6a. Conwy (1) The Town

Scenes from Wales Index

Email: chem55555@hotmail.com

See also 6b. Conwy (2) Conwy Castle

Conwy, a popular tourist destination, traditionally known in English as Conway, is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales across the River Conwy the community Deganwy. The name 'Conwy' derives from the old Welsh words 'cyn' (chief) and 'gwy' (water), the river being originally called the 'Cynwy'. Conwy Castle and the town walls were built on the orders of Edward I of England, between 1283 and 1289, as part of his conquest of the principality of Wales. The 14th century parish church standing in Conwy has been marked as the oldest building in Conwy. However, the oldest structure is part of the town walls, at the southern end of the east side where a wall and the tower of Llewellyn the Great's Llys [court house], which is built on a rocky outcrop, with an apsidal tower, a classic, native Welsh build from the early 13th century. People born within the town walls of Conwy in north Wales are nicknamed "Jackdaws", after the jackdaws which live on the walls there.

More on the history of Conwy Town

[Author and photographer © Dr Phil Brown PhD plus help from AI these days, page updated May 14th 2026]

The suspension bridge across the River Conwy that links Conwy with Deganwy

Looking down on Conwy from the castle walls, the harbour is down on the right.

The bronze statue of Llewelyn ap Iowerth (or Llewelyn the Great) standing proudly above a fountain painted in his heritage colours, in Lancaster Square Conwy.

The writing carved on the fountain states that Llewelyn founded Aberconwy Abbey in 1186, some even say that Llewellyn founded the town himself. The bronze statue was created by a man named E.O Griffith in 1898 and was commemorated to introduce the towns water supply. Llewelyn was born in Dolwyddelan Castle in 1173 and raised in Powys. By the amazingly young age of 10, Llewelyn had begun his military career and in 1201 (aged 28) he had successfully conquered Gwynedd. In 1209, Llewelyn became the first Welsh leader to join an English King on a campaign outside Wales to try to defeat William I of Scotland.

The Conwy Visitor Centre near the station.

The Erskine Arms and 'Love to Eat' near Conwy station.

Cafes in High Street, Conwy

Plas Mawr Elizabethan Townhouse (Plas Mawr Ty Tref Oes Elisabeth) in the High Street

Plas Mawr in Conwy is an Elizabethan house built in 1576 by the Wynn family and was extensively refurbished to its 16th-century appearance and is now in the care of Cadw and open to the public.

Plas Mawr lower courtyard

The entrance to Plas Mawr

Crown Lane

Part of Plas Mawr dated 1576 in Crown Lanet, by the Oriel Gallery

EDWARDS butcher and delicatessen, High Street on the corner of Crown Lane and High Street, on the right the 'Ye Olde Mail Coach' plus Palace ??

The fine brick and stone building of the Castle Hotel and Restaurant, High Street, Conwy

Aberconwy House (Aberconway House), Conwy, is a 14th century merchant's house, and a National Trust property.

Wooden beams in Aberconwy House

Interesting building of the Palace Bingo in Conwy, and Illy  ???

The George and Dragon and the Blue Bell (Gloch Las) pubs in Conwy

An old house in 11 Castle Street, Conwy, marked JBC 1589, but archaeologists think the original hall may have been built as early as 1441.

St Mair a'r Holl Saint (St Mary & All Saints) Parish Church

Conwy was the original site of Aberconwy Abbey, founded by Llywelyn the Great. Edward and his troops took over the abbey site and moved the monks down the Conwy valley to a new site at Maenan, establishing Maenan Abbey. St Mary & All Saints still retains some parts of the original abbey church in the east and west walls. English settlers were given incentives to move to the walled garrison town, which for decades the Welsh were forbidden from entering!

The West Door

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Conwy Quay and marina, the white house on the left is Vardre Hall, a 19th Century Grade II listed building set directly opposite to Conwy Castle. It was erected by Conservative Buckinghamshire MP William Edward FitzMaurice in the mid 1850s. In 1869 the building was sold to solicitor William Jones. The building was used as a solicitor's office until 1972, when it was bought out and became The Towers Restaurant. The Towers Coffee house remains next door. After laying empty for a number of years Vardre Hall changed hands again and, in 1999, was refurbished into a shop.

A lifeboat station was established by the RNLI in 1966 and currently operates the D-class inshore lifeboat The May Bob.

The Conwy Suspension Bridge completed in 1826, designed by Thomas Telford to replace the ferry across the River Conwy to the castle and town of Conwy. Telford designed the bridge's supporting towers to match the castle's turrets as you approach the castle and the bridge itself is now pedestrians only and, with the toll-keeper's house, is managed by the National Trust.

