Malltraeth Marsh

Malltraeth Marsh (alternate: Malldraeth; Welsh: Cors Malltraeth is a large marsh area in Anglesey, North Wales, located north east of Malltraeth village, along the flatlands of Trefdraeth Bodorgan, Llangristiolus and south of Cefn Cwmwd.Rhostrehwfa. It is reclaimed from estuarine marshes after the construction of the Malltraeth Cob (dyke), a 1 mile (1.6 km) long embankment, and the subsequent canalisation in 1824 of the Afon Cefni.

The name Malltraeth comes from Mall ("bad"), and Traeth ("sandy shore"). The marsh measures 1,366.5 hectares (3,377 acres) in area. The area is recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and has a range of reedbeds, marshes, wet grassland and small pools/lakes.

In 1790, an act of parliament was obtained for more effectually embanking the marshes called Malltraeth and Corsddeuga, under the provisions of which 230 acres (93 ha) were allotted to the several proprietors of land in the parish of Llangaffo. The 4,000 acres (1,600 ha) of reclaimed alluvium at the mouth of the River Cefni subsequently underwent considerable improvements in the late 18th century and early 19th century with the introduction of embankments and flood mitigation measures. During World War I, further improvements were made due to the concern of farmers. However. the reclamation became neglected and by the end of the war it had fallen into a bad state and was subject to numerous heated conflicts between the drainage engineer, the CWAEC, and the underfunded catchment board managing the drainage of the marsh. Bitter disputes over the marsh reached a climax with the chairman resigning from the Malltreath Marsh and Cors Ddyga subcommittee in March 1942 and unusually high rainfall during the harvest in the following year devastating most of the cereal crops in the area. Due to pressure from local farmers, Lord Anglesey met with Robert Hudson and Megan Lloyd George in 1944 to outline ideas for improving the local habitat problem. Some £100,000 was allocated to developing what was about 50% derelict marsh during the war and by 1947, £147,000 had been spent on the scheme.

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