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Conwy
Ben and I have only glimpsed views of Conwy and its imposing castle when travelling to Llandudno by train. I can never recall actually visiting in the past, allthough over the years we have made many trips to North Wales. Pam has, as she was here with the Derby girls in 2016, allthough she can only recall spending time here visiting the "smallest house". We had driven over late one afternoon, earlier in our stay, but didn't have loose change to use for parking so had to give up and return back to base. I think it was that evening that we carried on, instead of going back to the van and, ended up eating in Caernarvon. This time we are armed with plenty of loose change. We parked in the spaces that we had looked at before as from here it was an easy walk into the town, or the harbour front, or the Castle. I nipped into the Post Office to post my cheque and paperwork for the Prostate Cancer walk that had been collected and then we strolled down one of the busy streets heading for the "smallest house". The street that we chose, coincidently housed Mr Drew Pritchards shop, into which we glimpsed, quickly dismissing much of the items on display as old and undesirable. We carried on walking down the street, past Aberconwy House, which we would visit later, through the arch of the old town walls to the harbour. Here Pam pointed out to us the "smallest house", into which we didn't bother to go, instead we stood outside taking pictures. Pam once more happy to sit on a bench, with her back to the house, facing out onto the marina, to again enjoy her book. Off Ben and I trotted to walk the walls of the town ending up at the castle.
Above: Proof positive of posting the envelope with cheque and all relevant paperwork to Prostate Cancer UK. Then the frontage of Mr Pritchards shop. The chair in the windows, not a bad style, but one hell of a price! Then the two posers sitting on the bench outside the "Smallest house" in Wales and probably Great Britain. Next the old town map showing the walls and the walk that Ben and I accomplished - highlighted in red.
As with all castle battlements to get to the top you have to climb. The added climbing with the Conwy walls, was as the town was built within a hill side the battlements had to maintain a rising incline. This meant not just walking level walls but climbing inclined walls. Despite the sapping of strength, the views, especially when we reached the highest point, were spectacular. This must have been one well guarded town, as the view that the defending armies had was panoramic. No one could creep up on them from any side, either land or sea. What was once a town contained within the walls as now spread well beyond, into the surrounding countryside. We had an enjoyable lunch in a bijou cafe nestled in a building adjacent one of the old wall gates and, sat watching the various tourists wander by, including a crowd of orientals lining up against the opposite wall to our window to take pictures of the cafe's hanging basket, all this going on whilst we enjoyed our sandwiches and toasties. After lunch we made our way to visit the National Trust maintained Suspension Bridge and Toll House. It was difficult to envisage that the suspension bridge was the only road route in and out of the town until the adjacent road bridge was opened in 1958. The Toll house has been set out to look very much as it was when it was in use and is a fascinating insight into how the family of six lived in such small, cramped conditions. It was interesting to hear from the Trust volunteer the history of the Toll house and the Toll keepers, who had to bid their own monies for the privilige of the title. They were not allowed to set the tolls, that is not after the first tollkeeper did and made a sizable amount of money in the process. He didn't last long; long enough probably to live a nice life there after.
Above:Thomas Telfords suspension bridge, with the castle in the distance. The bridge was to be structurally in keeping with the castle and when completed operated as the only roadway in and out of the town. Then pictures of the Toll House and the small rooms in which the toll keeper and his family lived. The parents slept downstairs with the children in the loft, accessed from the room directly off the main door. There would have been a window in the room directly above the main entrance door which, from the picture, now as a board showing the various toll rates.
Next stop the castle and once more we gain free entry courtesy of our English Heritage membership. Another chance for Pam to do a spot of reading as Ben and I traverse the various battlements. Built with astonishing speed, it was begun in 1283 and castle and town walls effectively completed by 1287 - some build. The town walls are classified as one of the best sets of medieval defences in Europe. The cost of the build, castle and walls, by Edward 1, recorded as 15,000 pounds.(Thats around 45 million pounds in todays money). How that initial value as been calculated is unknown and difficult to equate when pound sterling wouldn't have been around in 1287. Despite that little query the castle is a magnificent structure, currently undergoing extensive restoration. Despite that it is still possible to see the outline not just of the castle walls, which look to be totaly intact, but also the inner buildings. From the battlements you can clearly see the outlines of the chapel, the royal apartments, the kitchen and stable and the great hall, most impressive. Having taken numerous pictures, well Ben had, because mid way through taking mine, my camera packed up. Thinking it was a flat battery I never gave it another thought. That is until we got back to the van, where I realised that the batterys were ok, but the camera wasn't. It just will not start.
Above:Pictures of the castle showing areas of internal buildings. The great Hall walls can be seen in the first picture.
After visiting the castle we walked back to the centre of the town to visit the other National Trust property, Aberconwy House. This is the only remaing merchants house in Conwy. A three storey building of which the ground floor would have been used for the merchants trade and the upstairs as living accomodation. You enter the building on the ground floor which, now houses the Trusts gift shop and progress to the upstairs through a door at the rear of the shop. There is direct access to the first floor from the street, via a walled step, which would have been used by the family. This is not in use today, possibly for safety reasons as the steps were very worn and also the problems associated with controlling access, checking Trust membership cards or taking monies would have been difficult.
Above: Pictures of the interior of Aberconwy House.