Criccieth

Located on the south coast of the Lleyn Peninsula on the sweeping Tremadog Bay, and backed by the beautiful countryside of the Snowdonia Country Park lies Criccieth. Add to the general surroundings the ruins of a 13th century castle set high on a rocky promontory and a nearby shop selling probably the best ice cream in Wales, you need no more excuses to visit this pretty little town.

When the castle was built Criccieth was little more than a small settlement of a few houses and a church. In 1282 the English King Edward 1 conquered the area, and two years later declared Criccieth a free borough. In 1404 Owain Glyndwr revolted against the English and captured many castles, including Criccieth. After that the area and the castle were somewhat neglected for centuries, and it wasn't until 1858 that what was left of it passed from the crown to a local M.P. Deterioration continued until 1933 when the Ministry of Works took it over, spending six years carrying out repairs to maintain the ruins, which have changed little since then.

In the 19th century seaside holidays were becoming popular, but Criccieth didn't benefit until the the Cambrian Coast Railway built its first station there. From then the resort never looked back, and unusually for a small place rail connection still exists.

If you're not brave enough to take a dip in the sea, there's always the fine beach, stunning scenery, wonderful hill walks and of course Cadwaladers famous ice cream parlour just down from the castle. That alone is worth the visit!

The photograph above is of the east bay taken from the castle ruins, and is in actual fact four separate images combined to gice a panoramic view.