Welcome to Llandudno, the Premier North Wales holiday resort
and a part of Conwy County Borough in the United Kingdom.
This is an independent web site dedicated to the promotion of
Llandudno, the largest and best loved sea-side resort in Wales.
Llandudno lies on a peninsula
between two
notable carboniferous headlands,
the Great Orme
and the Little
Orme (both within the Conwy County Borough),
with the Irish Sea on one side and the estuary of the River Conwy on
the other.
It is these headlands and the two waterfronts, the North Shore and the
West Shore,
together with the fine bay that give the tourist resort of Llandudno
its special appeal.
Here Punch and Judy still entertain children
and fond parents in the traditional manner,
just as they have always done. ‘Professor’ Codman
brought Punch to Llandudno in 1860 and the Codman family
still run the puppet show daily during the summer on the wide promenade
near the pier at the foot of the Great Orme (photo May 2008).
Donkey and Pony Rides have been popular on
Llandudno’s sandy beach
for over 125 years and continue to appeal to the children of all ages.
They were introduced by Elizabeth Hughes (the Donkey Lady)
and her family continue the tradition with others to the present day.
At Llandudno there are usually donkey rides
available on the immaculate north beach
on all sunny summer days, subject to the tide tables.
The
2,295 foot long Llandudno
Victorian Pier,
greatly admired by Sir John Betjeman, was built in 1878.
It is the longest
pier in Wales and one of the finest recreational piers in Britain.
A British Tourist
Authority report in 1975 said of it….
‘It zooms out of the sea …. in a spectacular
Indian Gothic style
rather like a Maharajah's palace floating on a lake.
Cast iron, brackets
of iron lace work,
an outstandingly pretty balustrade like an enlarged
fish net,
ogee roofs curling
away to the sky, all add up to a totally pleasurable experience’
and in addition, it should be noted, a fine level wooden deck for easy
walking.
The
pier head
landing stage,
which was rebuilt in concrete in 1969, is still used
by the Isle of Man
Steam Packet Company for occasional excursions to
Douglas
and by the Waverley
and Balmoral Steamer Preservation
organizations.
Easter
Sunday 2006 on the Promenade at Llandudno
Llandudno also has a fine sailing club with an excellent national reputation. See:
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 The
Town Trail
Llandudno
is proud of its carefully
planned Victorian town centre with its wide streets and attractive sea
front including its broad uncluttered promenade and invites visitors to
take the town
trail, which is a carefully planned walk round Llandudno's interesting
streets. You are welcome to follow the walk on the internet:
Llandudno has two great beaches, the north shore with its many hotels (a few seen here) and its wide promenade, and the west shore (see below) with fewer hotels and a quiet relaxed environment. |
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 The
West Shore Made
famous by the house at Pen
Morfa
that was built by the Very
Revd Dr Henry Liddell, Dean of Christ Church Oxford
and
the father of Alice, of 'Wonderland' and 'Looking Glass' fame, who with
the family spent 12 happy summers, Christmases and Easters here at
Llandudno. The town is
very proud of this connexion and almost
opposite Pen Morfa is the
West Shore's fine model boating pond
and
also a sculpture in honour of Alice, which was unveiled by David Lloyd
George
in 1933.
The west shore, linked to the north shore by Gloddaeth Avenue is at
the western end
of the Marine Drive (see below)
that runs for four miles from its start on the north shore below in the
Happy Valley and just
beyond the pier.
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 The
Happy Valley
This sheltered dry valley,
formerly a copper mining site and later a stone quarry was landscaped
and given to the township of Llandudno by Lord Mostyn in celebration of
the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria. Click the picture. The Happy Valley
gardens are the starting point of the aerial cabin car to the
summit of the Great Orme, which with a length of over a mile is the
longest aerial cableway in the British Isles. Higher up the
valley is the Llandudno artificial ski slope. Whatever your interests,
the Happy Valley has much to offer.
