Tregarth loop visiting Zip World Conwy Castle Great Orme Betws y Coed
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Nick Carthew - (MRA Master)
Last edit: 13-04-2021
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Duration
7h 54m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
112.93 km
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RouteXpert Review I have scheduled a 4 hour stop here which should be plenty of time to then, enjoy a shortened day tour. If Zip World is not for you simply skip RP 2 and pick the route up from RP 3. From here you'll join the A55 North Wales Expressway, it's a fast dual carriageway road that has a couple of tunnels and runs close to the coast offering superb views across Conwy Bay to Great Orme.
Leaving the Expressway brings you to Conwy Castle. You can turn off the route at RP 7 and park up to visit the castle.
This magnificent medieval fortress still towers over town after 700 years. Thanks to restored spiral staircases in its great towers you can walk a complete circuit around the battlements of Conwy Castle. This is one of the most magnificent medieval fortresses in Europe. In the distance rise the craggy mountains of Snowdonia and spread out below you are the harbour and narrow streets of Conwy – still protected by an unbroken 1,400 yard (1.3km) ring of town walls. It’s enough to take the breath away. Especially when you consider that King Edward I and his architect Master James of St George built both castle and walls in a barely believable four years between 1283 and 1287. The cost of visiting the castle is £3.85 which I think is very reasonable.
Crossing over the River Conwy takes you onto the Great Orme headland, a massive chunk of limestone that rises 679 ft (207 m) out of the sea. Little wonder that its name, given by the Vikings, means ‘sea monster’. This route uses the toll road 'Marine Drive' to ride around the edge of Great Orme. The toll (2020) of £1.80 for motorcycles £3.00 for cars is money well spent. Many events are held On Marine Drive such as the Cambrian Rally, 3 Castles Vintage Rally, Mini Rally & a stage of the World Rally Great Britain. The majority of these events have become established & return yearly.
After just 1 mile, you can turn off to visit the summit for a coffee and great views. From this striking position, the Summit Complex offers you breathtaking views of Llandudno, areas of Snowdonia National Park, the Isle of Anglesey and the Irish sea. The road leading you there has two tight hairpin bends that you'll have to negotiate when you return back down.
At the northern tip of Great Orme, you can stop for photos and look down on the lighthouse. The Lighthouse was constructed in 1862 by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company who, with great attention to detail, built a fortress like building using dressed limestone and vast bulks of Canadian pitch pine. The beacon remained a continuous warning to mariners until March 22nd 1985 when the optic was removed. It can now be viewed at the Visitor Centre on the summit of the Great Orme.
Heading south as you leave the headland, you'll follow the Conwy Valley through beautiful countryside to the tourist village of Betws y Coed.
Betws-y-Coed is one of the honeypot locations in Snowdonia. It lies in the Snowdonia National Park, in a valley near the point where the River Conwy is joined by the River Llugwy and the River Lledr, and was founded around a monastery in the late sixth century. The village grew very slowly with the development of the local lead mining industry. In 1815, the Waterloo Bridge, built by Thomas Telford to carry the London to Holyhead road (now the A5) across the River Conwy and through the village, brought considerable transport-related development. You are only 25 minutes away from the end of the route, so if you have the time, enjoy a stroll around the village.
Just a couple of miles further on from the village are the Swallow Falls. The River Llugwy flows through a narrow chasm creating a spectacular waterfall amongst a background of beech, conifer and birch trees. The falls are at their best following a rainfall.
The last stop of the day is at Lake Ogwen. Legends say that Bedwyr Bedrynant, a knight of King Arthur cast the famous sword Excalibur into the lake at Llyn Ogwen, where it was caught by the lady of the lake and remains there to this day.
Or does it? ... In 2017, an extraordinary find by a team of rangers working on a footpath near Llyn Ogwen discovered a sword in the ground. After careful cleaning and verification, experts believe the sword dates back to the 6th century, which coincides with the days of King Arthur!
Enjoy the route and it's history.
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Use of this GPS route is at your own expense and risk. The route has been carefully composed and checked by a MyRoute-app accredited RouteXpert for use on TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation.
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Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Wales
About this region
Wales (Welsh: Cymru [ˈkəm.rɨ] (listen)) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in 2011 of 3,063,456 and has a total area of 20,779 km2 (8,023 sq mi). Wales has over 1,680 miles (2,700 km) of coastline and is largely mountainous with its higher peaks in the north and central areas, including Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa), its highest summit. The country lies within the north temperate zone and has a changeable, maritime climate.
