Strenuous Leader: Malcolm Distance: 10.5 miles
Total ascent 1800 ft
This is a varied walk with some good views of Snowdonia, Llandudno’s Little & Great Ormes and of course Colwyn Bay. The terrain is steep in places, some of the styles are in a poor state of repair and some of the paths are overgrown and difficult underfoot. Please do not attempt this walk if not fully fit. Long trousers are recommended.
We head through the Eirias Recreation Centre (toilets available), then across the A547 and climb South West along the wooded valley of Nant y Groes. We drop down to cross the river and enjoy a nice steep climb towards Hindhead before descending onto Mochdre Road. Turning South, we use the bridleway for the gentle ascent to Mynydd Merci and then cross farmland before a mile on a reasonably quiet road. We then have our final climb of the day as we head North across fields before dropping back down into Colwyn.
Moderate Leader: Pamela Distance: 8½ miles
1100+ft total ascent
Please note that everyday trainers and leisure footwear are not suitable for this walk. Long trousers are recommended.
We start by making our way to the toilets at Eirias Recreation Centre once sorted with this pit stop we will start our walk along road and bridlepaths up to skirt Glyn Farm and then climb across fields and some rickety stiles to make our way to ‘The View’ where we will stop for lunch. If clear, we should have good views of Rhos / Colwyn Bay and the wind turbines.
We will then make our way via fields of naughty angry sheep, over some typical stiles of the area i.e. rickety, badly signed and with barbed wire to the outskirts of Llanelian-yn-Rhos where will start our descent into Old Colwyn through a couple of semi-industrial areas to the end of the Promenade.
This marks the start of our couple of miles on the Wales Coast Path and we will make our return to the town in readiness for a pint of tea, coffee or wine.
Easy Leader: Peter Distance: 4 miles
We will take our walk today on the Wales Coast Path which is the Promenade. We will amble up and down for about 4 miles and make our way back into the town for our refreshments.
NOTES ON THE AREA
Until the middle of the last century Colwyn Bay was an obscure village snuggling in the shelter of the North Wales hills. Then, in the 1840’s, the railway line to Holyhead was built. It skirted the bay, and soon retired people and prosperous families from industrial Lancashire were moving into the area to take advantage of its sandy beaches and mild winters. The town’s growth quickened after 1865 and by 1900 it had a population of 8,000.
Now Colwyn Bay is a year-round and almost entirely modern resort. It lies behind three miles of sandy beach – part of an 18 mile stretch of coastline which is made up of long beaches punctuated by the occasional headland.
Rhos-on-Sea, once a separate village, is now a breezy suburb at one end of the red-roofed sprawl of buildings, with Old Colwyn at the other end. A continuous promenade links the two, running past neat suburban streets which slope up towards sheltering woods on the hillsides. On the foreshore at Rhos-on-Sea is the tiny St Trillo’s Chapel, which is built entirely of rough, mortared stone – the roof included – and is only about 9 ft high. It was built in the 16th century over a Holy well, which for centuries supplied water for local baptisms.
The boundary between Old Colwyn and Colwyn Bay is marked by a small river, the Nant-y-Groes, which runs through the Nant-y-Glyn valley. Two miles up the valley at Bryn-y-Maen, is Christ Church, known because of its size as The Cathedral on the Hill. There is a panoramic view of the bay from the church tower.
There is an open air theatre at Eirias Park, and the Pwllycrochan woods behind the town have been laid out with a network of leafy walks.
On a nearby hillside is the unusual Mountain Zoo. It has daily displays of hunting by free-flying falcons, and a penguin pool with underwater windows for observing the birds as they swim and feed.
The latest addition to the Promenade is a bronze sculpture of the late Terry Jones. Unveiled in April ’26 by former ‘Pythons’ Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam it depicts Terry in his iconic role as The Nude Organist from Monty Python’s Flying Circus. It is located between Porth Eirias and the Pier.