Deganwy to Llandudno

WeathermanWalking

The Weatherman Walking maps are intended as a guide to help you walk the route. We recommend using an OS map of the area in conjunction with this guide. Routes and conditions may have changed since this guide was written.

Reproduced by permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of HMSO. © Crown copyright and database right 2009. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100019855.

DEGANWY SIGNAL BOX

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WEST SHORE SEAFRONT

3

COAST ARTILLERY

SCHOOL

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1 Points of interest

Start

Finish

Route

For this walk we’ve included OS grid references should you wish to use them.

ST TUDNO’S

7

REST AND BE THANKFUL

6 HAPPY VALLEY PARK

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APPROXIMATE DISTANCE:

7 MILESPIER ENTRANCE

PIERENTRANCE

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The BBC takes no responsibility for any accident or injury that may occur while following the route. Always wear appropriate clothing and footwear and check weather conditions before heading out.

THE VARDRE

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HORNBY SHIPWRECK

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Great Orme

Start: Deganwy

Starting Ref: SH 77855 79121

Grade: Easy

Distance: Approx. 7 miles

Walk time: 3 hours

Parking: There is public parking at Deganwy,

Station Road (with charge) and a number

of car parks and meter parking in

Llandudno (with charge).

Travel information: There are regular buses between

Deganwy Station and Llandudno Pier.

Check local timetables or www.

arrivabus.co.uk/ for details.

This walk follows the Wales Coast Path from the shore at the western end of Deganwy; through West Shore, around the Great Orme, and drops down into the beautiful seaside town of Llandudno. It’s a distance of about 7 miles depending on where you finish and what you stop to see along the way. From West Shore to Llandudno, around the Great Orme, is wheelchair and pushchair-friendly.

Further information: Visit Wales Coast Path website for more

information and path diversions

www.walescoastpath.gov.uk/plan-your-visit

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Conwy CastleDirectionsExit the car park at the far

western end, and then it’s a

short walk across the railway

lines and onto the path which

runs next to the shoreline.

There are public toilets next

to the railway line and an old

signal box.

In front of Deganwy signal box (SH 77787 79121)

We’re starting this walk on the waterfront over-looking the estuary where the River Conwy flows into Conwy Bay and the Irish Sea. Across the water here, you can see Conwy with its impressive 13th-century castle, built by Edward 1.

Deganwy became a popular destination in Victorian times with the expansion of railwaysand holidays. The small town was the gateway to the Vale of Conwy, one of north Wales’most popular destinations.

Signal box

Deganwy

DEGANWY SIGNAL BOX

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The Vardre

The Vardre (SH 78220 79450)

This rocky hill was the site of a number of both English and Welsh castles. The earliest king known to have had a castle there was Maelgwn Gwynedd, one of the most powerful Kings of Britain in the 6th-century. The visible ruins on the site today are those of the great castle and surroundings, built by Henry III in 1245 to 1250, that was beleaguered for seven years before

being destroyed by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd in 1263.

The castle was excavated in 1961 to 1966, when evidence was found of a prehistoric style

fortress on the western peak, along with Roman remains.

Beach shelter

DirectionsHead north-west along

Marine Crescent, and the path

will become pedestrianised

after a few hundred yards.

Pass the beachfront shelter,

which is a restored version

of the original Edwardian

shelter, built in 1904. You

will be sandwiched between

the sea and the railway line

and overlooked by a large hill

called the Vardre.

THE VARDRE

THE VARDRE

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Dunes near West Shore

Warning Sign

Dunes near West Shore

West Shore Seafront (SH 77293 81728)

West Shore is a quieter and less commercial suburb of Llandudno. The sandy beach facing Conwy Bay is popular with holidaymakers. At low tide, there is a large expanse of sand,which is great for kite-flyers and kite-surfers. It’s also renowned for its spectacular sunsets.

DirectionsA short distance on, there is

a high hedge with signs

warning of the dangers of

flying golf balls from the North

Wales Golf Course to the right.

