Places of Interest - Snowdonia & North Wales

Historic Houses Castles Railways Museums & Mines

Erddig Hall Gardens and Country Park Wrexham LL13 0YT 01978 355314	One of the most fascinating houses in Britain , range of outbuildings include kitchen, laundry, bakehouse, stables and sawmill, smithy and joiner's shop. The stunning staterooms display 18th and 19th century furniture and fittings. Large walled garden restored to its 18th century formal design. Country park open daily from dawn to dusk.
	Home to the celebrated " Ladies of Llangollen" from 1780 to 1829. A charming house with carved-oak panels, intricate stained glass windows and tranquil gardens.	Plas Newydd Hill Street Llangollen Denbighshire LL20 8AW 01978 8611314
Plas Newydd Llanfairpwll Anglesey LL61 6DQ 01248 714795	Plas Newydd, the traditional home of the Marquess of Anglesey, is situated on the banks of the Menai Strait. This elegant 18th century house by James Wyatt commands magnificent views of the Strait and the mountains of Snowdonia. The house contains a Rex Whistler exhibition and a military museum.
	Dating from the 14th century this is the only medieval merchant's house in Conwy to have survived the turbulent history of the walled town for nearly six centuries. The furnished rooms reflect daily life from different periods in its history.	Aberconwy House Castle Street Conwy LL32 8AY 01492 5592246
Plas Mawr Conwy 01492 580167	At the heart of medieval Conwy stands Plas Mawr, the "Great Hall", built between 1576 and 1585 for the Welsh merchant Robert Wynn.This richly decorated building is an architectural gem, the finest surviving town house of the Elizabethan era in Britain. It is especially noted for the quality and quantity of its ornamental plasterwork, now fully restored to its original splendour.
	Covering over 80 acres, Bodnant is one of the finest gardens in Britain with magnificent rhododendrons, camellias and magnolias in the spring followed by herbaceous borders, roses and water lillies in the summer and glorious colour in the autumn. Situated above the river Conwy, there are spectacular views over the Snowdonia range.	Bodnant Garden near Colwyn Bay Conwy 01492 650460
Portmeirion Penrhyndeudraeth Gwynedd 01766 770000	This unique Italianate seaside village was built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis from 1925-72, and made famous by TV series "The Prisoner". It is surrounded by the lovely Gwyllt woodland gardens containing rare Himalayan flowering trees and other exotics.

