The historic town of Conwy provides a great day out for all of the family, as Steve Goodier discovers…

I’ve always looked forward to arriving in Conwy and being greeted by the imposing castle towering above the colourful estuary and harbour which together make a spectacular scene on a sunny summers day. During the summer months prior to 1991 I was even happier to see the town walls and know I had reached the town because those were the days before the A55 Coastal Expressway by-passed the narrow one way streets and continued instead under the waters of the estuary in the form of a tunnel (Britain’s first immersed tube tunnel). In those days I was travelling North Wales for a fencing company and often had to spend time on Anglesey and the Llŷn Peninsula which meant for me the journey home followed the coast and passed through Conwy. During June, July and August the queue to reach the town started several miles to the west of it as the traffic slowed to pass through. There was no way round except for those who knew the narrow and steep old mountain road that rose over the Sychnant Pass from Penmaenmawr. However, this was often clogged up too as frustrated motorists followed others hoping they knew a short cut to get around the traffic.

Understandably, I was very pleased to see the turrets of Conwy Castle and cross the bridge by it knowing that the worst of the queuing was now behind me and the way home more straightforward. Those days are long gone now though, and although Conwy still gets very busy (and a bit congested) on sunny summer days, it’s nothing compared to the old days!

Conwy is a very popular day trip destination for holidaymakers from Cheshire, Shropshire and Merseyside. It’s fairly popular with the Welsh too, with most visitors being drawn there by the magnificent castle and the fairly intact town walls as well as by the charming narrow streets and the lovely harbour and estuary.

Conwy is a colourful and bright location which is well geared up for the tourist trade with a good selection of shops, pubs and restaurants to satisfy their needs.

Geographically the town sits near the mouth of the River Conwy and faces Deganwy across it. The river was originally known as The Cynwy and the name Conwy is derived from the old Welsh Words ‘Cyn’ (meaning ‘Chief’) and ‘gwy’ (meaning ‘water’). It has a permanent population of just over 4,000 but this number is swollen each summer season as the numerous visitors flood in.

Over the years I have had to produce a number of walks for various magazines that start and finish at Conwy – and it never ceases to amaze me how charming a walk around the streets, the walls and the harbour side really can be.

As well as being in immensely pretty location Conwy is also in a very sheltered one. Close by the Carneddau Mountains of Snowdonia rise to over 3,000 ft/914 metres, and towering directly above the walls and streets of the town the imposing slopes of Conwy Mountain (Mynydd Y Dref) form a natural wall.

Compared to the much higher mountains of Snowdonia nearby, Conwy Mountain is only small with its summit rising to 801 ft/244 metres. However, on the top there are the remains of an Iron Age hill fort and a wonderful view of both sea and mountain. The ridge dropping back to Conwy gives breathtaking panoramas of the town, the estuary, the sea beyond and Llandudno’s Great Orme. The walk to the summit is a popular one and not too taxing although it will take you a good three hours (there and back) from the town and you should be reasonably fit before undertaking it.

Let’s take a look at what Conwy itself offers the visitor. If you approach the town from the direction of Llandudno Junction you cross the River Conwy and pass by both the suspension bridge and the railway bridge. The suspension bridge was designed by famous bridge builder Thomas Telford to replace the old ferry that operated here. Telford designed the bridge’s supporting towers to match the turrets of the castle above it and it was opened in 1826. It is now only open to pedestrians, and along with the original toll keeper’s house it is in the care of The National Trust. The railway bridge was built by Robert Stephenson for the Chester and Holyhead Railway and is of tubular design with the first tube being completed in 1848 and the second in 1849. It is still in use today and the station is located within the town itself. This is unmanned and tickets have to be purchased once you are on the train.

Conwy’s most impressive and famous feature is its castle which is well worth a visit and is highly photogenic. The castle (along with the town walls) were commissioned by King Edward I of England and the construction work took place between 1283 and 1289. It was a strategic move on Edward’s part and formed part of his ongoing campaign to subdue and control the people of Wales. The total building costs ran to £15,000 – which was considered an enormous amount at the time.

Conwy Castle is classed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site with UNESCO calling it ‘one of the finest examples of late 13th Century and early 14th Century military architecture in Europe’. The castle was involved in several wars during its history and withstood the siege of Madog ap Llewelyn during the winter of 1294-95. It became a temporary refuge for King Richard II in 1399 and was held for a few months by the forces of Owain Glyndwr in 1401. In the English Civil War the castle was held by forces loyal to King Charles I until 1646. After this it was partially stripped by Parliamentary forces before being completely ruined in 1665. During the late 18th and early 19th Centuries Conwy Castle was a favourite destination for artists and much restoration work took place on the structure during the second half of the 19th Century.

The town walls can almost be completely walked around and make an exciting outing where you are often above the roofs of the towns houses. Conwy was also the original site of Aberconwy Abbey which was founded by Llewelyn the Great.

Other attractions that are popular with visitors to Conwy include Aberconwy House which was one of the first buildings built within the town walls, Plas Mawr (an Elizabethan house built between 1576 and 1585), Vardre Hall (a 19th Century Grade II listed building) and of course, the famous ‘Smallest House in Great Britain’ which is named in The Guinness Book of Records and is attractively located on the harbour side.

One final interesting fact to finish with is that people born within the town walls of Conwy are known as ‘Jackdaws’ after the jackdaws that live on and around the walls. A Jackdaw Society existed up until 2011.

Conwy is an all year round destination with the town, castle and walls being worth a look whatever the time of the year. During the late autumn and winter the crowds will be less but the days shorter and this means it might be that little bit harder to cram all there is to see in one visit.

Still, you could always make a weekend of it! n