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Tours > Wales > Aberconwy and Conwy
Aberconwy and Conwy
 Aberconwy is not a town, but a district, encompassing the length of the River Conwy, the boundary set by the infamous treaty of 1277 by which Edward I hemmed in Prince Llywelyn. Another Llywelyn, named "The Great," had granted a charter to the Cistercian Abbey founded here in 1172. In the abbey, renowned for its library, Llywelyn became a monk and died here in 1240. The Abbey was plundered by English King Henry III. It was removed to Maenan in 1283 by Edward I. Parts of the Abbey remain in St. Mary's Church on High Street.
Yet another fortress town dreamed up by Edward I to solidify his stanglehold on North Wales, Conwy is a visitors' delight. Since the building of the road tunnel under the river, Conwy has rid itself of the nightmarish traffic jams that for a quarter of a century clogged its narrow streets and damaged its narrow gateways. Those tourists who rush by on the A55 to Anglesey are missing a lot.
In addition to the tunnel under the Conwy estuary, the town is reached by three bridges. The first of these was built in 1826 by Telford, probably as a model for his much larger bridge over the Menai the same year. It took the place of the ferry, notorious for its bad-tempered ferrymen and unpredictable tides. Built with towers to complement those of the castle, the bridge's chains, dipped in linseed oil, have never rusted (chains were superseded by cables in later bridges).
A newer road bridge was completed in the late 1950's but the much-photographed old suspension bridge (one of the very first in the world) can still be crossed by pedestrians and cyclists. In 1848, another bridge crossed the Conwy, this time the Tubular Bridge was built by famed engineer Robert Stephenson (who used the same design to cross the Menai) to carry the railway that led from London to Holyhead.
The Quayside is popular with visitors, for its many fishing boats offer excursions out to the Irish Sea. It also is home to the smallest house in Great Britain. A short distance away is Plas Mawr, an Elizabethan mansion that now houses the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art. Also nearby is 15th-century Aberconwy House, the home of a Conwy exhibition that gives the history of the town from Roman time. Its first storey is accessed from the outside stairs, a remnant of the older custom used before inside staircases were developed.
The castle exceeds all written descriptions. Along with its 30-ft high walls, some 1400 yards in circumference and caped by 21 towers, it completely dominates the town and surrounding area. It was first begun in 1283, entrusted by Edward I to his master builder James of St. George and completed in four years. Built on a huge rock, the castle has eight battlemented drum towers to complement its river, sea, and rock defences. The town is easily reached from Chester on the main A55 coastal road and also by rail.
Next Stop: Llandudno
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