Conwy 

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Between Bangor and Conwy are two pleasant resorts; Llanfairfechan and Penmaenmawr both have fine sandy beaches and a mountainous backcloth. The walled town of Conwy is twenty miles east of Bangor. It is small and compact, as nothing is more than 200 yards from the containing walls. Within this defensive complex is the impressive Conwy Castle, with its commanding position on a rock overlooking the Conwy estuary.

The town and castle are part of Edward I’s iron ring of castles, built to prevent a Welsh uprising against his sovereignty. The castle walls are in the shape of a Welsh harp and at 15ft thick offer a sturdy defensive barrier.

• The town has a dramatic air and is quite unique with its medieval walls, perched on a rock overlooking the River Conwy with the peaks of Snowdonia in the background. There is a choice of three bridges to convey you in or out of Conway; a relatively new road bridge opened in 1958, Thomas Telford’s delicate, ironwork suspension bridge and Robert Louis Stephenson’s solid, tubular bridge dating from 1848.