Conwy

Our base for the weekend was an AirBnB just outside Conwy's walls with a magnificent view over the town. The castle and walls, built for Edward I, remain mostly intact and are today protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Follow the wall-walk and you can see the streets beneath still in the grid set out in Medieval times.

At night, when everyone is indoors, the past seems closer. Standing at the foot of the walls, it's easy to imagine Conwy as a garrison town with English soldiers keeping watch from the towers.. 

By day, it's a bustling seasidey place with lobster creels piled high, boats lining the quay and children trying to catch crabs. 

We'd booked tickets for an afternoon visit to Bodnant Garden, so first we walked down into Conwy to explore ...

I'd wanted to visit the castle but decided I wasn't up to climbing up tower stairs so chose an alternative view of the town by heading out on a boat trip.

The trip took us past marinas and yacht moorings, heading out (almost) to sea, past Deganwy on the opposite bank, towards the Great Orme at Llandudno.

Back on shoe, it was lunchtime, so we bought butties filled with locally caught crab  and ate them on the quayside. The seagulls were fortunately more interested in the crabs in children's' buckets than ours so we could enjoy our meal almost unmolested.

Then a short stroll took us to Thomas Telford's suspension bridge. Once a toll was charged here for crossing but now it's owned by the National Trust and it's free to walk across. There are three bridges here now - Telford's bridge being joined by a railway bridge on one side, and a modern traffic bridge on the other. 

We still had a little time to spare so headed to the Jester's Tower tea room for cake (rhubarb and custard).  

Set up a flight of steps in the town walls the tea room has a marvelous view of the quayside, and I was surprised it wasn't busier.

 


Time, then to head back to the car (unfortunately uphill) and head up the Conwy valley to Bodnant.