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 The
Marine Drive
The four mile Victorian carriage drive around the perimeter of the Great Orme is one of Llandudno's more important assets. It gives access to Saint Tudno's Church and to the Summit Complex as well as to several remote parts of the headland. Above all, the drive is a most wonderful scenic trip. For the first three miles from its start just beyond the pier gates, it is one way only. Many people walk round which is a most excellent way of seeing the Great Orme at its most majestic. Do try the Marine Drive, on foot, by bicycle or by car. And there is also a grand vintage motor coach trip round the Great Orme throughout most of the year. |
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Saint Tudno and the Great Orme The
little church of Saint Tudno nestles in a north facing hollow on the Great Orme
and is the original parish church of the
district of
Llandudno. The adjacent town cemetery is still in regular use. Open air
Church services are held every Sunday Morning during the summer.
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 The
Great Orme Tramway
Llandudno's Great Orme Tramway is a remarkable historical survival and celebrated it centenary in 2002. It is one of only three cable hauled street tramways still in existence world wide. The other two are in San Francisco USA and Lisbon, Portugal. For a fully illustrated description of this famous tramway and a brief history of the line click on the picture of the tramcar climbing the 1 in 4 gradient at the Blackbrook intersection of five roads and the tramway. It will take you, in two easy stages, right to the top. Trams operate at frequent intervals throughout most of the year. |
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The Great Orme Aerial Cable Car  The Cable Car from the Happy Valley to the Great Orme Summit is, at over one mile each way, the longest Aerial Cabin Lift in the United Kingdom, offering fantastic views. Photograph right © Elwyn Jones taken August 18th 2008 |
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The Llandudno Victorian Extravaganza The annual Spring carnival in May each year becomes ever more popular with young and old and especially with families - please click here or on one of the pictures below:  Replica of a 19th
century
London Steam Bus (the world's first ever steam bus) in the 2003
procession. This remarkable vehicle really is controlled by the
coachman sitting precariously out in front, but with steam horse-power
snarling away behind him. This is
one of many veteran and replica vehicles taking part in the parade each
year. Some are old friends, they come every year and others
make a single guest
appearance. There are usually twenty or more steam powered vehicles and
an increasing number of diesel and petrol veteran and vintage vehicles of all
descriptions, which visit the resort to take part in the daily parade.
(two photos above © Stephen Watson 2007)  Every year the May bank holiday weekend becomes Llandudno's Victorian Extravaganza. The main shopping street is closed to all traffic and becomes home to traditional fairground rides, a very great many and with all the usual catch penny booths and street entertainers. Give it a go! Come to Llandudno for the May Day Bank Holiday weekend. Llandudno includes Craig-y-Don & Llanrhos |
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 Places to visit from Llandudno
Llandudno is a fine
centre from which to tour Snowdonia and other parts of North Wales
click on this picture of Caernarfon Castle for details of excursions by
touring coach and our excellent public transport, together with lots of
ideas for visits by private car or touring
cycle. Many of the bus services are geared to the needs of walkers.
Links to many other web pages devoted to local places of interest and to the North Wales Tourism scene. Click here or on the picture! |
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 Visit Conwy - the ancient walled
town
of Wales
Just four miles from Llandudno and linked to Llandudno by open top tour buses and also take a trip through the
Conwy Valley |
For
a complete list of these web pages
click: Site
Map
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Llandudno Queen of the North Wales Resorts www.greatorme.org.uk This independent web site is compiled and published by Noel Walley. He is the copyright owner and webmaster to whom all requests for permission to publish photographs should be made. Email: webmaster@greatorme.org.uk |
Llandudno Tourist Information Centre All requests for information regarding tourism including brochures, guides, and leaflets etc. and all questions concerning accommodation and official facilities in Llandudno should be addressed to The Conwy County Borough Council at Llandudno Tourist Information Centre The Library Building, Mostyn Street, Llandudno. Telephone: 01492 876413 Email: llandudnotic@conwy.gov.uk |
North Wales Tourist attractions overview map: CLICK |
Compilation and all photographs © 2002/2008 by Noel Walley