Site of Griffiths Crossing station, near Caernarfon

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button_lang_welshSite of Griffiths Crossing station, near Caernarfon

North east of here, the Wales Coast Path and Lôn Las Cymru cycle route pass the site of Griffiths Crossing station. Two heirs to the throne alighted in this vicinity before their investitures as Prince of Wales.

The path follows the course of the Bangor to Caernarfon railway, opened in 1852. Griffiths Crossing station (or Griffith’s Crossing) opened two years later, as a request stop. Residents of Bethel, 2km east, would walk here to catch trains. The station had waiting rooms on both platforms. It closed in the 1930s.

The road to nearby Llanfairisgaer church and cemetery passed over the railway on a level crossing, north east of the platforms. Mourners, and sometimes the deceased, would arrive by train for funerals.

In 1859 stationmaster William Anwyl and a “poor old woman” were killed by a train which had been instructed not to stop, as there were no waiting passengers. She seemed to be hurrying to catch the train and fell as she crossed the railway. The stationmaster rushed out of his house and tried to pull her clear, but both were struck.

Before the 1911 investiture ceremony at Caernarfon Castle, the royal train terminated at Griffiths Crossing. The future King Edward VIII made the last 3km (2 miles) of his journey in a procession with marching soldiers.

South west of the station were sidings into industrial facilities, including a brickworks. In 1962 Ferodo opened a factory beside the railway which made road-vehicle brake parts. After a change of ownership it became Friction Dynamics in 1997. A dispute between the owner and workforce resulted in a strike from April 2001 to December 2003. The factory closed in 2008.

A temporary station platform was erected near the factory in 1969 for Prince Charles to alight from the royal train before his investiture ceremony in the castle.

Postcode: LL55 1UE    View Location Map

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