Conwy (, ), previously known in English as Conway, is a
walled market town,
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
and the
administrative centre
An administrative center is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune is located.
In countries with French as administrative language (such as Belgium, Lu ...
of
Conwy County Borough
Conwy County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) is a county borough in Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south, and Denbighshire to the east. Other settlements in the county borough include Abergele, Betws-y-Coed, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, ...
in
North Wales
, area_land_km2 = 6,172
, postal_code_type = Postcode
, postal_code = LL, CH, SY
, image_map1 = Wales North Wales locator map.svg
, map_caption1 = Six principal areas of Wales common ...
. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the
River Conwy
, name_etymology =
, image = Boats in River Conwy.jpg
, image_size = 300
, image_caption = Boats in the river estuary at Conwy
, map =
, map_size =
, map_caption =
, push ...
, facing
Deganwy
Deganwy (Middle Welsh ''Degannwy'', Brythonic *''Decantouion'') is a town and electoral ward in Conwy County Borough in Wales with a population of 3,936 (2011). It lies in the Creuddyn Peninsula alongside Llandudno (to the north) and Rhos-on-Se ...
on the east bank. The town formerly lay in
Gwynedd
Gwynedd (; ) is a county and preserved county (latter with differing boundaries; includes the Isle of Anglesey) in the north-west of Wales. It shares borders with Powys, Conwy County Borough, Denbighshire, Anglesey over the Menai Strait, and C ...
and prior to that in
Caernarfonshire
, HQ= County Hall, Caernarfon
, Map=
, Image= Flag
, Motto= Cadernid Gwynedd (The strength of Gwynedd)
, year_start=
, Arms= ''Coat of arms of Caerna ...
. The community, which also includes Deganwy and
Llandudno Junction
Llandudno Junction ( cy, Cyffordd Llandudno), once known as Tremarl, is a village in the county borough of Conwy, Wales. It is part of the ancient parish of Llangystennin, and it is located south of Llandudno. It adjoins Deganwy and is to the ...
, had a population of 14,753 at the 2011 census.
Although the community of Conwy straddles the River Conwy, for postal purposes the areas on the east bank form part of the
post town
A post town is a required part of all postal addresses in the United Kingdom and Ireland, and a basic unit of the postal delivery system.Royal Mail, ''Address Management Guide'', (2004) Including the correct post town in the address increases ...
of Llandudno Junction, with the Conwy post town being confined to west bank of the river. The
ward
Ward may refer to:
Division or unit
* Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward
* Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
on the west bank of the river had a population of 4,065 at the 2011 census.
The resident population of the wider Conwy County Borough was estimated to be 116,200 in an ONS-estimate.
The name 'Conwy' derives from the old Welsh words ''cyn'' (chief) and ''gwy'' (water), the river being originally called the 'Cynwy'.
History
Castle and town walls
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle ( cy, Castell Conwy; ) is a fortification in Conwy, located in North Wales. It was built by Edward I of England, Edward I, during his Conquest of Wales by Edward I, conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1287. Constructed as part of ...
and
the town walls were built, on the instructions of
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he ruled the duchies of Aquitaine and Gascony as a vassa ...
, between 1283 and 1289, as part of his conquest of the
principality of Wales
The Principality of Wales ( cy, Tywysogaeth Cymru) was originally the territory of the native Welsh princes of the House of Aberffraw from 1216 to 1283, encompassing two-thirds of modern Wales during its height of 1267–1277. Following the con ...
. The church standing in Conwy has been marked as the oldest building in Conwy and has stood in the walls of Conwy since the 14th century. However, the oldest structure is part of the town walls, at the southern end of the east side. Here one wall and the tower of a ''llys'' (palace/court house) belonging to
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and d ...
and his grandson
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd have been incorporated into the wall. Built on a rocky outcrop, it has a prominent
apsidal
In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an ''exedra''. In ...
tower.
The walls are part of a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...
,
Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd
The Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site located in Gwynedd, Wales. It includes the castles of Beaumaris and Harlech and the castles and town walls of Caernarfon and Conwy. UNESCO considers ...
.
People born within the
town walls of Conwy are nicknamed "Jackdaws", after the jackdaws which live on the walls there. A Jackdaw Society existed until 2011.
The population of the town in 1841 was 1,358.
Abbey
Conwy was the original site of
Aberconwy Abbey
Aberconwy Abbey was a Cistercian foundation at Conwy, later transferred to Maenan near Llanrwst, and in the 13th century was the most important abbey in the north of Wales.
A Cistercian house was founded at Rhedynog Felen near Caernarfon in 118 ...
