Merionethshire
Merionethshire Sir Feirionnydd | |||
Location Map ( geo) | |||
| |||
Primary Destinations | |||
Bala • Dolgellau | |||
Other Important Destinations | |||
Blaenau Ffestiniog | |||
Current Highway Authorities | |||
Denbighshire • Gwynedd | |||
Borders | |||
Caernarfonshire • Cardiganshire • Denbighshire • Montgomeryshire | |||
Welsh Government Roads | |||
A5 • A458 • A470 • A487 • A494 | |||
Merionethshire (Sir Feirionnydd in Welsh) is one of the traditional counties of North Wales. It had its own county council between 1889 and 1974, although local government has been restructured several times since then, such that roads are now maintained by Gwynedd Council and Denbighshire Council.
Geography & Economy
Merionethshire is roughly triangular with its western side on the coast, after which it heads east over the hills into the Dee Valley. Much of the county lies within the Snowdonia National Park and includes mountains such as Cadair Idris in the south and Aran Fawddwy in the east. Wales's largest natural lake, Bala Lake, also lies within the county. The county's traditional industries are farming and slate, the latter concentrated around Blaenau Ffestiniog in the north. The county town of Dolgellau is the centre of Wales's small gold-mining industry. However, tourism is now the most important part of the economy. The county has a number of seaside resorts, for example Barmouth and Tywyn, and the coastal railway line is slow but very picturesque and includes the long, wooden viaduct over the River Mawddach south of Barmouth. The county also has a few narrow-gauge steam railways. Mountaineering is very important, whilst other tourist attractions include Portmeirion and Harlech Castle.
Roads
The road network of Merionethshire is small, due to mountainous terrain and lack of population. Most of the county's roads radiate from Dolgellau; this is partly the case as it is the furthest downstream crossing of the River Mawddach on a classified road. The main exceptions are the A5 along the Dee Valley in the northeast and the A4212 which crosses the mountains west of Bala on a route which did not exist in full until the 1960s. The A5 is one of the county's trunk roads maintained by the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent; the others are the north-south A470 and A487 and east-west A458 and A494. Most non-trunk roads within the traditional county are maintained by Gwynedd Council, although the Corwen and Dee Valley area is maintained by Denbighshire County Council.
Route | From | To | Length |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
A5 | London | Holyhead | 252 miles | View |
A458 | Quinton | Mallwyd | 86.6 miles | View |
A470 | Cardiff | Llandudno | 185.1 miles | View |
A487 | Haverfordwest | Menai Bridge | 173.8 miles | View |
A491 | Shrewsbury | Cemmaes Road | 49 miles | View |
A493 | Dolgellau | Machynlleth | 33.3 miles | View |
A494 | Dolgellau | Mollington | 61.7 miles | View |
A496 | Llanelltyd | Blaenau Ffestiniog | 32.8 miles | View |
A497 | Minfford | Nefyn | 22.5 miles | View |
A4084 | Cemmaes Road | Mallwyd | 6.0 miles | View |
A4084 | Mallwyd | Cross Foxes Inn | 7.8 miles | View |
A4085 | Penrhyndeudraeth | Caernarfon | 19.7 miles | View |
A4108 | Gellilydan | Congl-y-wal | 4.7 miles | View |
A4212 | Trawsfynydd | Bala | 17.3 miles | View |
A5104 | Corwen | Chester | 26.7 miles | View |
B4391 | Pont Tal-y-bont | Pont Felin Newydd | 39.7 miles | View |
B4401 | Tre'r-Llan | Corwen | 11.0 miles | View |
B4402 | Pont Caletwr | Bethel | 3.5 miles | View |
B4403 | Llanuwchllyn | Pont Mwngwl-y-llyn, Bala | 5.2 miles | View |
B4404 | Pont Felin-y-ffridd | Cemmaes Road | 4.4 miles | View |
B4405 | Minffordd | Bryncrug | 9.9 miles | View |
B4407 | Pont yr Afon Gam | Pentrefoelas (W) | 9.9 miles | View |
B4407 | Llan Ffestiniog | Conwy | 29.3 miles | View |
B4408 | Pont Tal-y-bont | Blaenau Ffestiniog | 3.7 miles | View |
B4409 | Manod | Pengwern | 1.1 miles | View |
B4410 | Tan-y-bwlch | Prenteg | 5.4 miles | View |
B4414 | Rhiwbryfdir | Pengwern | 2.5 miles | View |
B4416 | Pont ar Ddibyn | Bont Newydd | 2.1 miles | View |
B4470 | Trawsfynydd | Bryn Maenllifo | 7.7 miles | View |
B4501 | Fron-goch | Denbigh | 24.3 miles | View |
B4573 | Harlech | Glan-y-wern | 3.7 miles | View |
B5104 | Clawdd Poncen | Broughton | 22.0 miles | View |
B5105 | Cerrigydrudion | Ruthin | 13.6 miles | View |
B5436 | Carrog | Fron-newydd | 1.4 miles | View |
B5437 | Clawdd Poncen | Llidiart-y-Parc | 3.3 miles | View |
T11 | London | Holyhead | View | |
T81 | Fishguard | Bangor | View | |
T83 | Shrewsbury | Dolgellau | View | |
T84 | Dolgellau | South of Birkenhead | View | |
T85 | Maentwrog | East of Conwy | View | |
T106 | Cemmaes Road | Mallwyd | View |
Key
Junctions
Bridges, Tunnels, and other Crossings