Hikers visit Conw

THE Halton Ramblers again travelled to Wales for their latest coach walk on December 8.

This time the destination was Conwy, an historic walled market town with a castle built in the days of King Edward I and home to the smallest house in Britain.

The town has the famous suspension bridge, designed by Thomas Telford in 1826.

Now used by pedestrians only, its towers were designed to match the castle. The railway bridge, completed just over 20 years later to the design of Robert Stevenson, is still in use today.

Conwy is overlooked by the Snowdonia mountains and surrounded by beautiful countryside and is a haven for tourists and walkers.

The town has many cosy cafes, pubs and restaurants and on this occasion the Halton group held their annual Christmas meal after the walks had concluded.

As usual, four walks of differing lengths were available to the walkers.

The A walk, the longest, covering 13 miles was led by Eric Fenney starting at Tyn-Y-Gros, a few miles south of Conwy itself.

The group then headed west and passed the village of Rowen before heading up to the top of Tal-Y-Fan, an outlying peak of the Carneddau Mountains at a height of 2,001ft.

They then progressed then down to the church of Llangelynnin, one of the most remote churches in Wales.

Finally they headed for Conwy Mountain, which is in fact the remains of an ancient volcano, and then back to Conwy itself.

The circular B walk was led by Ken Hall and was just over 10 miles, with 2,000ft of total ascent.

His group started at Conwy Mountain, before proceeding to the Sychnant Pass, which was known as a dry route through to the West in the days before the railway.

They then passed the abandoned village of