Despite the sunshine, a bitter wind from the east scythes across the exposed wooden deck of the bridge and whistles around the massive arch of ironwork that once swung open to allow ships to pass. Pont Abermaw – Barmouth Bridge – carries the Cambrian Coast railway over the Afon Mawddach, on its journey south between Machynlleth and Pwllheli, as well as hosting a path for walkers and cyclists.
As I watch, the train eases around the curve on to the bridge and trundles past me. The railway has a modest single track and carries equally humble two-carriage trains, yet these form a vital strategic service for many on this coast. Children ride the train to school and older folk take it to the next town for their weekly shop, while others revel in the impressive views of land and sea.
From the centre of the bridge there is a spectacular sweep of mountainous high ground visible to the south and east. The sun is moving west, and the shadows across the barren escarpment of Cadair Idris are deepening. A faint haze softens the more distant peaks, but the stark outlines of Tyrrau Mawr and Braich Ddu retain their mass and grandeur. This steep, north-facing ridge has an ancient and complex geology, with intensely resistant Ordovician volcanic strata rising above softer sedimentary rocks.
The landform has been further complicated by significant glaciation – resulting in a landscape of sharply outlined steep crags towering over wildly unstable cones of scree and round, eroded domes. Below these, yet above the wooded slopes of the estuary itself, ribbons of dry-stone wall and square-set buildings surround areas of somewhat improved pasture where the sheep – now mostly lambing in the warmer fields near sea level – will graze in summer as the farming year rolls around.
As a foil against the depredations of passing time the bridge is nearing the end of a much-needed refurbishment, which has involved long periods of closure over successive winters. This has meant significant detours, giving a fresh understanding of how much the line is depended on. Hopefully now its future is more secure – for a while at least.
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