Mysterious railway tracks have been found in a seaside town leading into the sea.
It is speculated that the tracks, in Barmouth Wales, belong to a long lost railway which has been submerged by sand for decades only appearing due to shifting sand patterns
First to notice the mysterious tracks was local roofer Dicky Sharp stating he had found the “railway to Cantre'r Gwaelod" - the legendary ancient sunken kingdom of Cardigan Bay.
After posting his findings to his Facebook account, many people begun to question the purpose of the railway tracks.
Many locals believe that the tracks are actually from the 1930’s where tracks were laid down so sand and debris could be removed by cart.
Former Snowdonia National Park officer and local Historian Hugh Griffith Roberts debunks this theory, however.
Instead he said, the railway tracks pre-dated the sea wall by at least 40 years and were almost certainly laid in the late 19th Century for the town’s new sewage system.
Since Dicky’s discovery last weekend, a third section of rail track has become visible on the beach at low tide, along with a pair of wheels reports Wales Online.
Their re-emergence, after so many years, has also underscored ongoing concerns about the area’s coastal processes and the resulting impact on Barmouth’s infrastructure.
The profile of Barmouth beach is under constant threat from high tidal streams and strong currents, with a longshore drift carrying sand northwards.
The West of Wales Shoreline Management Plan notes that Barmouth promenade was built “too far to seaward at its northern end”.
According to Mr Roberts, cracks have begun appearing “all along the promenade”.
“It’s being undermined by the sand’s disappearance,” he said.
Last March a 10ft hole opened up on the northern promenade following high tides and strong winds. Emergency repairs were carried out after investigations found 180 sq metres of the prom had collapsed.
Inspection of the resulting cavity identified confirmed that 400 sq metres of the sea defence, promenade and adjacent highway had been undermined.
Gwynedd Council was approached for a comment about residents' concerns.
