# Conwy

Conwy is a small walled town on the coast in North Wales. It is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and a perfect base for exploring everything North Wales has to offer. The gateway to Snowdonia and easy access to the Island of Anglesey, the Victorian seaside town of Llandudno and the timeless Llyn Peninsula.

## Understand

The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on the east bank. The name 'Conwy' derives from the old Welsh words cyn (chief) and gwy (water). The river used to be called the 'Cynwy'.
In 2011, it was home to 15,000 people.

### Visitor information

* Visit Conwy Town website

## Get in
### By car

Half way along the A55 Chester — Holyhead road.
53.279065-3.8285161 Parking south of the castle.

### By train

Conwy is readily accessible by train with direct services to Llandudno Junction from throughout the UK and London Euston (about 3 hours). From Llandudno Junction to Conwy it is a 5-minute taxi ride. There is smaller rail station in the centre of Conwy which is on the main Holyhead line with a taxi rank outside the station.
* 53.280098-3.8302652 Conwy railway station, Rosemary Lane. (updated May 2020)

### By bus

Arriva buses available from Bangor - Llandudno (5/X5) and Betws y Coed — Llandudno (19). Nation Express coaches serve Bangor and Llandudno from other parts of the UK.

## Get around

The town is small and easy to walk about.
If you are venturing out of the town centre area, you may want to catch a bus. There are various day and rover tickets available that enables you to hop on and off buses and trains for the area. Booklets can be found at the tourist info centre (right near the train station).

## See

* 53.280047-3.8256061 Conwy castle. M-Sa 10AM-4PM, Su 11AM-4PM, extended hours in spring, summer, and autumn.. Built by Edward I in 1289, it is smaller than Beaumaris or Caernarfon castles, but it has a lot of charm. It sits at the mouth of a tidal inlet, and the views of the sea on one side and gently rolling green hills on the other are lovely. Offers joint ticket with Plas Mawr. Tours are 1 hour long and cost £1. £6.75 adult, £20.25 family, £5.10 concession.
* 53.281065-3.8300392 Plas Mawr (The Great Hall), Hight Street, LL32 8DE, ☏ +44 1492 580167. Daily 9AM-5PM. One of the finest surviving town houses of the Elizabethan era to be found in Britain, partially restored and otherwise maintained in its original condition. Fascinating look at what a wealthy merchant's life was like at that time. There is beautiful original and restored plaster work and paint. Head up to the small tower for a 360 degree look at the town and castle. Offers joint ticket with Conwy Castle. £5.75 adult, £4.35 concession, £17.25 family.
* 53.281589-3.8285163 Aberconwy House, Castle Street, LL32 8AY, ☏ +44 1492 592246, aberconwyhouse@nationaltrust.org.uk. Believed to be the oldest town house in Wales dating from the 14th-century. Restored to reflect daily life of yesteryear. Get a joint visit ticket with the Conwy Suspension bridge (both run by the National Trust).
* 53.280733-3.8287684 St. Mary's Church, Rose Hill Street. A beautiful church with a grassy, pleasant cemetery with some interesting old headstones.
* 53.2823-3.82825 Working riverfront. You can buy Conwy mussels that have been brought in by the fisherman and here is the 'smallest house' in the UK. Perfect place to eat fish & chips with wonderful views. If you continue walking along the Marina Walk for 15 minutes you will come to Conwy Marina with wonderful views from the marina pub overlooking the boats and yachts. Conwy Golf Club (voted Welsh Club 2007) is also on the marina as is a beach.
* 53.2823-3.82866 The Smallest House in Great Britain (Quay House), ☏ +44 7925 049 786. 10AM-4PM spring-autumn. Recognised by the Guinness Book of Records it is along the quay. The house is 72in wide by 122in high. £1/adult, 50p/child.
* 53.2342-3.80067 Bodnant Garden, Tal-y-Cafn, near Colwyn Bay, LL28 5RE (4 miles south of Conwy), ☏ +44 1492 650460, bodnantgarden@nationaltrust.org.uk. 20 Feb - 31 Oct: 10AM-5PM, 1-21 Nov: 10AM-4PM. It is probably the best in Wales, with wonderful flowers and plants, including the beautiful Laburnum Arch of golden blooms that bloom in late May, as well as the Pin Mill. Adults £7.50, children £3.95.

