West of Llandudno is Conwy Bay, another sandy beach in North Wales. Conwy itself (pop. 14,000), situated at the mouth of the River Conwy, is one of the most attractive towns in Wales.
Plas Mawr is headquarters of the "Royal Cambrian Academy of Art", a national art school formed in 1881 by local artists from Cardiff. The building itself, which dates from 1577-80, is a typical example of Elizabethan domestic architecture, with 365 windows and 52 doors. The banqueting hall, with Renaissance stucco decorations, is particularly fine.
Address: Plas Mawr, Conwy LL32 8DE, Wales
Hours:
April 1 to September 30: 9am-5pm; Closed: Mon
October 1 to October 31: 9:30am-4pm; Closed: Mon, Mon
Always closed on: Spring Bank Holiday - Britain (last Monday, May ), Summer Bank Holiday - Britain outside Scotland (last Monday, August )
Tips: Family (up to 2 adults and 3 children)
Last admission one half hour before close.
A short distance away from Plas Mawr, on the corner of Castle Street, is the oldest house in Conwy, Aberconwy House, dating from the 15th C. Today it houses exhibitions of antiques.
This three-story house is the last of the 14th C, timber-framed dwellings, currently under the care of the National Trust. The property houses the Conwy Exhibition - depicting life in the region from Roman to present times.
Address: Aberconwy House, Castle Street, Conwy LL32 8AY, Wales
Hours:
February 19 to February 27: 11am-5pm
March 12 to June 30: 11am-5pm; Closed: Tue
July 1 to August 31: 11am-5pm; Closed: Tue
September 1 to October 30: 11am-5pm; Closed: Tue, Tue
St Mary's Church, in the center of Conwy, occupies the site of an earlier Cistercian abbey and dates mainly from the 13th C. Notable features are the west doorway, a 15th C font and the monument to Nicholas Hookes, who was his father's 41st child and himself the father of 27 children.
Conwy has preserved an almost complete circuit of medieval walls, with three gates and 22 semicircular towers.
Hours:
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Day after Christmas, St Stephen's Day, Boxing Day (December 26)