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Barmouth is a town of two halves: the northern end around the station is a noisy seaside resort, with amusement arcades and all the fun of the fair; the southern end near the mouth of the river is quieter and more sedate.
Around the corner in the mouth of river is the harbour, which borders on the picturesque.
In summer, at least, you are far more likely to hear West Midlands accents than a Welsh ones. Indeed many of the locals seem to use West Midlands vowel sounds with just a hint of a Welsh lilt.
Barmouth's Round House, the Ty Crwn, was a local lock-up built in 1834 which was in use up to 1861.
It is divided into two cells, one for men and one for women, with an external door on each side.
At that time Barmouth was a sea port, and there was never any shortage of both men and women to occupy the cells. These days the occupants are a little less lively.
What appears to be a central chimney is just a decorative feature. There are no fireplaces.
Barmouth Bridge was once nearly the death of the Cambrian Coast Line, but in many ways was also its saviour. Back in 1980 an attack by the teredo marine worm led to serious doubts about the safety of the ageing wooden structure, and threatened the survival of the line.
However, the fact that it was an important crossing point for walkers and cyclists as well as trains (the nearest alternative requiring a ten mile, 16km, diversion via Penmaenpol) persuaded British Rail and the Thatcher Government to fund repairs in 1985-86.
In 2013 the couple who lived in the toll house on the Barmouth side of the bridge retired, and the tolls for crossing the bridge on foot or by bike were abolished.
This means that you are now free to stroll part way along the bridge just to enjoy the magnificent views of the Mawddach Estuary.