At a glance
UNESCO World Heritage walled town on the North Wales coast — Conwy Castle (eight towers, 1283–87), a free 1.3km medieval walls circuit, Plas Mawr Elizabethan town house, and the Smallest House in Britain on the quay. 5 miles from Llandudno. LL32 8AY.
About Conwy
Conwy is one of the best-preserved medieval walled towns in Europe — a compact settlement enclosed almost entirely by its original 13th-century defences, built simultaneously with the castle by Edward I from 1283. The walls stretch 1.3km around the town, incorporating 21 towers and three twin-towered gateways, and can be walked for free on a circuit that gives some of the finest views in North Wales: down onto the castle and its eight round towers, across the estuary to the mountains of Eryri, and along the coast to Great Orme beyond Llandudno. The walls are the single most rewarding free experience in Conwy — a genuine piece of medieval infrastructure still largely intact after 740 years.
Within the walls, Conwy Castle is managed by Cadw and requires admission. It is one of the most impressive Edwardian fortresses in Britain — eight massive round towers connected by curtain walls, designed to be impregnable. Plas Mawr, a few streets away, is the finest Elizabethan town house in Wales: a merchant's mansion of 1580, fully furnished and preserved to an exceptional standard by Cadw. Aberconwy House (National Trust) is an even older merchant's house at the corner of Castle Street. On the quay, the Smallest House in Britain — a fishing cottage of unbelievable narrowness — draws visitors by the thousand each summer.
Conwy has a railway station on the North Wales Coast Line (5 miles from Llandudno Junction) and is well served by buses. Bodnant Garden is 8 miles south in the Conwy Valley. The Conwy RSPB reserve sits immediately outside the town walls at the main road junction. Conwy Craft Brewery is in the town itself. The combination of free walls walk, world-class castle, exceptional town house, and medieval quay makes Conwy the most complete historic town in North Wales.
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Frequently asked questions
The free town walls circuit is arguably the finest thing to do in Conwy — the 1.3km walk along the top of the medieval walls, built by Edward I from 1283, gives panoramic views over the castle, the quay, the Conwy estuary, and across to the mountains of <span lang="cy">Eryri</span>. The walls are one of the best-preserved medieval town defences in Europe. After the walls, Conwy Castle itself (Cadw, admission charged) is one of the most impressive medieval castles in Britain. Plas Mawr — the finest Elizabethan town house in Wales, also managed by Cadw — is a short walk from the castle and gives an exceptional view of how the wealthy merchant class lived in the late 16th century.
Yes — walking the medieval town walls circuit is entirely free of charge. The walls stretch 1.3km around the historic town and incorporate 21 towers and three twin-towered gateways. The walls are accessible at several points around the town and you can walk the full circuit or sections of it. Some parts of the walls are steep and narrow — good footwear is advisable. The view from the walls, particularly looking down on the castle and across the estuary, is one of the finest in North Wales and costs nothing.
The Smallest House in Britain (Tŷ Bach) sits on the Conwy quayside, squeezed between two larger buildings. It measures 3.05 metres high and 1.8 metres wide — two small rooms stacked vertically, with a frontage barely wider than a door. It was occupied until 1900, when the last resident — a fisherman of 6 feet 3 inches — was moved out by order of the local council. The house is now a visitor attraction (small entry charge) and one of the most photographed subjects in North Wales.
A full day allows time to do Conwy justice: the free walls circuit (1–1.5 hours at a comfortable pace), Conwy Castle (allow 1.5–2 hours), Plas Mawr (allow 1–1.5 hours), the quay and Smallest House (30 minutes), and some time for lunch and exploring the independent shops within the walls. Half a day is enough for the walls walk and a look at the exterior of the castle if you are moving on to other destinations. Conwy is 5 miles from Llandudno and 8 miles from the Bodnant Welsh Food Centre and Bodnant Garden in the valley.
Conwy is excellent for families. Children enjoy the walls circuit, the castle towers with their spiral staircases, and the Smallest House. The quayside is interesting with fishing boats and mussel boats working the estuary. The Conwy RSPB reserve — at the edge of the town by the road junction — has a good visitor centre and hides overlooking wader and wildfowl habitat. In summer, boat trips on the estuary run from the quay. The town is compact and largely walkable, making it manageable with younger children.