Aberglaslyn Pass facts for kids
The Aberglaslyn Pass (which is Bwlch Aberglaslyn in Welsh) is a super beautiful, narrow gorge. You can find it in Snowdonia, a national park in Gwynedd, North Wales. A main road, the A498/A4085, follows the Afon Glaslyn river through this amazing pass. It goes from the village of Beddgelert all the way to Porthmadog.
Contents
The Glaslyn River's Journey
Imagine this: not so long ago, in the early 1800s, small boats could actually sail on the Glaslyn river! They could go as far as Pont Aberglaslyn. This bridge is only about 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Beddgelert. Beddgelert was once home to a monastery. In the Middle Ages, it was a safe place for travelers to rest. People often preferred this route to Caernarfon or Bangor. It was much shorter than sailing all the way around the Llŷn Peninsula.
Pont Aberglaslyn is in the area called Nantmor. From here to the sea, the land has changed a lot. This happened because of a huge wall built in 1812 at Porthmadog. This wall, called The Cob, helped create new land from the Traeth Mawr estuary.
The Legend of Pont Aberglaslyn
Pont Aberglaslyn has a cool story about the Devil! It's like other tales found across the British Isles. The Devil built the bridge. But he wanted the soul of the first living thing to cross it. When the bridge was done, he told a magician named Robin Ddu. Robin went to see the new bridge. He brought a dog with him, luring it with a fresh loaf of bread.
Robin asked the Devil if the bridge was strong enough. He pretended to worry it couldn't even hold his loaf of bread! The Devil was surprised. He demanded Robin throw the loaf onto the bridge to prove its strength. So, Robin threw the bread. The dog chased it right across the bridge! This tricked the Devil out of a human soul. Robin Ddu then went back to the pub to relax.
In another version of this story, a local hotel owner asks Robin for help. Robin agrees to build the bridge. But his payment would be the soul of the first person to cross it.
Who Was Robin Ddu?
Robin Ddu, or Black Robin the Magician, was a real person. His full name was Robin Ddu ap Siencyn Bledrydd of Anglesey. He lived around the year 1450. He was a poet, and some called him a "prophetic poet." About ninety of his poems are still around today! It seems Robin also pretended to be a sorcerer or wizard. He appears in many old Welsh tales.
The Railway Through the Pass
Later, in the late 1800s, people wanted to build a railway to Beddgelert. Many plans were made. Some railway projects even started but were never finished. Finally, one plan worked! The Welsh Highland Railway opened in 1922. It ran from Dinas near Caernarfon to Porthmadog.
Sadly, the railway closed in 1937. Its tracks were taken away in 1941 to be used for the war. But the path where the tracks used to be remained. An iron bridge was also left behind.
Walking the Old Railway Path
Since then, the old railway path and its three tunnels became a very popular place for walking. The longest tunnel was built in 1906. But trains didn't use it until 1922. Before The Cob was built, the Glaslyn estuary had tides reaching Pont Aberglaslyn. The "fisherman's path" through the pass was used to get to the coast. Over time, this path wasn't used much. The river's erosion made it hard to pass.
In the mid-1990s, there was a big debate. The Ffestiniog Railway wanted to rebuild the Welsh Highland Railway. This meant taking over the old track path. Walkers and environmental groups worried they would lose an important footpath. They also claimed the pass would be unsafe for trains due to falling rocks. To solve these worries, engineers planned safety work. This included fixing rocks and walls. Local experts did this work.
Rebuilding the Railway and Path
In 2000, the Welsh Highland Railway closed the path to walkers. They needed to get ready to rebuild the railway. The railway company worked with the National Trust. The National Trust owns the land around the pass. Together, they rebuilt the fisherman's path so people could use it again.
In 2003, a new footbridge was built across the river at Bryn-y-felin. Before this, in 1999, the old railway bridge had been removed. It had been unsafe for years. In March 2006, a new bridge was put in. It looked almost exactly like the original one. The old bridge had not been looked after since 1936. It was very rusty. The original bridge was designed for use in India. It was never painted, and holes were never drilled for rainwater to drain. This was despite railway inspectors suggesting it in the 1920s. That's why it was so decayed.
People kept using the old railway path and tunnels unofficially. They liked the better views and the thrill of walking through the tunnels. It was also a more direct way to the Nantmor car park than the narrow, slippery Fisherman's Path.
The railway tracks reached the pass in August 2007. By mid-October, the tracks had already gone past the tunnels. They also passed the dramatic rock cuttings and embankments near Nantmor.
Images for kids
-
Aberglaslyn Pass near Bwthyn Aber
