Fairbourne Spit

Fairbourne Spit (also known as Penrhyn Point) is a long spit of sand and shingle at the mouth of the River Mawddach where it reaches Cardigan Bay, on the west coast of Wales. The gravel probably originates from Llwyngwril to the south, while the sand and dunes at the north end of the spit are partly deposited from the river, which is a long-term sink for sandy sediment.[1]

Fairbourne Spit viewed from Barmouth panorama point

The narrow-gauge Fairbourne & Barmouth Railway (built in 1895) runs the length of the spit and, at the very end of the headland a ferry service makes the river crossing to Barmouth.[2]

In the 2010s the spit is one of the locations around the coast of Wales that will no longer have its sea defences repaired, threatening Fairbourne and the surrounding area with regular flooding.[3]

See also
  • List of spits of the United Kingdom

References
  1. Pye, Kenneth; Saye, Samantha; Blott, Simon (May 2007), "Mawddach Estuary - 86a Fairbourne spit", Sand dune processes and management for flood plain and coastal defence - Part 3: The geomorphological and management status of coastal dunes in England and Wales (PDF), DEFRA/Environment Agency, p. 69
  2. Atkinson, David; Wilson, Neil, Wales, Lonely Planet, p. 240, ISBN 978-1-7422-0134-4
  3. "Shoreline management plans". BBC. Retrieved 7 February 2015.

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