, founded by
Llywelyn the Great
Llywelyn the Great ( cy, Llywelyn Fawr, ; full name Llywelyn mab Iorwerth; c. 117311 April 1240) was a King of Gwynedd in north Wales and eventually " Prince of the Welsh" (in 1228) and "Prince of Wales" (in 1240). By a combination of war and d ...
. Edward and his troops took over the abbey site and moved the monks up the Conwy valley to a new site at Maenan, establishing
Maenan Abbey
Maenan Abbey (formally: The Abbey Church of Saint Mary and All Saints; alternatively: Abaty Maenan, or Maynan Abbey; now Maenan Abbey Hotel) was a monastic religious house located in Maenan, Conwy, Wales. It is situated near Llanrwst.
History
...
. The
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...
St Mary & All Saints still retains some parts of the original abbey church in the east and west walls.
Suspension bridge
Conwy has other tourist attractions.
Conwy Suspension Bridge
The Conwy Suspension Bridge is a Grade I-listed structure and is one of the first road suspension bridges in the world. Located in the medieval town of Conwy in Conwy county borough, North Wales, it is now only passable on foot. The bridge is ...
, designed by
Thomas Telford
Thomas Telford FRS, FRSE, (9 August 1757 – 2 September 1834) was a Scottish civil engineer. After establishing himself as an engineer of road and canal projects in Shropshire, he designed numerous infrastructure projects in his native Scotla ...
to replace the ferry, was completed in 1826 and spans the River Conwy next to the castle. Telford designed the bridge's supporting towers to match the castle's turrets. The bridge is now open to pedestrians only and, together with the toll-keeper's house, is in the care of the
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
.
Railway bridge
The
Conwy Railway Bridge
The Conwy Railway Bridge carries the North Wales coast railway line across the River Conwy between Llandudno Junction and the town of Conwy. The wrought iron tubular bridge, which is now Grade I listed, was built in the 19th century. It is the ...
, a
tubular bridge
A tubular bridge is a bridge built as a rigid box girder section within which the traffic is carried. Famous examples include the original Britannia Bridge over the Menai Strait, the Conwy railway bridge over the River Conwy, designed and teste ...
, was built for the
Chester and Holyhead Railway
The Chester and Holyhead Railway was an early railway company conceived to improve transmission of Government dispatches between London and Ireland, as well as ordinary railway objectives. Its construction was hugely expensive, chiefly due to ...
by
Robert Stephenson
Robert Stephenson Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS HFRSE FRSA Doctor of Civil Law, DCL (16 October 1803 – 12 October 1859) was an English civil engineer and designer of locomotives. The only son of George Stephenson, the "Father of Railway ...
. The first tube was completed in 1848, the second in 1849. The bridge is still in use on the
North Wales Coast Line
The North Wales Coast Line ( cy, Llinell Arfordir Gogledd Cymru), also known as the North Wales Main Line ( cy, Prif Linell Gogledd Cymru or cy, label=none, Prif Linell y Gogledd), is a major railway line in the north of Wales and Cheshire, ...
, along with the
station, which is located within the town walls. In addition to a modern bridge serving the town, the
A55 road
The A55, also known as the North Wales Expressway ( cy, Gwibffordd Gogledd Cymru) is a major road in Wales and England, connecting Cheshire and north Wales. The vast majority of its length from Chester to Holyhead is a dual carriageway pri ...
passes under the river in a tunnel, Britain's first immersed tube tunnel, which was built between 1986 and 1991. The old mountain road to
Dwygyfylchi
Dwygyfylchi () is a village in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is part of the community of Penmaenmawr which has a population of 4,353. The electoral ward of Capelulo which includes Dwygyfylchi had a population of 1,485 in 2011. It was formerly ...
and
Penmaenmawr
Penmaenmawr (, ) is a town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, which was formerly in the parish of Dwygyfylchi and the traditional county of Caernarfonshire. It is on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan and was an i ...
runs through the
Sychnant Pass
Sychnant Pass (Welsh: ''Bwlch Sychnant'', "Dry-stream Pass") in Conwy County Borough, Wales, links Conwy to Penmaenmawr via Dwygyfylchi. Much of the pass is in Snowdonia National Park, and a large area of land within it has been designated a S ...
, at the foot of
Conwy Mountain.
Aberconwy House
The National Trust owns
Aberconwy House
Aberconwy House, 2 Castle Street, Conwy, Wales is a medieval merchant's house and one of the oldest dateable houses in Wales. Constructed in the 15th century it is, along with Plas Mawr, one of the two surviving merchant's houses within the town. ...
, which is Conwy's only surviving 14th-century merchant's house, one of the first buildings built inside the walls of Conwy.
