Interactive map shows how King owns most of Wales’ coastline – check out your area
From the shores of Llandudno to Portmeirion, from Llangrannog to Llanelli – the lion’s share of Wales’ coast is owned by the King.
The public can now use an interactive map to see what beaches and estuaries are in the Monarchy’s possession.
The Crown Estate and Foreshore Map highlights in purple all parts of Wales’ coast that are part of the King’s portfolio. Which turns out to be most of it, with almost everything from Deeside to Saundersfoot in Pembrokshire part of the Crown Estate, and large parts of the south-east coastline as well.
In total, around 65% of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed is owned by the Crown Estate.
The map does not however show that the Crown Estate includes the seabed out to 12 nautical miles.
The Crown Estate is a collection of lands and holdings in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch as a corporate entity. The valuation of the Crown Estate’s marine portfolio in Wales increased from £49.2 million in 2020 to £549.1 million last year.
Powers over the Crown Estate in Wales are currently held in Westminster, with 25% of revenues going to the Royal Family and the remainder to the UK Treasury.
In addition to the Crown Estate, the Duchy of Cornwall – which has now been passed to the Prince of Wales – owns 49 acres of land in the Vale of Glamorgan and is also believed to own the 192 acre estate of Llwynywermod, Myddfai, near the Brecon Beacons, including two holiday cottages.
The Crown Estate and Duchy of Lancaster, which acts as a trust for the Queen, also own 1,232 plots in Wales. This includes land as varied as Ogmore Castle and Tintern Abbey, as well as the 3,000-acre Plynlimon Estate in mid-Wales, and the 450-acre Wildlife and Wetlands Centre near Llanelli.
‘Outrageous’
There have been calls for the Crown Estate to be devolved to Wales, as it has been in Scotland. So far, over 11,000 people have signed a petition calling for the move.
The Welsh Government has backed the calls, with Climate Change minister Julie James saying that it was “outrageous that it’s devolved to Scotland and not to us”.
“I have absolutely written to say that we want the Crown Estates devolved, and we want them devolved on the same basis as they are devolved in Scotland,” she said.
“However, in the meantime, and in the absence of a government at UK level who seems likely to do that in the foreseeable future, in the meantime, we have also sought to develop a very good relationship with the Crown Estates.
“So, both myself and [Deputy Climate Change Minister] Lee Waters have met with the Crown Estates to discuss the various potential in the Celtic sea and around the Welsh coast, where Crown Estate land is involved, and, also, actually, on land as well. So, Crown Estates own some land in Wales too.
“We’ve also engaged with them to make sure that we have as much of community ownership, community benefit strand in the auctions that they are conducting, although the money goes, as you say, back to the Treasury.
“So far, we’ve had an engaged and reasonable reception from them, although that’s no substitute, I absolutely agree, for having the thing devolved to us.”
In July, Plaid Cymru renewed calls for the Crown Estate to be devolved, following the announcement that the UK Treasury could earn £43bn in rents from proposed wind farms off the Welsh coast.
The Crown Estate today announced plans to generate 4GW of electricity through floating winds farms off the coast of Wales, the tender for which will start in 2023.
Research commissioned by the Crown Estate also suggests a further 20GW of floating offshore wind capacity could be established in the Celtic Sea by 2045.
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The Crown Estate owns the seabed and shore not the King. If you listened carefully to his accession in St James’s Palace you will have heard him surrender the income of the Crown Estates to the Treasury in exchange for the Sovereign Grant. This has been the usual practice since Hanoverian times with various modifications. The Crown Estates is administered by commissioners. In effect it is a mediaeval property company which exists to fund the head of state. Some of the annual income is currently being directed into repairing Buckingham Palace in addition to the Sovereign Grant. Why this should… Read more »
Most people in the “UK” think the coast is everyones. We must work hard and wrest all land from the con merchants. Nationalise power, water and land, redistribute parcels to foresters/ farmers without rent. Thought must now turn also to the sea
Outrageous
This is disgraceful…..whenever I raise this in discussion with the English they just laugh…and they take nothing seriously when such topics are raised. As an exile of 40 years the only solution is for Plaid Cymru and the Welsh people is to become far more strident and active ……it needs to be challenged politically and legally……..nothing less will do….only then will our English ‘friends’ take note. But this requires a unity which is beyond our fragmented nation.
This is the very reason why both English Labour & Conservatives in London will never devolve control over the Crown Estate to Wales. We make them way too much money. And the next time the English accuse the Welsh of being dependent on England & English money. Stand up straight. Look them directly in the eyes after they get up off the floor and say to them these poignant words. ‘No. It’s you who are the dependent ones. Truth be told.’
#YesCymru 🏴✊ #Ymlaen 🏴 #FightingForWelshIndependence 🏴✊ #EnglishRuleIsForTheFool 🇬🇧 🥴
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Wales is nothing but a cash cow to the british state and the british crown ☹️
Just to add that the CE is really an estate management company whose revenues go to the UK Treasury. The crown or king don’t own it but can make use of it in right of the Crown. But it’s not correct to link the CE and the Sovereign Grant. The Grant would be paid whatever the revenues from the CE, so the 25% isn’t guaranteed. Whichever way you look at it, the monarchy costs the British taxpayer a fortune.
For the record, republican opinion in England is just as outraged by the CE.
Where were the Welsh MPS when it was giving to Scotland and not to Wales sitting on their hands as normal and saying nothing.The same when the government allowed the national COAL board to steal the money from the fund that was set up for the children of Aberfan to make the tips that killed them safe and they the MPS said nothing how low can you sink
When did he buy it? I didn’t know it was for sale!!
We shall soon see a Coronation. Charles says he wants a ‘slimmed down’ monarchy so why have a coronation, which will cost millions of public money. He is already made king by proclamation, a coronation isn’t necessary.. they don’t have one in Sweden. A total waste of public money just to make the monarchy look useful. Same for the investiture, even more unnecessary. They know they are unaccountable, so they spend our money.
Time we took it back from foreign control
Just ignore their silly claims on this, that and the other. Let’s start giving each other titles like Tywysog Lloegr etc. If they can do it so can we.
THis is exactly the sort of important information that that should be made known to the Welsh people through a devolved media. Full marks to Nation.Cymru on this. Sometimes I feel that they are the only news service fighting this country’s corner.