Deganwy is a small town which sits on the peninsula between Llandudno and Conwy. The only time I had really visited here before was for a couple of meetings at The Quay Hotel and Spa. I hadn’t really considered it as a place to walk but it’s a pleasant walk as part of the Conwy Valley Railway Walk series.

I selected this walk today as one which was of moderate difficulty and can be done within a couple of hours. I was joined by Chris Roberts from North Wales Dragons. Chris suffered a heart attack a few years ago and since then has found walking a valuable exercise. It was great to chat to Chris about his work raising awareness of heart health – to the point where we were so busy chatting we missed a couple of turnings!

I met Chris on the small car park at Deganwy train station. We had assumed that the path might be clear from here but it took a minute or two until we spotted a footpath sign a bit further up the road. So we headed left from the station and walked a few yards up the road until we got to the footpath sign going off to the left.

We knew from the map we needed to go right, although there was no sign, so we crossed over and took the road opposite, past a white building on our right. This road takes you up a little bit of an incline and you will be able to see the castle remains above you to the left.

This is a residential street which will take you round to the left then the right and after a few hundred yards just after the road straightens outlook for a footpath sign going off to the left along a narrow track. Follow this track to the gate at the end which will bring you out onto a field.

It’s worth mentioning here that if you follow the map that is provided for this walk it will take you on a circular route around the base of the mound but not up to the castle itself.

We followed the circular route as shown on the map round to the right along the fence line (no reason why you couldn’t go to the left if you decided to). This route is really muddy and quite narrow in places. There is a clean footpath to follow round the track, ending up back at the gate (which will take around 30 minutes).

This was a lovely quiet walk, we didn’t see another person all the time we were out, although it was a Monday morning so I expect at the weekend it will be busier with dog walkers and visitors looking to enjoy the stunning panoramic scenery across Conwy and Anglesey.

As you follow the route marked on the map it’s easy to see the trails going off from the main path that you can take up to the castle if you decide to. It’s hard to tell whether these are footpaths or sheep tracks but there are plenty of them and you’ll be able to pick your own route up to the top. It is quite steep in places.

I’m so glad I took the detour up to the castle. There isn’t much left of the castle itself, about what you’d expect after 1500 years. The original castle dates back to the Dark Ages and Roman times. If you’ve got an interest in the history of the castle I’d recommend doing a bit of reading before you go or you may miss some of the more interesting features. I found this website the best one for photos and facts http://www.castlewales.com/deganwy.html

Otherwise it’s still worth the climb just for the views across the West shore which are fantastic! In fact I was spoilt for choice with views across to Llandudno North shore all the way round to Deganwy Marina, Conwy Castle and into the harbour. Then across to Anglesey and Puffin Island. A lovely place to sit and feel away from it all. I made a mental note to take at least coffee and welsh cakes next time!

Instead Chris and I called into a lovely little tea shop just opposite the station called ‘The Tea Station’. They served tea in proper china teapots and cups and the cakes tasted amazing!

Overview

A lovely achievable short walk with the potential to make you feel like you are miles away from everything, with amazing views! This walk is easily achievable within a couple of hours.

There’s not really any need for navigation skills on this walk. it’s easy enough to find your way and you shouldn’t really go wrong (unless you’d too busy chatting!), however, I would definitely recommend printing the map off to take with you as some of the signs aren’t very obvious. If you do go up to the castle be careful coming down though as there are a couple of places where there’s a steep drop.

Accessibility

Once you turn off the residential street onto the footpath this walk is not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Footwear

I would definitely recommend walking boots for this walk as it’s very muddy. Although we did go in winter I would imagine that it can be quite muddy all year round.

Getting there

I timed this walk to fit in with the following (weekday) Conwy Valley trains:

Leave Betws-y-Coed at 0902 arrive in Deganwy at 0951

Alternatively leave Llandudno Junction 1008 – arrive Llanrwst North 1012

Leave Deganwy 1312 arrive in Betws-y-Coed at 1358

Alternatively leave Deganwy 1238 arrive in Llandudno Junction 1245

Meet The Author

Tracey Breese, Breese Adventures.

Tracey Ann Breese runs Breese Adventures with her husband Stiwart. They have been based in Snowdonia for the last four years and provide guided walks, tailored adventures and charity challenges.

Tracey is passionate about inspiring more people to get outdoors and have more adventures, exploring both the natural environment and what we can learn about ourselves from adventures and challenges.

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