Welsh national identity emerged among the Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England's conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by David Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century; a nationalist party, Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament, formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales) is responsible for a range of devolved policy matters.
At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, development of the mining and metallurgical industries transformed the country from an agricultural society into an industrial nation; the South Wales Coalfield's exploitation caused a rapid expansion of Wales' population. Two-thirds of the population live in South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and the nearby valleys. Now that the country's traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, the economy is based on the public sector, light and service industries, and tourism. In livestock farming, including dairy farming, Wales is a net exporter, contributing towards national agricultural self-sufficiency.
Wales closely shares its political and social history with the rest of Great Britain, and a majority of the population in most areas speaks English as a first language, but the country has retained a distinct cultural identity. Both Welsh and English are official languages; over 560,000 Welsh-speakers live in Wales, and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west. From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the "land of song", in part due to the eisteddfod tradition. At many international sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, Wales has its own national team. At the Olympic Games, Welsh athletes compete for the UK as part of a Great Britain team. Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness.
Read more on Wikipedia
Welsh national identity emerged among the Britons after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century, and Wales is regarded as one of the modern Celtic nations. Llywelyn ap Gruffudd's death in 1282 marked the completion of Edward I of England's conquest of Wales, though Owain Glyndŵr briefly restored independence to Wales in the early 15th century. The whole of Wales was annexed by England and incorporated within the English legal system under the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. Distinctive Welsh politics developed in the 19th century. Welsh Liberalism, exemplified in the early 20th century by David Lloyd George, was displaced by the growth of socialism and the Labour Party. Welsh national feeling grew over the century; a nationalist party, Plaid Cymru was formed in 1925 and the Welsh Language Society in 1962. Established under the Government of Wales Act 1998, the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament, formerly known as the National Assembly for Wales) is responsible for a range of devolved policy matters.
At the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, development of the mining and metallurgical industries transformed the country from an agricultural society into an industrial nation; the South Wales Coalfield's exploitation caused a rapid expansion of Wales' population. Two-thirds of the population live in South Wales, including Cardiff, Swansea, Newport and the nearby valleys. Now that the country's traditional extractive and heavy industries have gone or are in decline, the economy is based on the public sector, light and service industries, and tourism. In livestock farming, including dairy farming, Wales is a net exporter, contributing towards national agricultural self-sufficiency.
Wales closely shares its political and social history with the rest of Great Britain, and a majority of the population in most areas speaks English as a first language, but the country has retained a distinct cultural identity. Both Welsh and English are official languages; over 560,000 Welsh-speakers live in Wales, and the language is spoken by a majority of the population in parts of the north and west. From the late 19th century onwards, Wales acquired its popular image as the "land of song", in part due to the eisteddfod tradition. At many international sporting events, such as the FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup and the Commonwealth Games, Wales has its own national team. At the Olympic Games, Welsh athletes compete for the UK as part of a Great Britain team. Rugby union is seen as a symbol of Welsh identity and an expression of national consciousness.
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2799Amount of downloads (Wales)
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As the title suggests, this is a 5 day tour through Wales on 'roads less travelled'. Each daily route has spectacular scenery through sometimes, dramatic landscapes. The tour visits some of Wales' well known sights and some not so well known. It travels across open moorland, deep valleys, the mountains of Snowdonia National Park and the beautiful countryside and coast. You will travel over historic bridges and see historic buildings and sights. This truly is an adventurous tour that I am certain you will enjoy.
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Top 10 Downloaded UK routes by RouteXpert Nick Carthew
Hello and welcome to this collection of the Top 10 MyRoute app downloaded routes in the UK.
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be ridden.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelstory of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your email.
There will be a great new event to be announced soon, where all these routes can be ridden.
Download them all now and place them in a new "Top 10" folder, so that you always have them at hand.
If you are going to drive one of these routes in the meantime, track them with the MRA Mobile App or with MRA Navigation. Take some photos (moments) along the way as these will come in handy.
Create a travelstory of your Top 10 driven routes and add the recorded track to it.
There will also be some great prizes on offer, so keep an eye on the MRA-RouteXperts page and your email.
View Route Collection