Discovering Colwyn Coastal Attractions

 

The Welsh Mountain Zoo is open every day except Christmas day, set high above Colwyn Bay with panoramic views and breathtaking scenery, its beautiful gardens are home to this caring conservation zoo. New this year is Chimp Encounter! Let yourself be introduced to members of the chimpanzee family and learn about their life in the wild through an audio visual presentation. Did you know you can be a *zoo keeper for the day (*costs apply)

www.welshmountainzoo.org

 

The Harlequin Puppet Theatre located in Rhos-on-Sea opened in 1958 is the only traditional marionette theatre in Britain and has entertained the family for over 50 years, holding daily performances during all main school holidays.  Backstage, find out about the puppeteers, the story of the theatre, and the marionette tradition.   

www.puppets.uk.com

 

Theatr Colwyn is the oldest working picture house in the UK.  The theatre was built in 1885.  Staff at Theatr Colwyn discovered the venue was granted its first cinema licence exactly 102 years ago, in January 1909.   

www.theatrcolwyn.co.uk.

 

 

Coastal Activities

 

Beaches- Colwyn Bay/Rhos-on-Sea’s Beach has been awarded Seaside Reward (Resort).  Old Colwyn have been awarded the rural Seaside Award.  For more information see Blue Flag beaches. 

Beach Facilities at Old Colwyn & Colwyn Bay.

 

Fishing - you can fish for Sea Bass from the promenade at Colwyn Bay or take a trip on a chartered vessel with an experienced skipper.  Sea Angling trips are available from Rhos-on-Sea and depending on the season, whiting, codling, bass, mackerel and more could be your catch of the day. Or venture further out for Pollock, cod, conger and coalfish. 

 

Coastal Launching Slipways - you can launch your craft  from several locations along the coast including Victoria Pier, Colwyn Bay - (power craft only – no PWC), Eirias Slipway, Colwyn Bay - (personal water craft (PWC) only) and Aberhod Slipway, Rhos-on-Sea - (non powered craft only).  Fees are payable and you will need to be covered by the appropriate insurance. 

www.conwy.gov.uk/harbourandseaboard

 

Colwyn Jet Ski Club was formed in November 1996 to promote safe personal watercraft riding, and provides on-site RYA training to members by qualified instructors.  They are allowed access to the Eirias Park slipway in Colwyn Bay. Visiting jet skiers are welcome after 12 noon on club days and sometimes before 12 noon at the discretion of the gate officer during quieter periods.

http://www.colwynjetskiclub.co.uk

 

National Cycle Network, route 5, is a traffic free coastal route whereby it is now possible to cycle from Rhos-on-Sea all the way to Kinmel Bay and beyond.  See beautiful coastal scenery whilst riding on one of the best forms of sustainable transport. Take a packed lunch or stop off at a beach café en route.  

http://www.cyclingnorthwales.co.uk

 

Seals, porpoises and dolphins live off our coast.  You may spot them from shore, but a boat trip will increase your chances of seeing them. 

http://www.rhospointpathfinder.squarespace.com

 

 

Inland Activities

 

Eirias Park in Colwyn Bay covers 50 acres of beautiful parkland and features a boating lake, model yacht pond, picnic areas, a leisure centre, tennis courts, crown green bowls, pitch and putt golf, a sports stadium, a children’s adventure playground, and a wheeled sports area.

 

Eirias Park has become the home of RGC 1404- North Wales’ new regional rugby team. The squad currently includes 10 Canadian players.  A series of high profile ‘friendlies’ are now being played with the aim of entering a structured league or cup format next season.  

www.gogleddcymru.blogspot.com.

 

Nant -Y-Glyn Valley, the hidden valley of Colwyn Bay, just a five minute walk from the town centre will take you through bluebell woods (seasonal) a peaceful valley “cathedral of the hills” where buzzards soar. This is a moderate walk approx 5.6km in length. You should allow 3 hours for this walk.

 

Pwllycrochran Woods, which spans Colwyn Bay’s hillside, has mostly native deciduous trees with other species including sweet chestnut and firs.

 

Rhos-on-Sea Heritage Trail, this walk has been written by Ian Reid, and introduces you to the rich historic heritage of Rhos-on-Sea.  It takes you past the town’s historic locations including Bryn Euryn ancient hill fort, the sixteenth century ruins of Llys Euryn, built on the site of a thirteenth century palace, and the tiny chapel of 6^th century Saint Trillo on the shore.  It is one of the smallest in Britain, with room for a congregation of just 6 people.   In its core is a walk of about an hour centred on the promenade. Three optional extensions have been added for those with more time and energy.  For more information click here.

 

Wynn Gardens, Old Colwyn, an attractive planted garden with open grassy areas, shrubs and mature trees, now has a sensory garden, full of tactile structures made of Welsh oak, plants which have a strong scent and a spectacular fountain which creates a lovely sound. The entrance archway has been carved and polished to a marble like finish from Moelfre limestone.

 

 

 

 

 

FACTS OF COLWYN

 

St Trillo- Rhos-on-Sea is home to the smallest chapel in Britain it stands on the foreshore and is a simple stone and mortar structure. It was heavily restored to its present form with new external walls and roof about 120 years ago. Its altar stands over a natural spring of clear water dedicated to St Trillo and St Elidan and was first established by Saint Trillo early in the sixth century AD. The chapel has seats for six people and is used for an Anglican Eucharist every Wednesday.

 

In 1170, the legend states that Prince Madoc set sail from what is now Rhos-on-Sea Golf Club and is believed to have landed in Alabama, America. That’s 312 years before Columbus!

