Caernarfon

Some Notes on the Maritime History/ Ychydig nodiadau am Hanes Arforol

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There has been a port at Caernarfon since ancient times. Vessels tied up alongside the famous castle, on the River Seiont, or anchored in the Menai Straits and discharged into lighters. In the 1860's the Victoria Dock was built but the railway had arrived by then and allthough slate was exported into the 20th century, the port had already passed it's zenith.

With the growth of the slate industry in the Nantlle and Dinorwic areas the port grew as more and more slate was exported. The Harbour Trust was formed in 1793 and modern maritime history dates from then (Lewis Lloyd). At first all ships were registered in Beaumaris but Caernarfon became a port of registry in 1841. The ports of Nefyn, Porthdinllaen, Pwllheli (after 1851) and Porthmadog were sub ports or "creeks" of Caernarfon but Portdinorwic (yFelinheli) fell within the jurisdiction of the Harbour Trust and was considered as part of the port of Caernarfon.
 

Over 200 ships were built at Caernarfon between 1758 and 1898 (Lewis Lloyd). The early vessels were small sloops then snows and brigs. From the 1830s the traditional coasting schooner developed and 53were built. The schooners and the smaller smacks, were the workhorses of the coastal trade. Loading slate outwards and carrying anything as return cargoes.

(The following lists were compilled by Lewis Lloyd with information from local registers and David Thomas's book "Hen Llongau Sir Caernarfon")

Some of the Caernarfon built schooners were:

Napoleon (1843), Seaman(1846), Prince Edward(1847), Black prince(1848), Why Not(1849), Douro (1850), Wanderer (1851), Hepzibah(1856), Ann and Jane (1856), Catherine Williams(1856),Empress(1857), Aneurin(1858), Snowdon(1859), Jane and Annie(1861), Evelina(1862), Mary Jenkins(1862), Emma Annie(1862), Heroine(1864), Ann Jane(1865), Miss Turner(1865), Volunteer (1866), Clare(1868), Miss Hughes(1884).

Many schooners built elsewhere were owned in Caernarfon and made it their home port. Many were built at Porthmadog and Pwllheli.

Thetis (Bideford 1848), Champion(Jersey 1839), Daniel (Plymouth 1831), Mersey (Chester 1787), Panuco (Liverpool 1856), Amner(Llanbedrog 1840), Virgin (Bideford 1863), Ocean Maid (Nefyn 1863), Margaret Hobley (Pembroke Dock 1868), Alice Killam (Shelburn Nova Scotia 1842), Scotia (New Brunswick 1837), May (Prince Edward Island 1855),

Caernarfon, like many other ports bought ships from the busy yards over the Atlantic in the Canadian maritime provinces. These were brigs, brigantines, barques and ships and ranged from 200 to 1000 Tons Register. They were engaged in the timber trade from Canada and  carried emmigrants to North America. These and many more were owned by Caernarfon people but not all used the port.

Bell Isle (Brig 246 ton), Royal William (Ship 311 ton), Hindoo (Barque 1830), St Laurence (489 ton), Lady Mary (Barque 210 ton), Catherine Fraser (Brig 197 ton), Argo (Brig 210 ton), Northumberland (Barque 377 ton), Oregon (Ship 1004 ton), Petrel (Brig 124 ton), Bramley Moore (Ship 882 ton), Dusty Miller (Barque 596)

Other deep sea ships such as the Higginson (built at Liverpool) were well known Caernarfon ships.

Paddle steamers and steam coasters regularly called at the port and were a vital link, particularly before the railway reached the town. See my section on North Wales Coasters for details of these ships.

Also there was a "patent slip" which could haul quite large vessels out of the water for repairs. This is still there, situated in Victoria Dock next to Gwynedd Archives, where many of the records for these ships are stored.

Another enterprise was de Winton's foundary and engineering works. Here all sorts of fittings were fabricated for the sailing ships and later boilers made for coasters and even deep sea ships. Some were launched into the sea and towed to Liverpool.. This firm also built locomotives for the quarry narrow gauge railways.

Nowadays Caernarfon Harbour and Victoria Dock, like all the other ports mentioned in this website, are full of yachts and a few commercial fishing boats. It is difficult to imagine the bustling scene it once must have been.