Contents
Sunday 19 May, 2024
Castles in the Air
The castle in question is Gwydir Castle, and ‘Castles in the Air’ is the title of the book detailing its renovation by its current owners. Gwydir was the seat of the powerful Wynn family who were descendants of the Kings of Gwynedd, and were one of the most significant families of north Wales during the Tudor and Stuart periods.
The leisurely walk is one of our easier ones this year, having only about 200m (650 ft) of elevation. From Trefriw we’ll initially take a scenic route round the Cob and alongside the river Conwy as we head to Llanrwst and Gwydir Castle. This walk includes entry into Gwydir Castle and its gardens (paid for by our sponsor*), where we can spend some time. Afterwards we’ll head up to Gwydir Uchaf chapel with its amazing interior and its adjacent small Tudor maze. On the way back to Trefriw we’ll call into the Grey Mare’s Tail, a splendid waterfall which feeds the water features at Gwydir via a half-mile leat across the meadows. It was Lady Willoughby of Gwydir who gave the waterfall its name. (Time allowing we might also visit the site of the Tudor bowling green.)
* This has been made possible through funding from the Carneddau Landscape Partnership. Thank you!
Duration: All day. Please bring a packed lunch.
Distance: About 6 miles / 10 km
Grade: Easy, leisurely, little ascent (except if taking the path down to the bottom of the falls).
Please be aware that this is a rural area and that all our walks take us out into the countryside where some parts of paths and tracks will be uneven and sometimes wet and slippery underfoot; it isn’t like walking on pavements!
Departure time: 09:45 a.m. from Trefriw Village Hall (LL27 0JH, SH781631)
Refreshments will be available in the Hall both before and after your walk. (See ‘our cafe’.) Please stay and socialise!
Walk Leaders: Colin Devine & Liz Burnside
Click on the map to see the rough location of this walk.
Booking: To book a place, please click on the Eventbrite button below (opens in a new tab).
This walk is fully booked.
Please ensure that you have read the booking information, terms and conditions before you attend any walks.
Please note that, although we make no charge for our walks, we do ask for voluntary donations (card preferred, but cash accepted). More details on our funding page.