UK Trip Day 6, Conwy

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The Conwy Show

2009, Oct 22nd

Well, I left Betws-y-Coed on the morning of the 22nd headed for Conwy. I decide to take the train as it one is leaving around 9:15 while the bus I had originally anticipated leaves at 10:10. As I am just waiting at the station I may as well take the earlier option. Conwy is supposed to have great mideaval walls just like Chester as well as one of the most impressive of the Edward castles.

Once again I wish I had a car as I found a used bookstore on my arrival at Llandando Junction (just a short walk to Conwy). Turns out Conwy used to have a few used bookstores but they have all closed recently according to the proprietor of the shop.

So I decide to stop by my B&B first which I had book the day before at the Betws-y-Coed TIC. I asked for something between 30 and 40 pounds, near to town as I am walking, and something that had internet access. They found me a great B&B called Bryn Derwen about a 10 minute walk from downtown with Wifi.

I stop drop off my bag and after a quick chat I head into town to see the castle. When by a ticket for the castle they ask if I want to by a combined ticket for “Paws Marh” an Elizabethan house in downtown and I decide to do it. Elizabethan times aren’t exactly my thing but I am in a slightly odd mood.

But first the castle and Conwy castle if you havn’t seen it before is truly impressive. Mainly because it has 8 towers roughly laid out in a rectangle with 4 towers having additional turrets. All castles are built with the objective of defense and Conwy castle is arguably the most or certainly one of the most defensible castles ever built.

Built at the confluence of two rivers it had a huge ditch around castle, steep ramparts, an additional wall surrounding the whole castle as well as a complex set of gates and murder holes that you would have to traverse should you try and enter the castle by force.

Now you might say that all castles have these and for the most part you are correct. However the devil is in the details and Conwy castle is no exception. It is in the implementation of these that is so impressive. I highly recommend you take a look around the castle and then avail yourself of one of the tours. There was a gentlemen (Neil) giving tours every 2 hours or so for (150) 1 pound 50 p. The tour took a bit over an hour and was well worth it to learn many of the tidbits and details. Thanks Neil.

Sometimes you have these odd flashbulb memories. You walk into a place you immediately know that you have been there before. I new I had been to the Conway castle in 1992 with my brother and father. For some strange reason I always had this memory of being in Wales with them and visiting this one visitor shop where I bought a Wales sweathshirt which was way too small and I immediately seem to loose on my return home. It is likely just as well as the colors in my opinion are a bit to gaudy. However, I never could quite remember where that shop was. When I entered the Conwy visitor shop I immediacy new this is where I had purchased that item. I decided not to purchase another one.

This does make me reflect though on my 1992 trip which was my first real trip abroad and my first time in Wales. It was one of those love/hate trips where you have a fabulous experience both at the time and in retrospect but at times could be very aggravating. Travel can often be so and I have found it to be important to be aware of the flash points and to err on the side of caution. Basically the idea is know what sets you off and avoid those situations. It can take some practice. This is however one of the benefits of traveling alone. When you stress you have very few people to take it out on. My wife and I have gotten pretty good about not stressing or taking it out on each other. That is say she was never bad about that sort of thing and I have improved a lot.

After castle I took a quick look in Paws Mahr. I didn’t stay long. While the house for the time period and I think this detracts from the interest. The audio tour as well was not just a plain informative speech and description but instead was done with voice actors that were portraying life and events during the time. If you really like Elizabethan homes this may be the right thing for you but if you are indifferent as I am you can safely skip this. But if you have plenty of time and are downtown anyway it may be worth it.

The walls are better and worse then Chester depending how you look at such things. They are well preserved and truly impressive. If you want to see the walls purely for the walls themselves and inspect the defensive towers these may be the walls for you. The ones in Chester are shorter but wider and more frequented by people. In Chester you were closer to other things to do so being on the walls was always the way to go. In Conway though you generally seem to see the walls for themselves. Which is fine as they are magnificent.

Well, that is all I am doing in Conwy. The B&B I am in only had the one night available and I don’t want to find another in the same town. It is just as easy to move on to a new city. Thus, I plan on heading for Shrewsbury.

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Photos

Conwy Catsle
Conwy Castle as seen from bridge while walking from Llandadno Junction to Conwy.

b_and_b_in_Conwy
The lovely B&B I had for one night in Conwy.

bay_From_Conwy_Castle
The bay as seen from Conwy Castle.

bay_From_Conwy_Castle
Part of the bay as seen from Conwy Castle. The tide is coming in but is still out.

bridges_To_Conwy
The three bridges that lead to Conwy from Lladando Junction. The left is the motorway. The center is the Telford bridge, and the right is for the train.

conwy_Castle_At_Night
Conwy Castle at Night.