The primary concern is sea level rise. Levels have risen 5 millimeters a year since the 1990s, says Huw Williams, a civil engineer at Gwynedd Council, which has oversight of Fairbourne.

Fairbourne residents may have to pay £6,000 towards the demolition of their own houses. Instead of trying to protect Fairbourne, Gwynedd council is set to abandon the village to the sea in 2054.

Standing on Fairbourne’s sea wall, it is easy to see the village’s vulnerability. The entire 800-strong community sits below the line of its coastal defence.

People living in Fairbourne in Cardigan Bay have been told maintenance of a sea wall protecting their homes could be stopped in 40 years, leaving them at the mercy of the sea.

Fairbourne, Wales (AP) -- Like many others who came to Fairbourne, Stuart Eves decided the coastal village in northern Wales would be home for life when he moved here 26 years ago. He fell in love ...

Joyce Currie lives in Fairbourne in Meirionydd, and has been visiting the beach regularly since 1925. However, the access ramp was removed recently because it was in poor condition.