Edwardian beach shelter, Deganwy
Edwardian beach shelter, Deganwy
This shelter was erected in 1904 as part of the development of Deganwy’s promenade. It has been damaged by storms more than once.
Conway Town Council awarded a contract for the promenade’s construction in 1899. The shelter was added in summer 1904, at a cost of almost £161. The ironwork came from the Glasgow foundry of McDowell, Steven and Company, which was a prolific producer of Royal Mail post boxes. In July 1904 the Weekly News and Visitors’ Chronicle reported that the new shelter had “already proved a great source of attraction and usefulness to holidaymakers”.
In November 1905 the shelter was damaged by a “hurricane”. Most of the glass was broken. The shelter was repaired in January 1906 at a cost of £2, with the insurers paying for new glass. Further damage occurred in 1907.
The shelter was badly damaged by storms in the winter of 2013-14 (see photo, left). Conwy County Borough Council (CCBC), owner of the shelter, cordoned the structure off and declared it unfit for public use.
Most of the promenade was washed away in these storms. Major repairs were carried out on the promenade, beach and sea defences but not on the shelter, which was left to deteriorate further.
The Deganwy & District Residents’ Association (DDRA) secured a £65,600 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and grants totalling £12,000 from Conwy Town Council and CCBC. The DDRA raised £1,008 and HAFOD, a local fund-raising group, provided £500.
The Deganwy Beach Shelter Restoration Project Team managed the repair and restoration, starting in March 2017. The shelter returned to public use in August 2017. As part of the project, three new Story Boards were presented at strategic locations along the promenade.
With thanks to Arthur James, of the Deganwy Beach Shelter Restoration Project Team
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