Wales - Ref 1654

Known as the Queen of Resorts, Llandudno is a thriving holiday and shopping centre with a host of attractions including a pier, theatre, parks and gardens It began to achieve its popularity during the Victorian era The Great Orme has fascinated walkers and climbers for centuries but until relatively recently the steep slopes prevented all but the most sure-footed from reaching the summit As Llandudno became a popular tourist resort, the idea of a cable tramway to reach the summit of the Orme developed, which is still used by visitors today The Happy Valley is a sheltered hollow on the eastern side of this mountain It was dedicated to the town of Llandudno in 1887 in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria The gift and the occasion were marked by the erection of a drinking fountain surmounted by a canopied bust of Queen Victoria Behind the fountain is the druid stone circle erected to mark the National Eisteddfod of 1962 Above the Happy Valley and opposite the ski slope is Pen y Dinas, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and site of an Iron Age hill fort with the remains of over 50 roundhouses Another feature of great antiquity at Pen y Dinas is the ‘rocking stone’ on which accused prisoners are said to have been judged by the druids Originally built in the 17th Century, this cottage is attached to the owner’s property in a tiny village just outside Llandudno It is the perfect base from which to explore the region in any season; an open fire warms the cottage in the winter and, for the lazy summer evenings, there is a slate-paved patio garden in which you can relax with a glass or two and admire this ancient and varied landscape .