Engineering Wonders of the World
Volume I

BY FELIX J. C. POLE. ONE of the most recently constructed harbours in the United Kingdom is that of Fishguard, on the north coast of Pembrokeshire, the terminus of the main line of the Great Western Railway from London to South Wales. This harbour is note- worthy not only for the mag- A nitude of the engineering work Notable invoivecj[ jn its formation, but Port. also as typifying modern tend- encies in regard to what may be termed the location of an ideal port of call. When transit on land was slow and difficult, it was essential that ports should be as far inland as possible in order that they might form distributing centres. With the development of railways, however, it was clearly desirable that ports should be located at such points as were most accessible to the huge modern liners, and be connected by railways with the various centres of population, the reduction of time in the railway journey as compared with that of transit by water being a valuable asset. These advantages apply in a very great degree to Fishguard ; for while primarily con- structed as a link in a new short route to Ireland, the promoters had in view the possi- bilities of the place as a port of call for Atlantic liners, and already the harbour is used by one important line of South American steamers. In view, therefore, of the importance which the place is likely to have in the near future, it may be well, before proceeding to describe the engineering features, to give a few brief particulars Fishguard regarding Fishguard and the Bay. scheme in connection with which the harbour was constructed. Fish- guard Bay is situated on the northern coast of Pembrokeshire, south of Cardigan Bay—a place of historic interest as the scene of the last invasion of British soil. This occurred in 1797, when a French force effected a landing, but retired before a body of Welsh militia under Lord Cawdor. The story runs that the credit of the victory must be shared with the fair sex, the women of the neighbourhood in their national red mantles and beaver hats having been mistaken by the Frenchmen for British soldiers, when, in accordance with Lord Cawdor’s strategy, they marched down a slope in close order, disappeared at the bot- tom, ascended from the other side and re- peated ths manoeuvre, the result being that the Frenchmen were disheartened by the ap- parent strength of the force opposed to thorn, and surrendered without striking a blow.