Nice to see something positive happening in Llandudno for a change! volunteers are rallying around to renovate a historic Llandudno building that’s seen better times. The circular shelter, one of few visible reminders of the resort’s old tramway system, had deteriorated to the extent it had become a refuge for fly campers and rough sleepers.
For 27 years the West Shore shelter was used by people waiting for trams on the 3ft 6-gauge Llandudno & Colwyn Bay Electric Railway. Being constructed from cast iron, with a copper-clad roof and dome with finial, the structure needed regular maintenance as it was often blasted with sand from the nearby beach.
Work to restore the grade 11-listed building is been overseen by the Friends of the West Shore (FOWS), one of 13 Friends groups in the Conwy resort. Already its volunteers have discovered the shelter is in worse condition than suggested by recent surveys. “The building’s ironwork made it vulnerable to the elements,” said FOWS vice chair Philip Berrie. “Not only did salt and sand corrode the shelter, downspouts from the roof became blocked with sand. With renovation projects, you often get uncomfortable surprises when you look under the bonnet – in this case, it was a leaking roof.
"When we removed sand from the downspouts, we discovered water was getting into the building. So not only was deteriorating from the outside in, it was deteriorating from the inside out.”
Despite this setback, work is progressing well, led by local contractor Stuart Thomason with support from FOWS volunteers. The roof has been fixed, ironwork repaired and all painting should be complete by mid-August. For this, original “Llandudno Blue” was stipulated by the town council to ensure colour harmony across the resort.
A new floor should be in place by mid-September. A 12V electricity supply will then be provided for LED lighting to enable the building to have multiple usages. Store boards, illustrating the area’s history, have also been commissioned. Seating will once again be available inside the shelter. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
FOWS became the shelter’s custodians just before the Covid pandemic. "Volunteers opened and manned it daily for local people,” said Philip. “It was a horrid experience. The building was in poor condition and had become a haven for local yobs and alcoholics.
“We tried to keep the rust at bay but during the pandemic this work ran away from us. We’ve since secured Levelling Up funding and Stuart was engaged by FOWS to do the main work on the shelter. He’s a superb craftsman and we hope this very public display of his skills will win him future business.”
Electric trams between the resorts of Llandudno and Colwyn Bay began operating in 1907. A proposed extension to Deganwy never saw the light of day, leaving the line’s western terminus at the southern end of Gloddaeth Avenue.
The West Shore shelter, some distance away, was erected in 1929, by which time public buses had become a major form of transport. These went around the shelter, which provided refuge from the elements for both bus and tram passengers.
Services included open-air trams known as “toast-racks” for their resemblance to the breakfast utensil. When reaching the terminus, the seats would be turned around to face the other way.
The tramway closed in 1956. Bus passengers continued using the shelter but, faced with ongoing vandalism, FOWS was reluctantly forced to close and lock it. According to local residents, double-decker buses were prevented from stopping there because they “spoiled the view” of people living nearby. Funding for the shelter’s restoration was provided by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund following months of work by the Friends of Mostyn Street. FOWS has since taken the lead on behalf of three other local projects.
It’s tried to follow the brief literally: to ensure as many people benefit as possible, all the craftspeople involved are locals, with the likes of the North Wales Model Engineeering Society helping with metalwork. FOWS recently became one of three volunteer groups shortlisted for this year’s Beautiful Coast Award in Keep Wales Tidy’s 2024 competition.
Philip added: “This is an iconic building in Llandudno and we aim to reopen it as a multi-function building. As well as providing shelter, we plan to use it for events such as art and photographic exhibitions.”
All work must be completed by October 30 but it is hoped the building will reopen long before this date. From....https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/llandudno-s-iconic-sand-blasted-building-is-being-rescued-from-vandals-and-rough-sleepers/ar-BB1qPKrV?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=642bfd07d1974aa79610cbf4eee702ee&ei=7
Nice to see this happen but its a shock its still there, most beautiful things on this side of town have been destroyed
ReplyDeleteI am amazed that it has not been stolen for scrap!
ReplyDelete