 

In 1399, Richard II was ambushed and taken prisoner on Penmaen Head.

 

In 1784, Thomas Pennant (1726-1798), an intrepid traveller and foremost an Artic zoologist of his time, describes a pretty bay with farm land down to a beach.

 

The Station at Colwyn Bay was opened in 1848, and in 1865 the development of the place as a resort began.

 

Fishing weir’s (an ancient type of fish trap) can be traced back to Rhos Fynach where they provided a prosperous livelihood through to the early 20th century, in 1850. They were remarkedly productive, in a single night 35,000 herring were caught, and 10 tons of mackerel were removed in one tide as late as 1907. Because these type of weirs decimated inshore fish stocks, Parliament banned them in 1861 unless it could be shown they pre-dated the Magna Carta.

 

A radical Welshman trained Africans as missionaries in Colwyn Bay.  Colwyn Bay's Congo Training Institute, ran between 1891-1911.  Its founder, William Hughes, had to cut short his missionary work for the Baptist Missionary Society in the Congo, Africa, due to ill health.

 

On Hesketh Road stands Colwyn Bay Community Hospital.  The original hospital was built in 1899, while the new hospital was built in 1925, designed by renowned local architect Sidney Colwyn Foulkes. It is believed to be the first hospital in the UK to abandon the traditional Florence Nightingale ward layout.

 

Did you know in 1908 some of the first ever Scouts in the world came from Colwyn Bay?  There's a lot of evidence that Scouting began in Colwyn Bay just a few weeks before Baden Powell's famous magazine Scouting for Boys was published in fortnightly parts.

 

Pleasure Steamer- at the western end of the Rhos on Sea break water is the wreck of a pleasure steamer the "Rhos Neigr". It was in 1908 while on a pleasure trip that it was struck by an object perhaps a baulk of timber. Although holed it managed to reach Rhos pier and discharge its passengers with out harm before sinking. Until recently the wreck and it’s paddle wheel. The wreck and it's paddle wheels were visible at low tide until recently.  Most of the remains have now disappeared.

 

Sidney Colwyn Foulkes, OBE., Hon.M.Arch., RIBA. was the son of a builder who built much of the housing in the centre of Colwyn Bay, St. John's Methodist Church and the west side of Station Road. After war service in the RNAS he returned to Colwyn Bay this was despite advice from the architects in London to stay in the capital.

 

During the World War II the Ministry of Food relocated to Colwyn Bay to avoid the London blitz.

 

During the Second World War several air crashes occurred in the Bay including a Spitfire crash landing on the beach, a Beau fighter ditching off shore and a Mosquito off Rhos Point with loss of all crew.

 

      Terry Jones of Monty Python fame was born in Colwyn Bay on 1 February 1942.

 

James Bond was born in Colwyn Bay..at least actor Timothy Dalton was, the oldest of 5 children he was born on 21 March 1946.  His father was stationed in Colwyn Bay during World War II.  Timothy Dalton played 007 in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill.

 

Mickey Thomas former footballer is a native of Mochdre, born on 7 July 1954. 

 

Where you aware that the meaning of Mochdre- Moch is pural of pig, though Tre today translates to town, Tre in the old days meant Farm.  Mochdre - Pig Farm.

 

The Memorial at Queens Gardens was sculpted by Mr John Cassidy of Manchester and was first erected at the front of the original Town Hall, however when this was demolished in 1964, the Memorial was relocated to Rydal Gardens, which have since been renamed Queen's Gardens.

 

Top BBC weather girl Helen Willetts grew up in Colwyn Bay.  She first became interested in Meteorology whilst studying A level Geography at Eirias High School.

 

Llanelian Road, Colwyn Bay is home to a multi-use stadium. It is currently the home ground of Colwyn Bay F.C.  The floodlit stadium holds 2,500 people and was built in 1984 after the club moved from their former home in Eirias Park due to the building of the A55.

 

The Rainbow Bridge built in the mid 1980s during the construction of the A55 and named  'Rainbow Bridge' by the local community due to its shape.

 

The Clock that stands at the foot of Station road is a Memorial to Andrew P. Fraser (1959 -1984) born in Colwyn Bay and died in Brussels. It was erected in 1989.

 

In 2006 Willow sculptors appeared around Colwyn Bay and locals and visitors alike were invited to watch as they were weaved and follow the willow trail.

 

Colwyn Bay and Bay Life+ in November 2008 saw the announcement from the Welsh Assembly that Colwyn Bay, along with Rhyl, was to be designated as the North Wales Coastal Strategic Regeneration Area. 

 www.conwy.gov.uk/baylife

 

The Dingle recently restored through a community conservation group ‘Friends of the Dingle’ was 100 years ago known as Dingle Dell, a wooded haven with stone walls, the dingle stream, and footpaths linking the hotels of the town with the promenade.

 

Evidence of rising seas can be found in the remains of submerged forests in the form of peat deposits and twigs. These are best seen at low water mark after a storm has moved overlying sand. These forests grew some 10,000 thousand years ago when the northern aspect of Colwyn Bay would have been vastly different, an area low marsh land populated by birch forest.

 

Colwyn Bay has received the Colwyn Bay In Bloom award for nine consecutive years in the Coastal section (over 12k population) of the Britain in Bloom competition.

  

A Welsh Baptist minister, Mr Frimstone, raffled a black donkey in the Marine Hotel to buy the right of way to a path opposite the inn. The path was named the donkey path and led down to the beach.

 

Colwyn Bay is home to the Biggest Santa in Wales, measuring 40ft tall, he brings a smile to the faces of children and adults!