Conwy
Conwy is a small fishing town nestled on the river Conwy in North Wales. It has the back drop of the Snowdonia mountain range and the estuary mouth which leads into the Celtic sea. It is quite a unique place with incredible vistas of mountains rising straight from the sea. Neighbouring Llandudno and Old Colwyn and facing eastern Anglesey seaboard its positioned, perfectly for exploring North Wales by sail.
Background of modern day Conwy
A fishing and boat building town in its past, its shallow estuary waters prove a difficult navigation even for the more hardened skipper. It is known mostly these days for its modern marina and yachting. I have spent many days sailing to and from this non tidal harbour. Conwy is perfectly positioned as a marina to head in every compass direction bar south.
You can start any sailing trip around Anglesey, Isle of Man, Ireland, Scotland and many from here. With the far Carneddau mountains of Snowdonia and the Conwy castle- it is also a dramatic port to sail into. I have also worked on most of the local wind farms from here as most of them are based on shallow sand bars in the eastern Celtic sea, thus they were ideally placed in these waters which are sub 20m deep.
Wind farms such as Gwynt Y Mor, Burbo Bank and North Hoyle and now Rhiannon will all be within a stone’s throw of Conwy so there is much local work and industry related survey boats routinely working from this area.
History
Llywelyn the Great or Llywelyn ap Iorwerth (1173-1240) established a nunnery at Conwy. However, the current castle town of Conwy was established by Edward I. In 1283 he went to Conwy and decided to construct a castle and town there. Edward moved the priests to Maenan Abbey to clear a path for his new town. However he kept the Abbey Church. The designer known as James of St George was employed to fabricate Conwy château and the town dividers. It took four years to build Conwy Castle, from 1283 to 1287 and it took 15,000 men to construct it. Conwy Castle was ensured by eight towers.
The Castle was blockaded by the Welsh in 1295. At the point when Owain Glyndwr drove a resistance in 1403, the renegades caught Conwy Castle by sheer force.
In the interim, dividers were raised around the new town. They were 30 feet high and a few feet thick. 21 towers fortified the dividers.
Castles, Quays and Mountains
Move to the highest point of one Conwy castle’s eight towers to get a shocking perspective of Conwy, and after that investigate the inward and external wards with their numerous rooms. Or on the other hand examine the manor dividers with their 21 towers that encase Conwy town. Over the estuary is Bodysgallen Hall, which consolidates a medieval pinnacle that was conceivably worked as a watchtower for Conwy Castle.
Conwy Quay and Marina is an awesome place to sit and watch the world pass by, regardless of whether it’s with fish sticks and french fries from the wrapper, or a drink outside the Liverpool Arms. Investigate the muscle exhibition hall, littlest house, RNLI boat shelter, or basically take in the staggering perspectives.
Roll over the Sychnant Pass, stop up and take a meander around an extraordinary system of ways and pleasant lakes. Visit the summit with its unusual perspectives and Iron Age hillfort, and enjoy watching an extensive variety of untamed life, for example, ravens and choughs.
Beaches and coast
Conwy isn’t ideal fora beach trip however we are talking about North Wales here, so you can’t ever really be more than 5 miles away form a deserted sandy shoreline. Further along the coast there are many beaches at both Llandudno and back along the A55 just around 7 miles you have Penmaenmawr. Of course there are another 30+ to choose from within a 25mile drive back to Anglesey. The coast here is a shallow estuary which is quite tidal, which means mudflats and steep rocky shores. Still don’t let that put you off, its promenades are stunning and occasionally it can be quite an enjoyable change to have time away from the beach .
Activities
Watersports devotees can give the quickly developing exercise of kitesurfing and stand-up paddle boarding a try. You can go for watersportsin Colwyn Bay.
Many visitors are days are looking for alternative encounters, They may prefer walking and legacy trails, perhaps with a guide or beat their own particular way to some of our shrouded jewels.
As far as dynamic activities in Llandudno, the easygoing walker will enjoy strolling on the renowned Llandudno Pier, and for the more decided walker, endeavouring to vanquish the Great Orme will be quite a rewarding accomplishment.
Food and Amenities
There is a wide assortment of choice and a significant number of bars in Conwy’s centre serve good food from both their bar menus and restaurant style suppers. Conwy plays host to the Gwledd Conwy Feast and the Conwy Honey Fair, among a shifted program of yearly occasions. You can view the list of restaurants over here.
The Summer months
Conwy, like its brother town Llandudno is busy in summer months, maybe not quite as busy but still for its size it draws quite a following. The castle is the main spectacle and also the old fisherman’s quay. also the walled city inside of the castle and the smallest house in Wales. There are often fish markets on the quay, and water sports going on in the area. They have a good annual Pirate weekend and open beach front festival that is fantastic, its called the Conwy feast or Gwledd Conwy
What we love to do there from a pure Local’s perspective
For me, visits to Conwy revolve around showing some of our visitors various top sites in the town, In particular I love to go and see some of the old traditional wooden boat restoration projects which are going on, on the Quay, a flash back from the town’s rich cultural past. I also love to go to the Mulbery arms restaurant and Marina bar for some coffee and wifi time- they have wonderful views from there across the estuary, plus I love to look at all the new yachts there. The high street has improved dramatically and there are some wonderful pop ups and independent stores which we love. and there is an amazing Chinese restaurant in the town – which on a winter’s eve is a great treat!
We hope this blog is useful for you if you’re heading to Conwy on your holiday break or maybe just doing some research on North Wales and its overall gems.. If you think there is something else to add, please drop us a comment below and let us know what are your favourite things to do in Conwy on your stay!?
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Things to do when you stay here
Paying a visit to the Conwy Castleand its walls.
The red painted smallest house in Britain
The Conwy Water Gardensthat are in Snowdonia National Park of Conwy Valley.
VisitingSuspension Bridge of Conwywhich is owned by the National Trust.
Places to Stay
Best Hotels – on Trip advisor
Luxury Hotels on The Hotel Guru
You can go for Best Cottages over here.
Useful Links
Flying in from Cardiff into Anglesey
Dog friendly eats all over north Wales !
Local cycle club routes Local cycle club routes
Mountain biking north Wales book
Shopping for the ladies near by in ConwyShopping for the ladies near by in Conwy