locally as Port, and since 1974, rendered into Welsh from its former Anglicised form, Portmadoc, is a small coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd, in Wales. The town of Porthmadog lies 5 miles (8 km) east of Criccieth, 11 miles (18 km) south west of Blaenau Ffestiniog, 25 miles (40 km) north of Dolgellau and 20 miles (32 km) south of Caernarfon.
The town of Porthmadog developed in the 19th century as a port exporting slate to England and around the world. Since the decline of the slate industry it has become an important shopping centre for the surrounding area and a popular tourist destination. It has easy access to the Snowdonia National Park and is the terminus of the Ffestiniog Railway. In 1987 the National Eisteddfod was held in Porthmadog.
Porthmadog is located in Eifionydd on the estuary of the Afon Glaslyn where it runs into Tremadog Bay. The estuary, filled with sediment which was deposited by rivers emptying from the melting glaciers at the end of the last ice age, is a haven for migrating birds. Oystercatchers, redshanks and curlews are common and, in summer, there are flocks of sandwich terns. Borth-y-Gest, 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Porthmadog, is a village built in a shallow bowl which sweeps down to a sheltered bay, with hidden sandy coves and cliffs. Ships were built here before Porthmadog was established and houses, still known as pilot houses, were built at the mouth of the harbour so that pilots could keep a watch for ships needing them.
Morfa Bychan is 2.1 miles (3.4 km) south west of Porthmadog. It has a popular wide sandy beach, Black Rock Sands (Welsh: Traeth Morfa Bychan), with Graig Ddu, a rocky headland, at its western end. At low tide, rock pools and caverns are exposed. Sand dunes lie behind the beach, forming part of Morfa Bychan and Greenacres Nature Reserve. Tremadog, an exceptional example of a planned settlement, is 0.9 miles (1.4 km) north of Porthmadog. The village was built on land reclaimed from Traeth Mawr by William Madocks.
The Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, not to be confused with Welsh Highland Railway, is a three-quarter-mile (1.2 km) heritage railway. It includes an award-winning miniature railway, a heritage centre, a shop and a cafe. Porthmadog lies on the A487, the Fishguard to Bangor trunk road. The A498 runs north from Porthmadog to Beddgelert, giving access to Snowdonia. The A497 runs west through the southern Llyn Peninsula to Criccieth and Pwllheli. In 2008 the Welsh Assembly Government published plans for the A487 Porthmadog, Minffordd and Tremadog Bypass, which would reduce the amount of through traffic in the town of Porthmadog.
The town Porthmadog is served by three railway stations. Porthmadog Railway Station is on the Cambrian Coast Line between Pwllheli and Machynlleth. Trains, operated by Arriva Trains Wales, run through to Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton and Birmingham. Porthmadog Harbour Railway Station at the southern end of the Stryd Fawr has been the terminus of the Ffestiniog Railway from Blaenau Ffestiniog since passenger services started in 1865.
( Porthmadog - UK ) is well know as a tourist destination because of the variety of places you can enjoy while you are visiting the city of Porthmadog . Through a series of videos we will try to show you recommended places to visit in Porthmadog - UK
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Ffestiniog Railway group travel
A one minute video about the Ffestiniog Railway for group travel operators.
Ffestiniog Railway – Driver’s Eye View – Blaenau Ffestiniog to Porthmadog (Wales)
We start at the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestioniog – also known as “the town that roofed the world”. Loco No. 10 “Merddin Emrys” built in 1879 simmers at that platform end ready to haul the last train of the day on a glorious sunny evening. Our train traverses a narrow ledge cut into the hillside above the quarrymen’s cottages to Tanygrisiau, before passing the deep waters of Llyn Ystradau and plunging into the darkness of Moelwyn tunnel. The original track bed lies beneath the waters of Llyn Ystradau, today the line passes the lake on a new deviation between Tanygrisiau and Dduallt that includes a spiral formation allowing the new line to loose enough height to re-join the original route. Once again our little trains clings to the wooded slopes with occasional glimpses of the River Dwyryd far below, we pass the halfway point at Tan-y-Bwlch before we continue our steady descent to Penrhyn and Minffordd where we cross the Cambrian Coast Railway. Our descent continues to Boston Lodge works and onto the famed seawall to our destination at Porthmadog. I would like to offer my thanks to all the volunteers, staff and train crew for making my visit such a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For a map of the route please click on this link -
Places to see in ( Deganwy - UK )
Places to see in ( Deganwy - UK )
Deganwy is a small town in Conwy County Borough in Wales with a population of 3,936. It lies in the Creuddyn Peninsula alongside Llandudno and Rhos-on-Sea. Historically part of Caernarfonshire, it is in a more English-speaking region of north Wales, with only 1 in 4 residents speaking Welsh as a first language. It is located south of Llandudno and to the east of Conwy, which is on the opposite side of the River Conwy, and with which it forms the Conwy community.