Passing the golf course, the

route cuts through dunes,

which in places have taken

over the path before you arrive

at West Shore. There is car

parking, refreshments, and a

miniature railway operated

by the North Wales Model

Engineering Society. Continue

along the seafront.

WEST SHORE SEAFRONT

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Coast Artillery School (SH 75180 83390)

Looking over the wall is the site of the former Royal Artillery, Coast Artillery School.The school relocated from Shoeburyness, Essex, in September 1940 and was occupied untilthe end of the Second World War when it was abandoned.

Buildings were made to look like cottages and a chapel with a cross on its roof but were actually gun emplacements and ammunition stores. Soldiers were trained to operate searchlights, wirelesses and to fire at floating targets. At any one time, approx. 700personnel were based here.

Toll House Start of climb

DirectionsContinue straight ahead to

Marine Drive and the start

of the Great Orme circular

road. The whole route is on

a pavement next to the road.

Passing the Old Toll House,

which looks like a miniature

castle with turrets, the road

begins to climb gently up the

Orme. The road is a one-way

system after the junction with

LLys Helyg Drive, about a

quarter of a mile up on the left,

so any traffic will be coming

towards you. After passing a

line of smart houses below,

the geography below reveals a

former military site.

COAST ARTILLERY

SCHOOL

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Great Orme Goats

Great Orme GoatsDerek says, “The soldiers weren’t the only military personnel on the Great Orme. Roaming free are Kashmiri goats, descended from a pair originally given to Queen Victoria in 1837, and let loose on the Great Orme in the 1880s. They’re famous for their white cashmere coats and were chosen as the mascot of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

During the 2020 lockdown, they hit the headlines worldwide when they took over the empty streets of Llandudno. They look a bit daunting with their horns, but they keep their distance and are used to walkers, luckily!”

Great Orme Goats

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Hornby Shipwreck Information Board (SH 75494 84146)

The Great Orme was always considered a hazard for seafarers, with a number of ships being wrecked. The most famous was The Hornby, a cargo shipwrecked on her way to Rio de Janerio in 1824. She was carrying dry goods, things like sugar and coffee, worth more than £600,000, a fortune at the time.

There was a crew of 13 onboard and two passengers when the Hornby hit the rocks.One sailor survived by leaping onto the cliffs; the others all perished in the wild waters.

Grazing sheep Point of Hornby shipwreck

DirectionsThe path gently bends around

the large curve of the Orme,

still looking over Conwy Bay,

where for centuries mussel

fishermen have harvested the

precious mussles using the

ancient method of scraping the

seabed with a long rake.

Having passed a small shelter

and viewing bench, the

view below becomes more

mountainous with sheep

grazing on the top and rugged

rocks below.

Next to a small break in the

wall, with access for those

hikers wanting a more rugged

route, is a point on the Great

Orme Audio Trail with details

about the Hornby Shipwreck. HORNBY SHIPWRECK

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Derek and his abseiling instructor Matt Jones

Abseiling on the Great OrmeDerek says, “The Great Orme rises to 679ft above sea level and is a popular location for not only hikers but those who like a bit of a high-rise challenge.I was lucky enough to have an abseiling lesson from mountain sports expert Matt Jones.

We made our way out onto a ledge which was a bit nail-biting (even though I was securely fastened with ropes), and then Matt talked me through, taking the plunge and feeding the rope through so I gently descended a length of the Great Orme. It was a really breezy day, and the waves were crashing on the rocks below so it did feel a bit hairy, but I knew I was in safe hands and was pleased I did it.”

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Rest and Be Thankful (SH 75642 84367)

The Rest and Be Thankful Café is a welcome stop-off spot for walkers and sightseers, perched on the end of Great Orme Head, looking out to sea.

Those who want to extend their walk can take one of the hiking routes up to the summit or take the cable car from Llandudno.

Rest and Be Thankful Cafe

DirectionsA few hundred yards on, on

the left hand side, is a car park,

café and viewing spot.

