North Wales is certainly an interesting place to live – but did you know these interesting fun facts?

1

Lewis Carroll is believed to have had the idea of writing Alice in Wonderland while staying in Llandudno. The Walrus and the Carpenter, who both feature in Through the Looking Glass, are two big rocks that sit prominently on Llandudno’s West Shore

2

Crib Goch is described as a ‘knife-edged’ arête in the Snowdonia National Park. It is also supposed to be the wettest place in Britain

3

All of the Seven Wonders of Wales can be found in the north. Snowdon, the Gresford Bells, Llangollen Bridge in Flintshire, the Wrexham Steeple, the Overton Yew trees, Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall and St Winefride’s Well are all on the list

4

As well as being home to Wales’ highest mountain, the Snowdonia National Park also contains nine mountain ranges which cover 52% of the park, and has 15 mountains over 3,000ft

5

Swallow Falls at Betws-y-Coed is the most visited waterfall in the UK

6

The Great Orme in Llandudno has the longest artificial ski slope in Britain. Built in 1987, it’s nearly 1,000ft long

7

Surf Snowdonia Adventure Parc is the world’s first inland surf lagoon, and the UK’s only artificial surfing lake. The fresh-water lagoon at Surf Snowdonia is 300 metres long and features a head-high wave that rises at its centre – making it a reliable destination for surfers

8

The entrance to the coach yard of the 15th Century Ye Old Bulls Head Inn in Beaumaris is the largest simple hinged door in Britain (13ft high and 11ft wide)

9

We are not alone! Did you know that there is a Llandudno in South Africa?

10

Denbighshire’s John Rowlands was born in 1841 and, after being sent to the workhouse in St Asaph as a boy, ran off to sea aged 16. He sailed to New Orleans as a cabin boy and was adopted by Henry Stanley, a merchant whose name he later took. He fought on both sides of American Civil War, went on to become a journalist and, in 1869, was sent to Tanzania to look for elusive Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone – to whom he is said to have proffered the now infamous greeting: “Dr Livingstone, I presume?”

11

The ‘Swellies’ are the famous tidal currents at the centre point of the Menai Strait which can reach speeds of four metres per second during spring tides. These currents proved hazardous for sailors and those trying to cross the straits on foot at low tide before the bridges were built. A somewhat strange local legend (or coincidence) was that, on three separate occasions, when ships were wrecked in these waters, the only survivor was named Hugh Williams…

12

Welsh gold has a history stretching back at least 2,000 years. Prized for its scarcity and origin, it has become one of the most sought-after golds in the world. Queen’s Elizabeth’s wedding ring is crafted from a nugget of pure Welsh gold from the Clogau St David’s gold mine near Dolgellau

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