Cei Cae Gwyn

Located on the banks of the River Conwy, near Bodnant National Trust Property in Tal-y-Cafn, Conwy, Wales, Cei-cae-gwyn, (Bodnant Quay) is a small quay shown on the 1875 OS map , when it was probably still in operation. It was served by two roads, from the south and south-east, before the building of a new road around Bodnant that later became the A470.
Its name means ‘White field quay’, indicating that its main function was to unload agricultural lime, but it may have included the transport of other goods- west of Bodnant quay there was an iron furnace, a corn mill and a saw mill. It has been suggested by locals in the area that the Quay was used to bring coal and supplies in and take produce from these areas before the local railway, Conwy Valley Line, was built in 1863. Once the railway was in operation the commercial use of the Quay may have been considerably reduced.
The 1875 OS map (the earliest map available) shows Cei Cae Gwyn and its two structures that were there before the building of its lodge house. Although the lodge house there could have been built earlier than 1911, it doesn't appear on OS maps until 1911.
In 1911, the second structure at Cei Cae Gwyn was not on the OS Map, with the other structure remaining.
* This structure remains on site as of 2008, which is believed to have been on the site since the Quay's original build or shortly thereafter and was used as a store/area to operate the quay from.
* It is believed that the structure was then used by artisans as a cottage, and then for a period owned by British Rail when the building was used as living accommodation for a British Rail worker, his wife, and daughter until around 1960.
Large boarding planks were presumably used there as floating pontoons, as seen in historic paintings of boats on the River Conwy , for accessing and unloading boats on the quayside.
It is also rumoured that during WW2 Mulberrys were stored/hidden at the site, and that a spitfire may be sunken in the river bed in front of the Quay.
Planning permissions
Over recent years a number of attempts have been made to gain planning permission for Cei Cae Gwyn:
* 10/467 18/09/1962 SITE FOR ONE HOLIDAY CARAVAN. 23/11/1962. REFUSED
* 10/794 04/11/1968 CONV. TO STORE AND ERECT FIRST FLOOR FLAT. 17/12/1968. APPROVED
* 10/947 23/03/1971 CARAVAN - RESIDENTIAL. 14/05/1971. REFUSED
* 4/17/CM20 14/11/1974 CONV. DILAP COTTAGE TO DW6. 05/02/1975. REFUSED
* SEARCH NO. 2661. 01/03/1988
* 0/39550 Certificate of lawfulness for a proposed conversion RE 1968 Ref 10/974 31/01/2013. REFUSED
* 0/40216 Certificate of lawfulness for a proposed conversion REF 1968 Ref 10/974 18/10/2013. REFUSED
The most recent planning permission refusal stated "On the balance of probability, the available evidence is not sufficiently precise and unambiguous to demonstrate the work was lawfully begun."
Present use
The quay has been used for the leisure purposes of the owner and a number of private boats have been moored at the site. A public footpath runs through the site and is regularly walked by locals.
Post Code
LL32 8UB

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