On the right is the Conwy Railway Bridge, a Tubular bridge, was built for the Chester and Holyhead Railway by Robert Stephenson completed in 1849. The bridge is still in use on the North Wales Coast Line, along with the station, which is located within the town walls. In addition to a modern bridge serving the town, the A55 road passes under the river by a tunnel, Britain's first immersed tube tunnel, which was built between 1986 and 1991. The old mountain road to Dwygyfylchi and Penmaenmawr runs through the Sychnant Pass, at the foot of Conwy Mountain.

 

The Chester-Holyhead railway line emerging from the tubular suspension bridge just before Conwy station.

Conwy Station, where the railway cuts through the castle and city walls!

A view of Conwy town walls from the castle walls, with a Chester-Holyhead train passing by on the North Wales coastal railway route.

 A history of Conwy Town

Conwy is one of the best‑preserved medieval towns in Britain — a compact, walled settlement on the River Conwy estuary whose history stretches from early Welsh lordship to Edwardian colonisation, maritime trade, Victorian engineering, and modern tourism. Below is a full, structured history of the town itself, with only a brief, contextual mention of the castle, as you requested.

Conwy Town: A Complete Historical Overview (Castle Mentioned Only Briefly)

1. Early Origins: Before Edward I

Although the modern town was formally founded in the late 13th century, the site had long-standing significance:

• The name Conwy derives from the old Welsh cyn (chief) + gwy (water), referring to the river.
• The area was part of the medieval Welsh kingdom of Gwynedd.
• Aberconwy Abbey, a Cistercian monastery founded by Llywelyn the Great, originally stood on the site of the later town.

This abbey was a major religious and political centre before the English conquest.

2. Edward I’s New Town (1283–1289)

After conquering Wales in 1282–83, Edward I reorganised the region and founded a series of fortified towns.

Conwy was one of these planned English boroughs, created in 1283:

• Edward I removed the Cistercian abbey to Maenan, upstream, and built his new town on the vacated site.
• The town was laid out on a grid plan, as close to a geometric bastide as the terrain allowed.
• It was enclosed by massive stone walls with 21 towers and 3 gateways, forming one of Europe’s finest surviving medieval walled towns.

Brief castle note: The castle was built simultaneously (1283–1289) as part of this combined defensive and administrative complex.

3. Medieval Life Inside the Walls

Conwy quickly became a thriving English borough:

• Settlers from England were encouraged to populate the town.
• Welsh people were largely excluded from living inside the walls during the early period.
• The town developed as a market centre, with trade moving through its harbour and gates.
• The parish church of St Mary & All Saints incorporates parts of the original abbey church.

The medieval street pattern remains almost entirely intact today.

Conwy as a Port and Trading Centre

The River Conwy estuary was both a barrier and an opportunity:

• The town developed a busy medieval harbour, exporting wool, timber, and later slate.
• The estuary was difficult to cross, so Conwy became a key coastal stop for travellers and merchants.
• Across the river, Deganwy — once a major 6th‑century Welsh stronghold — declined in importance after Conwy's foundation.

5. Tudor & Early Modern Conwy (1500s–1700s)

Conwy prospered in the Tudor period:

• Wealthy merchants built fine houses, including Plâs Mawr (1577–80), one of the best-preserved Elizabethan townhouses in Britain.
• The town remained a regional trading hub, though its medieval defences gradually lost military relevance.
• Population in 1841 was recorded at 1,358, showing its modest size before Victorian expansion.

6. Victorian Engineering & Transformation (1800s)

The 19th century reshaped Conwy's relationship with the outside world:

Thomas Telford's Suspension Bridge (1822–26)

• Built to replace the ferry crossing.
• Designed with towers echoing the castle’s turrets.
• One of the earliest major suspension bridges in the world.

Robert Stephenson's Tubular Railway Bridge (1840s)

• A pioneering iron-and-steel tubular bridge carrying the Chester–Holyhead railway.
• Helped integrate Conwy into the industrial transport network.

These two structures made Conwy a showcase of early modern engineering.

7. Preservation, Identity & Modern Conwy (1900s–Present)

• Conwy’s medieval walls remain virtually complete, making it one of Europe’s best-preserved walled towns.
• The town and its fortifications were designated part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd” in 1986.
• People born within the walls are traditionally nicknamed “Jackdaws”, after the birds nesting in the towers.
• Today Conwy is a major heritage and tourism destination, known for its harbour, walls, bridges, and preserved Elizabethan and medieval buildings.

Why Conwy Is Historically Important (Beyond the Castle)

Conwy stands out because it is:

• A complete medieval planned town, still readable in its street layout.
• A rare example of intact medieval walls encircling a living community.
• A site where Welsh monastic history, English colonial planning, and Victorian engineering all intersect.
• A town whose identity is deeply tied to its geography — the river, the estuary, and the coastal route of North Wales.

