Porthmadog Maritime Museum
Situated on the historic harbour of Porthmadog, the Porthmadog Maritime Museum offers a fascinating insight into the town’s rich seafaring heritage. Housed in the last surviving slate shed on the waterfront, the museum stands in the very place where Welsh slate was once loaded onto sailing ships and transported across Britain and around the world. The story of the museum is closely linked to the creation of Porthmadog itself. Before the construction of the Cob embankment by William Madocks in the early nineteenth century, the town did not exist. The new harbour quickly became one of Wales’ most important slate-exporting ports, connecting the quarries of North Wales with markets across Europe and beyond. Inside the museum, visitors can explore a diverse collection of maritime artefacts that bring this remarkable history to life. Exhibits include ship models, navigational equipment, maps, photographs, tools and displays explaining the development of the harbour, local shipbuilding and the lives of sailors who travelled the world from this small Welsh port.
Porthmadog Wales
Porthmadog Maritime Museum is right on the harbour in Porthmadog, Gwynedd. The address is The Harbour, Porthmadog, Gwynedd, LL49 9LU. It is housed in the last remaining slate shed and tells the story of the town’s seafaring past, shipbuilding and the lives of the sailors who once worked from this busy port.Just a short walk away is Harbour Station, the starting point for both the Ffestiniog Railway and the Welsh Highland Railway, so you can easily hop on a steam train after your visit. Portmeirion Village, the famous Italianate coastal village designed by Clough Williams-Ellis, is only a few miles down the road and makes a memorable half-day trip.Criccieth Castle sits a little further along the coast, perched above the sea with fine views, and the sandy stretch of Black Rock Sands is close by if you fancy some beach time. The museum sits in a handy spot that links maritime history with railways, a unique village and a proper seaside castle.
Museum