An Exhilarating Experience: The Great Orme, Llandudno, Wales

My Julie Andrews impersonation on the Great Orme

The Great Orme, Llandudno, Wales

The Great Orme, Y Gogarth in Welsh, is a limestone headland at Llandudno, on the northern coast of Wales.

According to Wikipedia, ‘Orme’ is an old Norse word for sea serpent. The Great Orme has had human inhabitants for over 8,000 years. Its geology includes Bronze Age copper mines, ancient caves and wells, and steep cliffs.

Today the Great Orme balances farming and tourism as its primary activities.

A visit to the Great Orme begins at ground level, in Llandudno, on the Irish Sea.

Llandudno, Queen of Welsh Resorts

Llandudno, Conwy, Wales

Llandudno is a Victorian-style seaside resort, complete with a promenade and 1,234-foot pier, the longest in Wales. You could spend an entire day strolling around Llandudno, enjoying the atmosphere and fresh sea air.

Public footpath, Y Gogarth, Great Orme

To get up to the Great Orme, you can drive on the toll road, Marine Drive, take a tram or cable car, or, most satisfying of all for those who enjoy walking, make your way up via the Y Gogarth public footpath.

The walk isn’t overly strenuous, but provides good exercise in the early stages when the path climbs up the headland.

Y Gogarth, the Great Orme

The route up to the Great Orme winds through a public garden called Happy Valley, then continues up a long, steep set of gravel steps.

Clive at top of gravel steps, Great Orme

After reaching the top of the steps, the path winds around the headland, providing a taste of the views that are to come.

Footpath sign on way to Great Orme summit

Eventually the path reaches the high, open area of the headland.

I felt like we were in ‘The Sound of Music ’, one of my favourite movies of all time, with nothing but stunning scenery and the sound of birdsong in the air.

The sheep have some of the best views on the Great Orme.

Sheep on the hillside, Great Orme

St. Tudno’s Church

The little church we came upon was established by Tudno, a 6th century monk.  Its present building is modern by comparison, dating only from from the 12th century.

Clive approaching St. Tudno's Church, Great Orme

I am always moved when we find these ancient churches, still active parishes today, on our walks. The sign at St. Tudno’s said it has been a place of pilgrimage for over 1400 years, where visitors find spiritual strength and prayerful healing.

The God I believe in is available everywhere, yet being in this place
I too felt a sense of peace and connection to the divine. We sat on a bench, ate our lunch, and talked about the earthly needs of various family members while surrounded by the gravesites of St. Tudno’s cemetery.

Gravesites at St. Tudno's Church, Great Orme

An Exhilarating Experience

What a joy it was, to walk high above the sea on the Great Orme footpath. We stopped briefly at the visitors’ centre at the summit, then continued around the headland to the southern side of the Orme.

Here we walked alongside a stone wall which we nicknamed the Great Wall of Wales. Below us we could see Conwy Bay and the estuary of the River Conwy.

Footpath, south side of Great Orme

Looking back to where we just came from, you can see the Great Wall of Wales stretching back as far as the eye can see.

Stone wall, south side of Great Orme

We stopped and had a coffee from our trusty Thermos, to revive ourselves and give our feet a rest before leaving the Great Orme and descending to Llandudno.

Resting the feet near walk's end, Great Orme

The Great Orme can be enjoyed by all ages, whether you walk, drive, take the tram, or take the cable car to the summit. When you get back down to Llandudo, you can reward yourself by having an ice cream on the pier.

My next post will wrap up our Wales trip, as we said goodbye to northern Wales and made our way back to Heathrow via the book town Hay-on-Wye.

Llandudno and Great Orme Official Site

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