Today’s Walk
Strenuous Leader: Carole Rankin Distance: 10.0 miles
This varied walk will need a good pace. From Llandudno we head via Happy Valley and St. Tudno’s Church to the top of the Great Orme hopefully for great views. Descending down to Conwy Sands on The Monk’s Path and the North Wales Path. Then across to Penrhyn-side via Bryniau and Nant-y-Gamar and onto Little Orme if time allows, hopefully for more great views. The return to Llandudno is along the North Wales Path for well-earned refreshments.
Moderate Leaders: Cynthia & David Prescott Distance : 7.00miles
This is a lovely walk onto the Little Orme. If you look over to the Little Orme you can assess the climb. It is not too difficult for a moderate walk. We first did this walk on the Skem Ramblers weekend when it was misty. On the recci it was a beautiful, cold sunny day and the views were wonderful in every direction. You look over Llandudno, the Great Orme, towards Colwyn Bay and the sea. From the coach park, we go along the promenade (or beach) and head uphill between houses to the Wales Coast Path and through the Rhiwledyn Nature Reserve. We head down to look over Angel Bay; where on both occasions we watched seals basking and swimming. We may be lucky again! We intend to lunch here before heading towards Penrhyn-side, through woodland and down to overlook the Bodafon Hall Farm, past the High School and back though the town. Mainly good paths and few awkward stiles.
Leisurely Leader: Philomena Walker Distance: 7.00 miles
We go in the opposite direction, along the lower slopes of the Great Orme through some gardens and then along the shore to Conway for lunch, generally along good paths. Here we can decide what to do next, spend some time in Conway and catch the bus back to Llandudno, although you can’t use your bus pass in Wales, or return on foot along the same route.
Easy Leader: Jackie Gudgeon Distance : 5.00 miles
Today the Easy walkers will leave the coach in Conwy where there are cafes and toilets that we can use. We will follow the coast (good paved tracks most of the way) around the Conwy estuary and past Deganwy, then on to Llandudno. The last mile or so can be through the town, or on a higher footpath passing gardens and tea room. Flat walk, apart from this last optional higher path.
Notes On The Area
Llandudno is the largest seaside resort in Wales and lies on a curving bay, flanked to the west by the Great Orme, a massive limestone headland nearly 700 ft high which shelters the beach from westerly winds, and on the other side by the Little Orme, a smaller headland. It is a well-planned town with a wide promenade and main streets – the legacy of two men, Edward Mostyn and Owen Williams, who in 1849, set about transforming Llandudno from a mining and fishing village into a resort.
Llandudno is a relatively quiet resort, more genteel than other places and is a nice place for a quiet seaside holiday with its good beach, promenade, pier and pleasant surroundings. It is also a good spot to be based for a touring holiday being well situated for places further west along the coast such as Conway, Caernarvon and Anglesey, or to Snowdonia to the south.
The Great Orme provides views of Snowdonia, the Isle of Man and the Lake District. Near the summit stands St Tudno’s Church. The oldest part, the north wall of the nave, dates from the 12th and early13th century. For those who do not mind going into confined spaces there is now a bronze age copper mine about half way up and easily accessible from the half way stop on the tram. At that time it was one of the most important copper mines in the world. It was also very important about 1840 but the workings were only rediscovered by accident in about 1988.
Happy Valley, one means of access to the Great Orme, is a garden lover’s delight, containing rare plants, shrubs and trees. Other ways of reaching the summit include the Great Orme tramway, nearly a mile long, and a cable-car lift. For the more energetic there is good old fashioned shank’s pony.