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 quay and harbour before climbing to the summit and back, covering about 8 kilometres with 279 metres of ascent in around three hours. Countryfile, which gives those figures, grades the walk moderate, for the climb rather than any technical difficulty.

The summit is capped by Castell Caer Seion, an Iron Age hillfort and a scheduled ancient monument on Cadw’s register, 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, and visitors are asked to keep dogs under close control. 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 level harbour stroll, since even the modest summit height means a sustained climb from sea level; anyone after a short stop rather than a walk can drive up to Sychnant Pass, at the hill’s western end.