Conwy Mountain (Mynydd y Dref)

Conwy Mountain, Mynydd y Dref in Welsh, rises directly above the town to 244 metres. A circular walk from Castle Square takes in the town walls and harbour before climbing to the summit and back, covering about 8 kilometres with 279 metres of ascent in around three hours. The Eryri National Park Authority’s rating for this kind of route is moderate rather than easy, reflecting the climb rather than any technical difficulty.

The summit is capped by Castell Caer Seion, an Iron Age hillfort with a stone-walled enclosure that once held more than fifty hut circles and platform houses, plus a separately defended citadel within the main fort. Excavations in 1951 found slingstones, querns and stone pestles and mortars, and, unlike many Welsh hillforts, there is no evidence the site was reoccupied later in the Roman period.

From the top, the view takes in Conwy town and castle directly below, the Great Orme headland to the north, Conwy Bay, and the foothills of the Carneddau extending inland to the south, since this mountain marks the range’s northernmost outpost. Wild ponies and sheep graze freely on the open hillside, so dogs are best kept on a lead. The long-distance North Wales Path crosses the summit on its way west towards Sychnant Pass.

This suits visitors staying in Conwy who want a hill day without leaving the town on foot, and it works as a first taste of open mountain country before tackling anything further into Eryri. It does not suit anyone after a short stroll, since even the modest summit height comes with a sustained climb from sea level.