Welsh images pictures photos © Phil Brown docspics photographs of Wales * Welsh Tourist information, Holidays in Wales, Top tourist attractions in Wales, accommodation luxury hotels, Welsh B&B, hostels, Welsh self-catering holiday cottages, restaurants, guided walks, adventure walking holidays in Wales, mountain climbing, outdoor sports pursuits, touring coach tours of Wales, museums, week-end breaks in Wales, historic cities of Wales, Welsh towns, Welsh castles in Wales docspics images photos of Conwy, North Wales Coast © Phil Brown Tourist information on Conwy, North Wales Coast, Walks near Conwy, North Wales Coast, Having holidays near Conwy, North Wales Coast, Wales, Top tourist attractions near Conwy, North Wales Coast, luxury hotels near Conwy, North Wales Coast, self-catering holiday cottages near Conwy, North Wales Coast, airbnb air B and B near Conwy, North Wales Coast, quality B&B near Conwy, North Wales Coast, friendly pubs near Conwy, North Wales Coast, cafes near Conwy, North Wales Coast, eating out in fine restaurants near Conwy, North Wales Coast, weekend breaks near Conwy, North Wales Coast, wining & dining weekends near Conwy, North Wales Coast, walking holidays around Conwy, North Wales Coast, touring coach tours including Conwy, North Wales Coast, pretty villages near Conwy, North Wales Coast, historic towns and pretty village near Conwy, North Wales Coast, museums near Conwy, North Wales Coast, local art galleries near Conwy, North Wales Coast, guided walks from Conwy, North Wales Coast, excellent fell hill walking around Conwy, North Wales Coast, rambling near Conwy, North Wales Coast, exploring the landscape near Conwy, North Wales Coast, good places to eat near Conwy, North Wales Coast, tourist attractions near Conwy, North Wales Coast, tourist information for places near Conwy, North Wales Coast, good places for wining and dining near Conwy, North Wales Coast, good walks near Conwy, North Wales Coast, properties for sale near Conwy, North Wales Coast, renting a flat or house near Conwy, North Wales Coast, property for rent near Conwy, North Wales Coast, houses for sale near Conwy, North Wales Coast, lettings near Conwy, North Wales Coast, places to rent near Conwy, North Wales Coast, holiday cottage accommodation near Conwy, North Wales Coast docspics images photos of Conwy, North Wales Coast northern Wales © Phil Brown Tourist information on Conwy, North Wales Coast, Things to do in Conwy, North Wales Coast, What to see in Conwy, North Wales Coast, guided walks in Conwy, North Wales Coast, weekend breaks in Conwy, North Wales Coast holidays in Conwy, North Wales Coast, Top tourist attractions in Conwy, North Wales Coast, luxury hotels in Conwy, North Wales Coast, self-catering holiday cottages in Conwy, North Wales Coast, airbnb air B and B in Conwy, North Wales Coast, B&B in Conwy, North Wales Coast, friendly pubs in Conwy, North Wales Coast, cafes in Conwy, North Wales Coast, eating out in fine restaurants in Conwy, North Wales Coast, bargain holiday breaks in Conwy, North Wales Coast, wining & dining weekends in Conwy, North Wales Coast, touring coach tours visiting Conwy, North Wales Coast, pretty areas in Conwy, North Wales Coast, historic buildings in Conwy, North Wales Coast, visiting museums in Conwy, North Wales Coast, local art galleries in Conwy, North Wales Coast, guided walks in Conwy, North Wales Coast, history of Conwy, North Wales Coast, architecture of Conwy, North Wales Coast, trains to Conwy, North Wales Coast, historic houses in Conwy, North Wales Coast, historic churches in Conwy, North Wales Coast, information centre in Conwy, North Wales Coast, heritage places in Conwy, North Wales Coast, good places to eat in Conwy, North Wales Coast, top tourist attractions in Conwy, North Wales Coast, tourist information for things to do and see in Conwy, North Wales Coast, good places to eat out in Conwy, North Wales Coast, good places to walk to in Conwy, North Wales Coast, tourist attractions properties for sale in Conwy, North Wales Coast, renting a flat of house in Conwy, North Wales Coast, property for rent in Conwy, North Wales Coast, houses for sale in Conwy, North Wales Coast, lettings in Conwy, North Wales Coast, places to rent in Conwy, North Wales Coast, holiday cottage accommodation in Conwy, North Wales Coast

Scenes from Wales Index

Email: chem55555@hotmail.com

See also 6b. Conwy (2) Conwy Castle