Making Tracks with Jon Gower

Jon Gower has been travelling the length and breadth of Wales by train as Transport for Wales’ writer-in-residence. Over the course of a year, he is documenting his journeys, gathering material for The Great Book of Wales, to be published by the H’mm Foundation in late 2026.

Many of his articles, shaped by encounters with the people and places served by the railways of Wales and the Borders, have been published by Nation.Cymru. We have shared those connected to the Cambrian Line across our social media channels, but it is valuable to bring together a wider collection of his work, including features relating to other railway lines supported by Community Rail Partnerships, as well as pieces from areas without a partnership that still offer valuable insight.

Community Rail Partnerships are grassroots organisations, embedded in the communities they serve. With strong local ties and a deep understanding of place, history and identity, they play a vital role in connecting people, preserving heritage and telling the stories that define their areas. Many of the partnerships across Wales and the Borders have had the pleasure of meeting Jon Gower and sharing people, communities and stories with him, helping to inform and inspire a number of the articles featured here.

This is not an endless list and we will continue to add to it as more articles are published.

Cambrian Line

Cyffordd Dyfi - Jon Gower finds out about extreme wealth and Europe’s rarest goose.

Machynlleth – Jon Gower meets the people of Machynlleth to learn about the role of the town in Welsh culture and community life.

Newtown - Jon Gower learns about both the birth of the “Co-op” and the idea of mail order in one mid Wales town.

Criccieth - Jon Gower finds out about mermaids, meteorites and marine commandos in a fascinating seaside town.

Barmouth - Jon Gower finds poetry in place in an arrestingly scenic seaside town.

Harlech - Historian David Craik guides Jon Gower through the rich history of this Gwynedd town which includes iconic painting, religious mania and very formidable architecture.

Heart of Wales Line Community Rail Partnership

Llangammarch – Jon Gower visits Llangammarch to meet 103-year old who remembers the biggest horse fair in Wales.

Cilmeri - Jon Gower visits the memorial stone at Cilmeri on the weekend when Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the Last Prince of Wales is commemorated.

Cynheidre - Jon Gower finds out about perhaps the oldest public railway in the world and meets a very enthusiastic collector of train cabs.

Llandrindod - Jon Gower finds out about working in the signal boxes of mid Wales and the huge popularity of taking the waters in its spa towns and villages.

South West Wales Connected Community Rail Partnership

Port Talbot Parkway - Jon Gower goes in search of the spirit of Port Talbot.

Llanelli - Jon Gower goes on a personal journey to his home town.

Penally - Jon Gower visits Penally, where you can visit the only practise trenches for the First World War visible anywhere in the UK.

Three Valleys Community Rail Partnership

Taffs Well - Jon Gower visits Transport for Wales’ shiny new South Wales Metro depot.

Rhiwbina - Jon Gower visits an elegant garden village in north Cardiff which has a very rich cultural history.

Treherbert - Jon Gower learns about coal, community and Corona pop on the Treherbert line.

Treorchy - Jon Gower finds war heroes, convivial cafes and a TikTok sensation up the Rhondda.

Conwy Valley and North Wales Coast Community Rail Partnership

Cyffordd Llandudno - Jon Gower encounters a wealth of birds just a herring gull’s hop from Llandudno Junction railway station.

Llandudno - Jon Gower visits Llandudno Museum and Gallery to learn about repatriated skeletons, rare train tickets and The Beatles.

Others

Maesteg - Jon Gower finds lovely art, poetic heartbreak and a very hearty breakfast in the Llynfi Valley.

Caerphilly - Jon Gower enjoys a sweet taste of Ukrainian culture at the station.

Bargoed and Gilfach Fargoed – Jon Gower describes the industrial history of Bargoed and Gilfach Fargoed, focusing on coal mining and spoil tips, and explains how the area has been transformed into a reclaimed woodland park with recovering wildlife and community use.

Newport – Jon Gower describes the operation of the Transport for Wales lost property office in Newport, outlining how items are collected, stored, and returned, alongside examples of unusual objects left on trains.

Hawarden – Jon Gower outlines Hawarden’s railway history and its links to William Ewart Gladstone, alongside the development and modern role of the Gladstone estate, library, and local community.

Abergavenny - Jon Gower traces the historical importance of railways in this busy market town as well as the local roots of one of Wales’ finest novelists.

Radio

Welsh Incident in Criccieth - Jon Gower is in Criccieth in Gwynedd, to explore the area’s connection to Robert Graves’s 1929 poem, Welsh Incident.