Plas Mawr
Plas Mawr
Plas Mawr ( en, Great Hall) is an Elizabethan townhouse in Conwy, North Wales, dating from the 16th century. The property was built by Robert Wynn, a member of the local gentry, following his marriage to his first wife, Dorothy Griffith. Plas ...
is an
Elizabethan
The Elizabethan era is the epoch in the Tudor period of the history of England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558–1603). Historians often depict it as the golden age in English history. The symbol of Britannia (a female personifi ...
house built in 1576 by the Wynn family, which has been extensively refurbished to its 16th-century appearance and is now in the care of
Cadw
(, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage s ...
and open to the public.
Smallest house in Great Britain
![The Smallest House in Great Britain](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/The_Smallest_House_in_Great_Britain.jpg)
The house named in the
Guinness Book of Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
as the
Smallest House in Great Britain
The Smallest House in Great Britain ( cy, Y Tŷ Lleiaf ym Mhrydain Fawr), also known as the Quay House, is a tourist attraction on the quay in Conwy, Wales. It is reputed to be the smallest house in the United Kingdom.
History
The minuscule ...
, with dimensions of 3.05 × 1.8 metres, can be found on the quay. It was in continuous occupation from the 16th century (and was even inhabited by a family at one point) until 1900 when the owner (a fisherman – Robert Jones) was forced to move out on the grounds of hygiene. The rooms were too small for him to stand up in fully. The house is still owned by his descendants today, and visitors can look around it for a small charge.
Vardre Hall
Vardre Hall is a 19th-century
Grade II
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
listed building directly opposite to
Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle ( cy, Castell Conwy; ) is a fortification in Conwy, located in North Wales. It was built by Edward I of England, Edward I, during his Conquest of Wales by Edward I, conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1287. Constructed as part of ...
. It was erected by
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire (), abbreviated Bucks, is a ceremonial county in South East England that borders Greater London to the south-east, Berkshire to the south, Oxfordshire to the west, Northamptonshire to the north, Bedfordshire to the north-ea ...
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. After lying empty for a number of years Vardre Hall changed hands again, and in 1999 was refurbished as a shop.
Medieval watchtower
Across the estuary is
Bodysgallen Hall
Bodysgallen Hall is a manor house in Conwy county borough, north Wales, near the village of Llanrhos. Since 2008 the house has been owned by The National Trust. It is a Grade I listed building, currently used as a hotel. This listed building, lis ...
, which incorporates a medieval tower that was possibly built as a watch tower for Conwy Castle.
Notable locations
Conwy Morfa
Morfa Conwy is a spit formed originally of marshy sand, north of the western end of the modern A55 entrance to Conwy in Conwy county borough, north-west Wales. A widely used corruption of the place name is ''Conwy Morfa'', likely to have come ...
, a marshy spit of land on the west side of the estuary, was probably the location where golf was first played on Welsh soil. It was also the place where
Hugh Iorys Hughes
Hugh Iorys Hughes (16 April 1902 – 16 August 1977) was a Welsh civil engineer and keen yachtsman who submitted ideas to the War Office for the design of the Mulberry harbours used in Operation Overlord.
Hughes was born in Bangor, where h ...
developed, and later built, the floating
Mulberry Harbour, used in
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
in World War II.
Conwy Hospital
Conwy Hospital ( cy, Ysbyty Conwy) was a community hospital in Conwy, Wales. It was managed by the Conwy & Denbighshire NHS Trust.
History
The hospital had its origins in the Conwy Union Workhouse and Infirmary which was established in 1838. It b ...
closed in 2003 and has since been demolished.
Conwy railway station
Conwy railway station serves the town of Conwy, Wales, and is located on the Crewe railway station, Crewe to Holyhead North Wales Coast Line. There are through services to Chester railway station, Chester via Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn and Fl ...
opened in 1848.
Lifeboat
A lifeboat station was established by the
RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) is the largest charity that saves lives at sea around the coasts of the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man, as well as on some inland waterways. It i ...
in 1966 and currently operates the
D-class inshore lifeboat, the ''May-Bob'', (D–765).
Governance
![Conwy Guildhall, Castle Square - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Conwy_Guildhall%2C_Castle_Square_-_geograph.org.uk_-_2224123.jpg)
A
Conwy
Conwy (, ), previously known in English as Conway, is a walled market town, community and the administrative centre of Conwy County Borough in North Wales. The walled town and castle stand on the west bank of the River Conwy, facing Deganwy on ...
electoral ward
A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...
exists for elections to
Conwy County Borough Council
Conwy County Borough Council ( cy, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) is the local authority for Conwy County Borough, one of the principal areas of Wales.
