Day four (s.p.b.s) in the afternoon walked the path along the southern slope of Great Orme’s Head from the west side to the east (into the town of Llandudno). The area the pah passes through known as Haulfre Gardens (top right in the 1970s postcard above). With this being a south-facing slope the microclimate allows for the planting of some sub-tropical plant outside, although in this respect the diversity of plants has declined since the late 1970s. The tearoom above Llandudno is set into a rock face and is very well worth the stop, unfortunately a For Sale sign signalled that trade was not good, if only I had the funds, and the youth.
At the bottom of the 1970s aerial photo can be seen the three bridges taking east-west coastal traffic across the neck of the Conwy Estuary. The single span suspension bridge (an early example as was/is Horkstow Bridge over the River Ancholme in North Lincs.) was designed by Thomas Telford and carried road traffic until 1991, now a footpath. The two brick towers at the landward end of the pier that once existed at Withernsea are said to have been modelled on Telford’s towers at the end of this suspension bridge. Alongside a tunnel bridge was constructed designed by Robert Stephenson, this still carrying the North Wales rail line. The third bridge carried road traffic until a tunnel was constructed under the Conwy Estuary and opened in 1991.
This tunnel is one point along the North Wales Expressway, a fast dual-carriageway road that sweeps majestically through north Wales and the Isle of Anglesey and carries much goods traffic from Ireland/Northern Ireland into England or onto the Low Countries and Baltic ports via Hull Docks. Travelling west and on leaving the Conwy tunnel the modern road passes through two shorter tunnels cut through the headland of Penmaenbach Point near Penmaenmawr (s.p.b.s) and Penmaenan near Llanfairfechan (s.p.b.s). Surely this A53 road is one of the finest to travel in Britain.
The lowland area to the east of the Conwy Estuary is known as Deganwy (centre-right above).