Fairytale in Snowdonia (Conwy Castle)

Member Name: merv

Product:	Conwy Castle
Date:	08/12/02 (222 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Compact and picturesque, Wonderful scenery, Pleasant Town

Disadvantages: None

I’m not a great fan of the winter, I get bored with the long dark nights and cold, wet gloomy days and I long for the first signs of spring. The build-up to Christmas seems to be taken up with endless weekend shopping trips most but not all of which I manage to avoid if there’s a home match or if I’m lucky enough, a suitable away fixture. It’s surprising where my wife and daughter have Christmas shopped over the last few years - exotic places such as Rochdale, Bury, Macclesfield and Walsall. I’ve promised them that when Wrexham play in the Premier League the shopping trips will be to Leeds, Manchester, London and Birmingham – but that could be some way off!

In return for my participation in the Christmas shopping trips we usually choose a sunny weekend in the winter months for a ‘non-shopping’ day out to blow away the cobwebs and get some fresh air into our lungs. One of my favourites in recent years was a visit to Conwy castle.

Conwy itself is a beautiful little town situated on the estuary of the River Conwy on the edge of Snowdonia in the north-west corner of Wales. Approached from the east via the A55 through North Wales, the beauty of this section of the country rivals anything in Britain.

It is a classic walled town full of authentic medieval character. The circuit of walls over three quarters of a mile long is guarded by no less than 22 towers and is recognized as one of the finest in the World. The town is impressive for a number of other reasons too, boasting the oldest house in Wales, the smallest house in Wales and the oldest pub in Wales as well as a busy and delightfully picturesque quay. But the most significant of Conwy’s treasures is Edward 1’s formidable castle

The approach to the town is by three very impressive bridges which span the estuary: Telford’s suspension bridge of 1826, Stephenson’s tubular railway bridge and a modern road bridge.
The end of this three-pronged approach is dominated by the magnificent castle which looms menacingly above the town and glassy waters of the estuary. Its defences are rooted in the massive crags of the promontory on which they stand and it immediately conveys its sense of strength and compactness. Edward constructed the castle as one of the key fortresses in his 'iron ring' of castles in the late 13th century to contain the Welsh and protect the English colony planted at Conwy. When it was first built, Conway castle would have looked even more striking, magical, even fairytale-like, for the grey stone work was originally rendered white.

The castle is divided into an outer and inner ward, protected by two barbicans and eight massive almost identical round towers. Inner and outer wards could be defended separately should any attackers manage to breach the outer walls. The outer wall is dominated by the Great Hall which is still spanned by a slender stone arch. A well, 91 feet deep barred entry into the inner ward, which was also protected by a drawbridge.

Conwy's massive military strength springs from the rock on which it stands and seems to grow naturally. Soaring curtain walls and the eight huge towers give the castle, which is a World Heritage Inscribed site, an intimidating presence undimmed by the passage of time.
Almost all of the castle is accessible and well preserved. Climbing to the top of any of the towers provide spectacular views of the town, surrounding coastline and countryside. The views from the battlements are breathtaking looking out across mountains and sea and down to the roofless shell of the castle’s 125ft Great Hall. From these battlements you can really appreciate Conwy’s fine walls, the beautiful coastline and most of all, the tussocky, Snowdonian foothills jagged with mysterious megaliths and burial chambers

A visit to Conwy and its wonderful castle should be rounded off with a pint
and a pub lunch. Two miles south on the B5106 of Conwy is the Groes Inn apparently the oldest licensed hostelry in Wales. This is beautiful pub to visit, in a lovely situation beside the river Conwy - roaring fires, frothy beer and traditional Welsh cooking, with every nook and cranny filled with historic artifacts.

Perhaps winter’s not that bad after all. On a cold winter’s morning every bump and hollow of the scenery around here is thrown into relief by the low sunlight - far better than Marks and Spencers.

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The castle is open from:

27th March to 31st May 09.30 - 17.00 daily

1st June to 29th September - 09.30 - 18.00 daily

30th September to 27th October - 09.30 - 17.00 daily

28th October to 31st March 09.30 - 16.00 Monday to Saturday
11.00 - 16.00 Sunday

Last admission half an hour before closing.

It is closed on 24th, 25th, 26th December, 1st January

Admission Charge: Adults £3.50, Reduced rate £3.00.

Family Ticket:- £10.00 - admits 2 adults and up to 3 children under 16 years.

Three or seven day explorer passes are available which give you free admission to the historic sites in the care of Cadw.

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