The Mawddach (Fegla Fawr top left)
Above co-ords are to the WOT’S IT?
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Soloman Andrews ,Victorian entrepreneur and Cardiff property developer was so struck by the beauty of the Mawddach estuary that in 1893 he bought a large estate on the south side of the river, around the wooded hill known as Fegla Fawr.
His idea was to turn the village of Arthog from a few straggling cottages into a resort that might rival if not surpass Llandudno and Abersytwyth.
A 3ft gauge horse drawn tramway was constructed to connect his various building sites with the coastal embankments that needed to be constructed.
When completed, the tramway was to be a tourist attraction, similar to the miniature railway at near-by Fairbourne, a seaside resort being developed by the self-raising flour magnate, Arthur McDougall.
Two jetties, one on the Cob and another at the western end, at the Mawddach Crescent site, would allow ferries to take Arthog residents to enjoy the facilities in Barmouth as well as bringing visitors across. They could then walk along the shoreline footpaths, up the hills, have picnics and enjoy the views before catching the ferry, tramcar or train for their return.
Soloman Andrews ‘grand design’ came to an end when a number of his houses collapsed as the result of subsidence due to the low-lying bog.
Once knowledge of the structural problems became public knowledge, Andrews deferred any further investment in the estate.
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