Conway: A Castle, Walls and a Garden in Conwy

In Brief.

Conwy is a castle with a walled costal town attached. The castle and walled town were built in a 4 year period the 13th Century (how long is it taking to build a railway from London to Birmingham in the 21st century?), and both are impressive and substantially intact. Nearby, the Bondant Garden is an impressive National Trust garden with a surprisingly vibrant winter garden with flowering snowdrops, daffodils and rhododendron, to name but a few, on my visit on 15th January.

Conwy Castle

What's Here?

Conwy is classed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, and it's not hard to see why, with its grand castle and the nearly complete town walls. Both were built at the same time, as part of a network of English castles that were designed to keep the Welsh in check. The castle has a series of towers, most of which can be climbed, offering good views over the River Conwy, just before it enters the Irish Sea. The castle is now popular with pigeons and tourists alike.

Conwy harbour, with the castle and bridges in the background.

I started my visit at the castle on a cold but clear winters day, and worked up more appetite walking the walls, which enclose the pointed roofs of the old town. Overall, the castle and walls boast many defensive towers, and it is impressive that this was all constructed so quickly over 700 years ago. The river front, delimited by the walls, is compact, and adjacent to a small network of shopping streets with plenty independent cafes and shops.  

The wooded river valley in Bodnant Garden.

I had intended to visit Plas Mawr, a seemingly impressive townhouse, but it was closed for the winter, so I headed instead for the National Trust's extensive Bodnant Garden a few miles inland.  This was a revelation, including a colourful winter garden (in mid January - I was rather sceptical when told about this at the reception), and pleasant walks alongside the carefully managed river. There are lots of gardens in this series of blogs, but this is certainly among the best for a winter visit, and I would be interested to return in the spring or summer. 

Practicalities.

Distance from Manchester Town Hall: 85 miles

Drive Time: 1 hour 55 minutes.

Price: $$: Both Castle and Garden. The Walls are free.

Parking: There is paid long term parking in Conwy.

Food and Drink: I had Fish and Chips in Conwy town centre; there are many eateries in Conwy, and (depending on the time of year) several cafes at Bondant Garden.

Retail therapy: There are a variety of independent shops in Conwy, many selling things to eat. There is a garden centre and a collection of craft shops at the garden.

Child Friendly: I didn't see many child-specific things to do, but the castle is a proper castle and the gardens have lots of places to explore.

Toilets: Yes: Castle, Conwy sea front, gardens.

Do it justice in: Castle: 1 hour; Gardens: 2 hours.

Inside-Outside: 10:90

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chester Zoo

Image
In Brief. Chester Zoo is a substantial modern zoo, with a remarkable collection of animals of all sizes, from land, sea and air. The Zoo is divided into several zones, for example there is an islands zone and a Madagascar zone, though it's hard to sense that you are really focusing on anything in particular with such diversity on hand.  The zoo itself is a pleasant environment, with lots of greenery, there are eateries spread across the site, and the enclosures seem in good condition and not too cramped. The flamingos What's Here? This is rather a formidable zoo, with everything from an aquarium and a butterfly house to large mammals (elephants and rhinos) and predators (jaguars and lions). There is so much to see that any day trip is unlikely to do it justice, and you can't help but find yourself wandering past potentially interesting things on the way to something you spotted on a sign or in the app.  For a typical animal, there will be some signs highlighting area of or
Read more

Hardwick Hall

Image
In Brief. Hardwick Hall is a grand, well preserved Elizabethan country house, run by the National Trust, with a walled garden and extensive grounds. The adjacent garden includes an orchard and some fine views over the fields, but the highlight is the house. Built for a grand dame of the Elizabethan period, the hall retains many of its original features, being largely spared from generations of home improvements. The site also includes the adjacent  Hardwick Old Hall , which is run by English Heritage, but they certainly drew the short straw as only the shell of the Old Hall survives. What's Here. Hardwick Hall was built to suit the needs and reflect the status of Bess of Hardwick (1521-1608), who was born on the site, outlived a succession of husbands, and accumulated significant wealth in the process.  Her initials (ES - Elizabeth Shrewsbury) adorn the towers. The house spent a considerable time in the possession of descendants who also owned the even more imposing Chatsworth ,
Read more

Liverpool Waterfront

Image
In Brief. The Liverpool Waterfront, on the tidal River Mersey, is one of the most recognisable urban spaces in the UK. Though stripped of its World Heritage status because of unsympathetic modern developments, the core of the current waterfront area around the Albert Dock both preserves and repurposes historical landmarks and hosts a variety of cultural venues that enable a rich and varied visit. The Three Graces beyond the Museum of Liverpool What's Here? This is a destination that combines a collection of things to look at (notably the Three Graces from the early 20th Century and the surviving Victorian Docks), and things to go inside (such as Tate Liverpool, The Museum of Liverpool, The Maritime Museum, The International Slavery Museum and The Beatles Story). A colourful ferry heads across the Mersey. One way of combining looking at with going inside is on The Mersey Ferries,  which offer a 50 minute cruise with a single stop in Birkenhead on the south bank of the Mersey. This c
Read more