Conwy Castle & Town Walls Conwy  01492 592358	Constructed by the English monarch Edward 1 between 1283 and 1289, soaring curtain walls and 8 huge round towers give the castle an intimidating presence. There are breath-taking views from the battlements over the mountains and sea and down to the roofless shell of the castle's massive Great Hall.   The circuit of town walls, over three-quarters of a mile long and guarded by 22 towers, is one of the finest in the world.
	Caernarfon is possibly the most striking medieval monument in Wales, with its scale and commanding presence. Its unique polygonal towers, intimidating battlements and colour-banded walls were designed to echo Constantinople, the imperial power of Rome. Begun in 1283, its symbolic status was emphasized when Edward's son , the first English Prince of Wales, was born here in 1284. In 1969, the castle was the setting for the Investiture of HRH Prince Charles as Prince of Wales.	Caernarfon Castle Caernarfon 01286 677617
Harlech Castle 01766 780552	Harlech Castle is built on a rocky outcrop, gazing out over the land and sea, keeping a watchful eye over Snowdonia. The English monarch Edward1 built it in the late 13th century to fulfil this very role. A long siege here during the Wars of the Roses inspired the stirring song "Men of Harlech".
	Built on its commanding headland overlooking Tremadog Bay, Criccieth Castle's history is deeply entwined in the medieval conflict between England and Wales. Originally a stronghold of the native Welsh princes, it was taken by Edward's forces in 1283 and extensively refortified.	Criccieth Castle  01766 522227
Beaumaris Castle Anglesey 01248 810361	Beaumaris is the great unfinished masterpiece. Started in 1295, it was the last of the massive Edwardian fortresses of the 13th century to be built in North Wales, but money ran out before the fortifications reached reached their full height. It is still regarded as the finest Welsh castle. It is the most technically perfect castle in Britain, with a symmetrical concentric "walls within walls" design that was state of the art for the 13th century.
	700 year Chirk Castle, a magnificent marcher fortress, commands fine views over the surrounding countryside. Rectangular with a massive drum tower at each corner, the castle has beautiful formal gardens with clipped yews, roses and a variety of flowering shrubs. The dramatic dungeon is a reminder of the castle's turbulent history, whilst later occupants have left elegant state rooms, furniture, tapestries and portraits.	Chirk Castle Chirk near Wrexham LL14 5AF 01691 777701
Penrhyn Castle Bangor Gwynedd LL57 4HN 01248 484950	Built on the profits of Welsh slate and Jamaican sugar, Penrhyn Castle is an extravagent example of early19th century neo-Norman architecture. It is filled with intricate carvings, stained glass windows and handmade wallpapers, and features a slate bed made for Queen Victoria and a spectacular Grand Staircase which took 10 years to build.
	Powis Castle was originally built as a fortress by Welsh princes but was later adapted and enriched by generations of Herberts and Clives.The beautiful collection of treasures from India displayed in the Clive Museum includes textiles, armour, bronzes, jade, ivory and a magnificent tent.There are sumptuous period rooms and an elegant Long Gallery. The world famous Gardens are spectacular with 4 huge stepped terraces, an orangery and topiary that looks as if it is shaved daily!	Powis Castle near Welshpool SY21 8RF 01938 557018

Ffestiniog Railway Harbour Station Porthmadog 01766 512340	Little steam-hauled narrow- gauge trains run a 13 1/2 mile main line in miniature from the coastline at Porthmadog into the mountains at Blaenau Ffestiniog.
	One of North Wales' newest tourist attractions creating a 25 mile link between Caernarfon, Dinas, Waunfawr, Beddgelert and Porthmadog.	The Welsh Highland Railway Caernarfon 01766 512340
Bala Lake Railway Llanuwchllyn Gwynedd 01678 540666	The 2ft gauge line offers a delightful 9 mile return journey along Llyn Tegid (Bala Lake), through the beautiful scenery of the Snowdonia National Park.
	A narrow gauge line using steam locomotives, running inland from Tywyn on the Mid Wales Coast to Nant Gwernol.	Talyllyn Railway Tywyn Gwynedd 01654 710472
Snowdon Mountain Railway Llanberis Gwynedd 01286 870223	Laid on the north-western slopes of Snowdon, it climbs 3140ft. in its 4 5/8 mile journey from Llanberis to Summit Station.
	Runs through 8 miles of some of the finest scenery in Britain.	Llangollen Railway Denbighshire 01978 860951

	See the 1/4 full size 'Britannia', signalling, train layouts, working models. Also train rides, model shop, Buffet Coach Cafe.	Conwy Valley Railway Museum Betws-y-coed Conwy 01690 710568
Llechwedd Slate Caverns Blaenau Ffestiniog Gwynedd 01766 830306	There are 2 underground rides - The Deep Mine tour begins on Britain's steepest passenger railway (1:1.8) for a 25-minute walk through 10 "son et lumiere" sequences in an underground wonderland. The Miner's Tramway is a guided tour through an 1846 network of awe-inspiring man-made caverns of cathedral proportions, supplemented with tableaux and demonstrations of ancient mining skills.
	Explore the mysterious underground passages leading to an impressive Bronze Age cavern. Visitor centre with archaeological finds and artefacts.	Great Orme Mines Great Orme Llandudno 01492 870447
King Arthur's Labyrinth Corris Machynlleth Powys 01654 761584	An underground boat takes visitors into spectacular caverns where Welsh tales of King Arthur are told with tableaux and stunning sound and light effects. The journey ends with a return trip along the beautiful subterranean river.

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