## Do

* Town Walls. The original town walls are still standing and can be walked along. Climb into one of the 22 towers and stroll along the outline of the original town of Conwy. There are some wonderful pictures to be taken here and it's free to walk the walls. free.
* Conwy Brewery tour, Unit 2, Ty Mawr Enterprise Park, Tan y Graig Road, Llysfaen, LL298UE, ☏ +44 1492 514305, enquiries@conwybrewery.co.uk. Must prebook tours. They offer standard tour/tastings as well as brew your own beer packages. £10-350.
* 53.19-3.8411 Surf Snowdonia, Dolgarrog, ☏ +44 1492 353123. An artificial wave pool. (updated Oct 2017)
* Sightseeing boat. Takes you on a 30-minute ride up and down the Conwy river. Normally runs on school holidays and most weekends through spring and summer.
* Golf: Conwy GC may be the oldest course in Wales, first laid out in 1869. White tees 6647 yards, par 72, visitor day-ticket £130.

## Buy

There are a number of independent specialty shops, including one that has a goth clothing department in its basement. There are a few art shops and a high-end chocolate shop. Just opened is a surf-style clothing store on the high street. Also on the high street is an almost-always-busy butcher's shop that sells baps and fresh-made sausages, Welsh Oggies and Welsh Rarebit. Bangor Road has a patisserie, a high-end chocolate shop, a chip shop and a barber shop (just before the gate exiting the town's main road, past Lancaster Square).
* Conwy Tourist Information Centre, Rosehill St, LL32 8LD, ☏ +44 1492 577566, conwytic@conwy.gov.uk. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa Su 10AM-4PM.

## Eat

The town has several great fish and chip shops with places to eat and an Indian restaurant that serves good food.
The bakery on the main street has wonderful scones in the morning, if you're lucky and also does lovely giant cream cakes, that are just too nice!
The town is not allowed to have any fast food franchises but does have a little kebab shop.
* 53.281706-3.8286371 The Galleon, 2A High Street (near the waterfront). fish and chips
* 53.281639-3.8281542 The Fisherman, 3 Castle Street (near the waterfront), ☏ +44 1492 593792. fish and chips
* 53.281166-3.831373 The Archway, 12-14 Bangor Road (near Lancaster Square), ☏ +44 1492 592458. fish and chips
* 53.280887-3.8306724 Alfredos Italian Restaurant, 9-10 Lancaster Square, ☏ +44 1492 592381. A family-run restaurant that serves good food at a reasonable price in a lovely ambience
* 53.28149-3.828725 Amelie's Bistro, 10 High Street, ☏ +44 1492 583142. It serves excellent Welsh fare locally produced.
* 53.281416-3.8312636 Bistro Bach, Chapel Street, ☏ +44 1492 596326. It serves excellent Welsh fare locally produced.
* 53.280409-3.828067 The Press Room, 3 Rose Hill Street, ☏ +44 1492 592242. It serves good food and is found next to the castle and has outdoor seating.
* 53.280797-3.8273658 George & Dragon, Castle Street, ☏ +44 1492 592305. standard pub food
* 53.28084-3.8302979 Pen Y Bryn Tea Rooms, Lancaster Square (upper end of the high street), ☏ +44 1492 596445. A nice tea room that serves excellent Welsh Rarebit and home made cakes and also Sunday lunch.

