Great Orme (Y Gogarth), Llandudno, North Wales
Jake Davies
Great Orme is a headland formed by a mountain just next to Llandudno and is a major attraction for visitors to Wales' biggest seaside resort.
679 feet (207 meters) high, it was formed more than 300 million years ago out of limestone and dolomite.
The mountain's English name "Great Orme" is believed to derive from the Old Norse word for sea serpent.
The theory being Great Orme is the head, and Little Orme at the opposite end of the bay is the tail. However the English name did not become common until after Llandudno became a seaside resort in the Victorian era.
Great Orme Views
For many the prime attraction of Great Orme is the stunning views from the summit. On the way up you get great views looking down on the town, seafront and Victorian pier of Llandudno.
As you climb the view expands along the north coast of Wales. To the south the great mountains of Snowdonia are laid out for you. Across the narrow Menai Straits can be seen the whole of the Isle of Anglesey, and out to sea the very modern landscape of the Gwynt y MorWind Farm.
Getting to the Top of Great Orme
There are various ways to get to the top of Great Orme, but the most popular is the tramway. The Great Orme Tramway opened in 1902 and vintage tramcars, all dating back to 1902, take visitors up and down to the summit at 5 mph, pulled by cable.
It is one of few remaining cable-operated street tramways in the world.
There is one stop near the halfway point, and the steepest section of the route is 26 degrees.
Great Orme Visitor Centre
At Summit Station there is the Great Orme Visitor Centre where visitors can learn about the history of Great Orme and get maps to the various sights.
A short walk away is the Summit Complex which includes bars, restaurants, cafe, amusements, and a gift shop.
Within the Summit Complex is also the terminal of the aerial cable car or gondola, another popular way to visit Great Orme.
Built in 1969 and more than a mile in length, it is the longest aerial cable car line in the British Isles and takes nine minutes to reach the summit.
The small gondolas hold up to four people. It does not operate in the winter nor on windy days.
Happy Valley
The ascent begins in Happy Valley, a Victorian park built on the site of a former copper mine and quarry.
Happy Valley is also home to the recently restored camera obscura. On the lower slopes of Great Orme near Happy Valley is a ski, snowboard, and toboggan centre.
St. Tudno's Church
In a hollow just below the summit is St. Tudno's Church and cemetery. Still in use today, and until recently the parish church of Llandudno, it was built in the 12th century on a Christian site that dates back to the 6th century.
It is from where the name Llandudno derives. St. Tudno was a son of King Seithenyn and he built himself a small monastic cell nearby in the 6th century.
Great Orme Mines
Adjacent to the Halfway Station on the tramway, is the Great Orme Mines. Copper had been mined here since the Bronze Age about 4,000 years ago, and there are now more than 5 miles of tunnels and passageways dug into the mountain. This makes it the largest prehistoric copper mine in the world.
Tours will take you deep into some of these underground tunnels. It is also possible to talk with archaeologists who are still working at the site unearthing prehistoric artifacts. Closed during the winter.
Much of Great Orme is a Country Park, but there are also many small farms still in operation as well as wildlife areas.
One creature you may be lucky enough to see are the Great Orme Kashmiri Goats. About 200 of these long-haired goats roam the Great Orme, and they made international news in the spring of 2020 when they ventured into the streets of Llandudno which were virtually deserted due to the Covid-19 lockdown.
Access
Llandudno is on the A546 and is a short drive from Colwyn Bay. From Chester follow the A55 to reach the town.
There are trains to Manchester Piccadilly in Manchester via Colwyn Bay, Rhyl, Prestatyn, Flint, Chester Station and Warrington.
From Liverpool Lime Street Station in Liverpool to Llandudno by train change in Chester. Journey time can be a little under 3 hours. By car the same journey is about 90 minutes depending on traffic which can be heavy in summer and Bank Holiday weekends especially.
Some recommended places to stay include The Grand Hotel, the three-star The Broadway Hotel, and the four-star St George's Hotel.
See a listing on hotels in and near Llandudno
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