History
Conwy County Borough was created in 1996 under the Local Government (Wales) Act 199 ...
. The ward extends west of the River Conwy only with a total population of 4,065. The other county wards within the Conwy community are Deganwy, Marl and Pensarn.
Conwy also has a
town council
A town council, city council or municipal council is a form of local government for small municipalities.
Usage of the term varies under different jurisdictions.
Republic of Ireland
Town Councils in the Republic of Ireland were the second ti ...
, based at
Conwy Guildhall
Conwy Guildhall ( cy, Neuadd y Dref Conwy) is a municipal structure in Rose Hill Street, Conwy, Wales. The guildhall, which is the meeting place of Conwy Town Council, is a Grade II listed building.
History
The first building on the site was a ...
, comprising 17 town councillors elected from the five community wards of Aberconwy, Castle, Deganwy, Marl and Pensarn.
Administrative history
Conwy was an
ancient borough
The ancient boroughs were a historic unit of lower-tier local government in England and Wales. The ancient boroughs covered only important towns and were established by charters granted at different times by the monarchy. Their history is large ...
. Unlike most such boroughs, it was not reformed by the
Municipal Corporations Act 1835, and so the old borough corporation continued to exist and run the town. By 1876 the borough corporation was seen as an archaic and unaccountable impediment to the proper management of the town. The town's residents organised a petition to convert the town into a
municipal borough
Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...
with an elected corporation to take responsibility for public health and local government. A royal charter incorporating the town as a municipal borough was issued in December 1876, and the new borough corporation took over the running of the town from March 1877. The municipal borough boundary included land on both sides of the river, covering the parish of Conwy (or Conway) and parts of the parishes of Gyffin and
Dwygyfylchi
Dwygyfylchi () is a village in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It is part of the community of Penmaenmawr which has a population of 4,353. The electoral ward of Capelulo which includes Dwygyfylchi had a population of 1,485 in 2011. It was formerly ...
on the west bank, and part of the parish of
Eglwys Rhos on the east bank. The
urban parishes within the borough boundary were reorganised in 1894 to comprise Conwy and Gyffin on the west bank and
Llanrhos
Llanrhos (English: 'Church on the moor') is a village in the community of Conwy, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The village lies between the towns of Conwy and Llandudno. Llanrhos was a civil parish from 1894 until 1974. The area was formerly p ...
on the east bank.
In 1972 the borough council voted to change the spelling of the town's name from "Conway" to "Conwy". The change was agreed by the
Secretary of State for Wales
The secretary of state for Wales ( cy, ysgrifennydd gwladol Cymru), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member ...
and took effect on 1 August 1972. The municipal borough was abolished in 1974, with the area becoming part of the
Aberconwy district in the new county of Gwynedd. A
community
A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, tow ...
called Conwy was established at the same time covering the area of the former borough. Further local government reorganisation in 1996 saw Aberconwy abolished and the town transferred to the new
Conwy County Borough
Conwy County Borough ( cy, Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy) is a county borough in Wales. It borders Gwynedd to the west and south, and Denbighshire to the east. Other settlements in the county borough include Abergele, Betws-y-Coed, Colwyn Bay, Conwy, ...
, named after the town but covering a much larger area.
Gallery
Images showing changes over time
File:Conway Castle from the e(ast) 1795.jpg, Conwy castle before the bridge was built, 1795
File:Conway Town and Castle.(Plan).jpeg, Conway Town and Castle, 1800
File:Conway Castle - from the wood opposite.jpeg, 'Conway Castle: from the wood opposite', 1823
File:Conway Castle N. Wales.jpeg, Conwy Castle, 1838
File:Conway Bridge (Carnarvonshire, North Wales).jpeg, Conway Bridge and Castle ca 1840
File:Conway Bridge and Castle, North Wales.jpeg, The river bank at Conwy with the castle and bridge in the background ca 1850
File:The Town Of Conway - Its Church, Plas Mawr, Wall, Tower, &c, as seen from the battlement of the castle.jpeg, Conway c.1850
File:Conway Bridge & Castle.jpeg, 'Conway Bridge & Castle' ca 1850
File:Conwymap1947.png, Map of Conwy from 1947
File:Conwy Castle - bridge view.jpg, Conwy Castle - bridge view 2007
File:Conwy bridges.jpg, Conwy bridges in 2012
File:Mock Tudor in Conwy.jpg, Mock Tudor in Conwy- taken on January 14 2022
References
External links
A Vision of Britain Through TimeBritish Listed BuildingsConwy River FestivalConwy Town Tourism AssociationGeographInternational Database and Gallery of StructuresOffice for National Statistics
{{authority control
Fortified settlements
Towns in Conwy County Borough