## Drink

There are a few small pubs. Some feature pub trivia in the evenings.
On the other side of Bodlondeb (a short walk around the riverside, or even shorter drive), there is Conwy Marina where you can find an upmarket pub with vast outdoor seating overlooking the marina.
The local Conwy Brewery makes several good beers.
* 53.282001-3.828021 Liverpool Arms, Lower Gate Street (on the riverfront), ☏ +44 1492 596464. It has outdoor seating overlooking the riverfront.
* 53.280557-3.826192 Tower Coffee House, Castle Square (Across from the castle), ☏ +44 7900 565843. Built into one of the wall turrets, it has great river views.

## Sleep

There are a number of small B&Bs, and some luxury B&Bs and hotels, available. If you can, reserve a room ahead of time at a Visitor Centre (most Visitor Centres can reserve rooms for you throughout the UK). Alternatively there are many self-catering cottages in and around Conwy.

### Hotels

* 53.281254-3.8291091 Castle Hotel, High Street, ☏ +44 1492 582800. It serves wonderful meals and snacks with some award winning chefs at the grill.
* 53.280826-3.8336392 Castlebank Hotel, Mount Pleasant, ☏ +44 1492 593888.
* 53.249174-3.8346733 The Groes Inn, The Groes Inn, Tyn y Groes, LL32 8TN, ☏ +44 1492 650545, info@groesinn.com. (updated Jan 2017)

### B&B Guesthouses

* 53.276768-3.8321914 Bryn Derwen Guest House, Llanrwst Road, ☏ +44 1492 596134.
* 53.280061-3.8334815 Bryn Guesthouse, Sychnant Pass Road, ☏ +44 1492 592449.
* 53.276672-3.8318386 Glan Heulog Guest House, Llanrwst Road, ☏ +44 1492 593845.
* 53.281073-3.8308667 Gwynfryn Bed and Breakfast Guest House, 4 York Place, ☏ +44 1492 576733.
* 53.28012-3.8291178 $^{[deadlink]}$ The Town House (B&B) Guest House, 18 Rose Hill Street, ☏ +44 1492 596454.

### Self-catering cottages

* 53.207838-3.8585919 The Old Forge, Pen Y Graig (Yr Hen Efail), Llanbedr-Y-Cennin (5 miles south of Conwy.), ☏ +44 1492 660663, h.fudge@btinternet.com. A 17th-century farm forge.
* Fourteen (Less than two minutes walk from Conwy Station.), ☏ +44 7397 942364. Pretty holiday cottage in town, with high-end furnishings and fixtures, and a hot tub. (updated Sep 2016)

### Camping

* 53.264225-3.85665510 Berthlwyde Holiday Park Conwy, Llechwedd, ☏ +44 1492 592270, berthlwydpark@aol.com. Berthlwyde Holiday Park is set in the rolling countryside of the Conwy Valley. The park has its own indoor pool, sauna and sun terrace.
* 53.265858-3.83683111 Conwy Touring Park, Conway Rd, ☏ +44 1492 592856. Check-out: 11AM. Large, modern and well-organized camp site 5 minutes' drive up the B5106, or an invigorating walk over the Bryn Seiri hill from the south side of Conwy. Very family-friendly, including an indoor playground next to the site pub's family room. Delays likely at buggy computerized road barrier, particularly around checkout time.
* The Little Paddock Holiday Park, Gwellyn Avenue, Kinmel Bay, Conwy, LL18 5HR, ☏ +44 1745 351607, info@thelittlepaddock.com. Holiday park with camping, seasonal touring options, and holiday homes for sale. (updated May 2015)

### Hostels

* 53.278562-3.83888812 YHA Conwy, Larkhill, Sychnant Pass Rd, LL32 8AJ, ☏ +44 845 371 9732, conwy@yha.org.uk. Check-in: 3-10:30PM, check-out: 8-10:30AM. Ensuite private rooms and dorm rooms.

## Stay safe

Conwy is a safe and tourist-friendly beautiful little town.

## Go next

* Snowdonia is very close, with many small villages to explore and mountains to climb, as well as the spectacular Snowdon Mountain Railway.
* Caernarfon the Welsh town and castle with royal connections
* Llandudno Victorian-era seaside resort situated on the picturesque north coast of Wales.