Indeed, the name Deganwy has been interpreted in modern times as Din-Gonwy, which would mean Fort on the River Conwy, but the historical spellings make it impossible for this to be the actual origin of the name although mentioned in Domesday Book is the territory of the Decanae tribe. The original wooden castle was rebuilt in stone after 1210. Deganwy is in the ecclesiastical parish of Llanrhos, and has a Victorian era Gothic parish church dedicated to All Saints.
Deganwy's most notable feature is Deganwy Castle, situated 110 m above the town, which, in the 6th century was fortified as the stronghold of Maelgwn Gwynedd, king of Gwynedd. Deganwy appears to have been the capital of Gwynedd at this time, but this was later moved to Aberffraw on Anglesey. The hill on which the castle was built was fortified many times over the centuries. It was the site of a Norman castle built around 1082 and occupied by Robert of Rhuddlan, and later by Llywelyn the Great and Llywelyn ap Gruffudd. The castle was later demolished by Edward I when Conwy Castle was built opposite so that only ruins remain today.
Deganwy has a railway station on the Llandudno branch line with an hourly train service, available on request, to and from Manchester Piccadilly and intermediate stations. The LNWR built at Deganwy a rail connected riverside quay and wharfs, largely for the purpose of exporting slate by coastal steamer. The slate was brought by rail from Blaenau Ffestiniog. A marina with its accompanying housing and hotel accommodation was established on the site of the former slate wharfs early in the 21st century.
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Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales
Music by Brian Crain
London's most Magical Place you must visit
If it's May and you're in London, you must visit the Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park. I call it London's Garden of Eden. It's a peaceful floral sanctuary. If you haven't heard bird song in you part of the city lately, you ears will be overwhelmed with clear, melodious bird song.
Easily accessible from central London by train and bus. You can use your Oyster Card all the way there and back.
Train: Waterloo to Kingston on South West trains.
Bus: From outside Kingston station, take the 85 bus towards Putney. Get off at Warren Road bus stop, about an 8 min ride. When you get off the bus, walk towards the back of the bus on the same side as the bus stop. Approx 20 feet turn right in to the short road. You can see the gate into the park as soon as you turn into the road. The gate is about 20 yards from the bus stop. Read the map inside the gate. It's about a 12-15 min walk to the gate into the plantation. (The garden is walled to prevent the deer who live in the park from eating the whole place.)
Link To: Isabella Plantation Website:
North Wales: Country of Poetry
More info about travel to Wales: While visitors to Wales are greeted with bi-lingual signs and English-speaking locals, the Welsh language and culture remain alive and vibrant through the many songs and poetry composed and recited in the native language. A trip to Wales isn't complete without a jaunt into the beautiful countryside where dogs tend sheep and happy travelers leave with woolly sweaters.
For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit
Blaenau Ffestiniog To The Great Orme, North Wales
Using my new GoPro Hero4 Black, I decided to film some test footage.
I drove from Blaenau Ffestiniog to The Great Orme in North Wales, UK, attaching the GoPro to the roof of my car, filming some very beautiful scenery.
60sec Guide To Porthmadog
Porthmadog is a bustling harbor town with access to Black Rocks beach only 5 minutes drive away. It is a great location point for exploring the Llyn Peninsula as well as the more mountainous regions inland. A great selection of cafes and restaurants are situated on the high street along with gift shops. Here is our guide on Things To Do In Porthmadog.
Best places to visit
Best places to visit - Porthmadog (United Kingdom) Best places to visit - Slideshows from all over the world - City trips, nature pictures, etc.