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A Great Orme seal

St Tudno’s (SH 76970 83833)

St. Tudno’s Church on the Great Orme has been a site of Christian worship since the 6th-century. It’s a place of pilgrimage and prayer and active worship, despite its remote location. During summer, there are weekly open-air services and monthly services in winter.

The church was named after a Celtic missionary called Tudno, who established a cell on the Great Orme sometime during the reign of Maelgwn Gwynedd, known as the King of Gwynedd (490-549). Some walls of the existing church have been dated to the 12th-century, while the others are mostly from the 15th-century.

DirectionsA few hundred yards further

on the left is a small service

road leading to the former

lighthouse, now holiday

accommodation. The coast

path continues to curve

around, now heading

south-east with a number of

small coves below where seals

and seal pups can be spotted.

A mile on is a small turning

on the left, which is St Tudno’s

Road and worth a detour if

you can add an hour to your

walk. The road leads to St

Tudno’s Church.

ST TUDNO’S

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Happy Valley Park (SH 78225 83066)

The Happy Valley is a sheltered hollow on the eastern side of the Great Orme. It is a CADW listed public park and was dedicated to the town in 1887 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The park includes a drinking fountain and stone circle erected to mark the National Eisteddfod of 1962. Attractions also include a restored camera obscura built in 1890 and the cable car line to the summit of the Great Orme, built in 1969. At over one mile between the two stations, this is the longest gondola lift in Britain. Each cabin seats four passengers. There are also landscaped gardens with specimen trees and access to the Llandudno ski centre and toboggan run.

The park has also become one of the focal points in the town’s obsession with Alice in Wonderland, including a bandstand decked with playing cards and characters.

Happy Valley park with stone circle

Great Orme landscape

White rabbit

DirectionsContinuing along the Wales Coast Path, the route passes over Pigeon’s Cave (Ogof Colomennod) and a final section of jutting headland before dropping down past the toll house and on to Happy Valley Road.

HAPPY VALLEY PARK

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Alice Bandstand

AliceDerek says, “The Alice from the books was based on Alice Liddell, a real little girl whose family built a holiday home in the Llandudno and regularly visited from when Alice was eight. Lewis Carroll was a family friend of the Liddell’s and based the character on Alice. It is believed that he may well have visited the family at Llandudno and set his Alice Through the Looking Glass story in the town.

Some local landmarks seem to crop up in the books, including local rocks known as the Walrus and the Carpenter and a zig-zag path leading up the Great Orme. It’s great that Llandudno has set up an ‘Alice Trail’ which goes all around the town. Each year a new Alice is crowned and there is a jam tart eating completion. I think I’d be in with a chance of winning that one!”

Great Orme landscape

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Llandudno Pier

Pier Entrance (SH 78177 82708)

Llandudno claims to be the largest seaside resort in Wales. The promenade stretches for two miles and the town is a Mecca for Welsh political conferences.

At the start of the vast seafront is the famous pier, which stretching 0.43 of a mile, is the longest in Wales and the fifth longest in Britain. Building began on it in 1876 and was completed two years later. The pier is known for its splendid Victorian and Edwardianelegance, reaching out into the Irish Sea.

Alex Munro Way

DirectionsFrom the park continue along

Alex Munro Way, named after

one of Llandudno’s most

well-known characters of the

1950s, 60s and 70s.

The RAF veteran became

manager of the Happy Valley

open-air theatre and for 30

years would stage family

shows, although his troupe

were often forced to perform

in the town hall because

of poor weather. The path

goes behind the Grand Hotel

and passes the entrance to

Llandudno Pier and the

famous promenade beyond.

PIER ENTRANCE

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End of Walk

End of the WalkDerek says, “This is an easy, and pleasant walk with spectacular views, particularly when the sun is shining. If you are doing it purely for exercise, you can go at a cracking pace, and it will feel like a good workout, but if you can, take your time as there is lots to see along the way and plenty of opportunities to just sit and be inspired and in awe of the power of nature. I won’t be forgetting my abseil down the cliffs in a hurry!”