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PROJECTS
BACKGROUND, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
In 1848
with the development of an increasing railway network into
North Wales; governmental and local authority decisions were
taken to build this unique 1.5 mile long breakwater – quarried
from the nearby mountain and taking twenty five years to
complete.
In the
ensuing years it offered deepwater protection to an immense
variety of ships passing up and down the Irish Sea; and quite
naturally provided the incentive to develop an inner
commercial harbour which has nowadays become a substantial
port facility for passenger and commercial traffic between
Europe, the UK and Ireland – having some of the latest and
largest ferries, and about 4 million passengers passing through
each year.
One
hundred and thirty years on in late 2003 – many years of
community campaigning resulted in our local authorities and
port owners agreeing to consider the concept of ‘Harvesting
Local Heritage’ by means of enhancing the already established
conservation Breakwater Park leisure area through the
sensitive but ground breaking initiative of ‘rejuvenating’ a
passenger carrying narrow gauge railway between the old
quarries and lighthouse at the end of the breakwater – a
distance of some 2.5 miles which so few people can easily
walk!
In early
2004, with the support of Communities First, a group was
formed with the twin aims of recording and preserving local
heritage, and making the whole area accessible to all. A Land
Train was acquired, and following refurbishment a regular
service linking McKenzie Pier, Newry Beach and the Breakwater
Country Park was introduced in July 2005.
With the Land Train
operational, we can now concentrate on early plans for the
narrow gauge railway - and the creation of a permanent
exhibition recording the building of the Breakwater, and the
subsequent history of the quarries. We are also proposing
the re-installation of a standard gauge line along the length
of the Breakwater.
It is also intended that we work closely with the Holyhead
Maritime Museum who plan to refurbish the lighthouse at the
end of the Breakwater.
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HBRC founder members, Jennifer Horsford and Brian Wills with the Land Train, September 2007.
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Web site design by
eDesign.
© The
Holyhead Breakwater Railway Group 2004-2007.
This project is sponsored by
communities first | cymunedau yn gyntaf.
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