Cardigan bay

[All Seeing Eye]

If we built a wall from St Davids to Aberdaron across the cardigan bay and then drained cardigan bay of water what would be the effects of doing this? and what could we use the reclaimed land for? would it even be possible to build such a wall in the sea? and would it hold the sea back?

 

[Kaziarl]

Well, first of all from your map it appears that there are several rivers leading into cardigan bay. Now, unless you're including massive redirection of the rivers in this project, I would expect them to just fill the bay back up.

Also, the wall would have to be very thick. I think the great barrier dyke in the netherlands is something like 30 km long, and 90 m wide? While I do think that says it's possible, it would be difficult.

Economically I'm not sure what gould it would be. Farming would be difficult at first with the extremely high salt content in the soil. I'm not sure what the bedrock would be like, since I'm not an marine scientist. But if the bedrock IS there, I suppose you could build housing.

 

[Jadzia]

And where would I go for my holidays?

I like Fishguard, but it wouldn't be right if it was 20 miles inland; there would be no fish in Fishguard.

 

[USS KG5]

If we built a wall from St Davids to Aberdaron across the cardigan bay and then drained cardigan bay of water what would be the effects of doing this? and what could we use the reclaimed land for? would it even be possible to build such a wall in the sea? and would it hold the sea back?

It would be possible but unimaginably expensive and there is no reason I can think of to do it. Wales is actually quite sparsely populated, there is not much there outside of Cardiff and Swansea but small insular towns and villages.

It is a very pretty country, but of course what you are proposing would destroy its natural coastal towns - so its not a great idea.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Getting clams would be easy for a few days, but then the smell would be godawful.

However in the name of science, Taccy, try a subscale model! Get about a dozen bricks and try it in your bathtub.

Report your results here!

 

[All Seeing Eye]

However in the name of science, Taccy, try a subscale model! Get about a dozen bricks and try it in your bathtub.

Report your results here!

 

[Zulu Romeo]

And where would I go for my holidays?

I like Fishguard, but it wouldn't be right if it was 20 miles inland; there would be no fish in Fishguard.

St. David's is much nicer than Fishguard (incidentally that part of the country's the most furthest west I've travelled to) but I did love the rocky beaches of Aberystwyth. [And you say you're Welsh accent is a mystery... [shakes head] - everyone]

This above plan would only increase the size of said rocky beach, which may not be a bad thing, but tourism, local trade via sea, and of course the wildlife and thriving Welsh ecosystem (the horror ) might dry up (pun intended).

Wouldn't such a feat of engineering be better used to do something potentially worthwhile like an offshore tidal power station? Or, alternatively, an A44 bypass?

 

[Jadzia]

I wasn't so keen on the urban areas of wales. I found them a bit grotty and kitsch. I prefer the little towns stood awkwardly on top of hills: Harlech and Portmadog were both nice when I visited them.

Plus a little inland excursion to the intriguing sounding Blaenau Ffestiniog, only to be met with Wales' own answer to Royston Vasey, sitting in the middle of mile high heaps of slate shale.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

When I last went to Wales (my only time, mind you, honestly! ) we stayed in a small seaside village called Little Haven, west of Haverfordwest, avoiding the likes of Swansea, Cardiff and Llanelli, and taking in Fishguard, St. Davids, Aberystwyth, Milford Haven, Tenby, Pembroke, and also Laugharne. Good times. Awful weather. I blamed both on the Major government.

To this day, St. Davids is the furthest west I have ever travelled. Building a big wall across Cardigan Bay from there would be like reconstructing the Pillars of Hercules: beyond it lies the End Of The World™.

 

[Pikey]

Could be used for Aberystwyth residents to park their cars!!

But in all honesty, I dont think it would be very useful. Why not (instead) hurry nature along with the meanders in the Thames in central London, then drain the resultant oxbow lakes, and voila, lots of new development land in central London!