Colwyn Bay, in Conwy, North Wales, is seeing a transformation that will pump life-blood into this attractive town and turn the somewhat neglected promenade into an example of what can be achieved by a determined borough council backed by the Welsh Government, The European Regional Development Fund and Visit Wales.
The project, which will eventually include the rebuilding of the Victorian pier, started in 2016, and is nearing completion. The waterfront itself has been transformed, as the final part of the Colwyn Bay Waterfront Project nears completion.
The centrepiece of the project is the word ‘Colwyn’, in precast concrete letters, that stands in an attractive seating area with views over the water and along the promenade. The name stands alone, the same word in Welsh and English, and the letters were designed by Nichola Hilton, an architecture student at Wrexham Glyndwr University. Evans Concrete, part of the Shay Murtagh group, cast the letters, which stand two metres high, using a project-specific precast concrete mix containing the dye that gives them their unique coppery-orange colouring. The letters were then chiselled to complete the finish, a clever, enigmatic and attractive design depicting either the waves that roll into the beach or hills and sand dunes.
Visitors to Colwyn are already speaking about the promenade in very positive terms. The cast-iron sculptures of a family playing on the beach, the clean and airy atmosphere that invites enjoyment of the fresh air and the sea, and the landmark letters that dominate without overpowering the environment, all are attracting favourable comment.
Evans Concrete was an excellent choice for the manufacture of the letters. They have decades of experience in casting difficult shapes and colours to order, and pride themselves on their bespoke work in challenging conditions. The collaboration with Shay Murtagh has been a great success, as the skills and experience of the two companies complement each other.
Residents and businesses in Colwyn Bay have good reason to be delighted with the Colwyn Bay Waterfront Project, and congratulations are in order for the contractors, Elate Construction Ltd., the Conwy County Borough Council, and, of course, Evans Concrete.
