Sychnant Pass
Encyclopedia
Sychnant Pass in Conwy County Borough, Wales
, links Conwy
to Penmaenmawr
via Dwygyfylchi
. Much of the pass is in Snowdonia National Park, and a large area of land within it has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
.
Before the coming of the railroad to the north Wales
coast, the road through Sychnant Pass was the route of choice for mail coach
es at high tide, when the faster and safer route along the sands was unusable. After leaving Conwy, the route runs westward through the valley on the south side of Mynydd y Dref
(Conwy Mountain), which is topped by Neolithic
hut circles and the hillfort of Castell Caer Seion. There are parallel tracks and footpaths (including the North Wales Path
) on Mynydd y Dref for most of the way.
At the western end of the valley, the Sychnant Pass Road runs between the stone walls of the Pensychnant estate and through a narrow gap in the surrounding hills before descending steeply to the valley floor at Capelulo, reputedly the site of an early medieval chapel
of Saint Ulo. Here there are two inns, a restaurant and a bistro, and in the ravine behind the inns is Nant Ddaear-y-llwynog (the Fairy Glen), a "Victorian" nature trail. From Capelulo it is an easy walk or short drive to the coast at Penmaenmawr.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, links Conwy
Conwy
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Conwy has a population of 14,208...
to Penmaenmawr
Penmaenmawr
PenmaenmawrConwyPenmaenmawr is a town in the parish of Dwygyfylchi, in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The population was 3857 in 2001. It is a quarrying town, though the latter is no longer a major employer, on the North Wales coast between Conwy and Llanfairfechan.The town was bypassed by the A55...
via Dwygyfylchi
Dwygyfylchi
Dwygyfylchi is a village in north Wales. It lies within Conwy County Borough. The ward of Dwygyfylchi contains the nearby settlement of Penmaenmawr and has a population of 3,857. The name Dwygyfylchi means the meeting of the two semi circles, referring to the two promentories of Penmaen Bach and...
. Much of the pass is in Snowdonia National Park, and a large area of land within it has been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest
Site of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
.
Before the coming of the railroad to the north Wales
North Wales
North Wales is the northernmost unofficial region of Wales. It is bordered to the south by the counties of Ceredigion and Powys in Mid Wales and to the east by the counties of Shropshire in the West Midlands and Cheshire in North West England...
coast, the road through Sychnant Pass was the route of choice for mail coach
Mail coach
In Great Britain, the mail coach or post coach was a horse-drawn carriage that carried mail deliveries, from 1784. In Ireland, the first mail coach began service from Dublin in 1789. The coach was drawn by four horses and had seating for four passengers inside. Further passengers were later allowed...
es at high tide, when the faster and safer route along the sands was unusable. After leaving Conwy, the route runs westward through the valley on the south side of Mynydd y Dref
Mynydd y Dref
Mynydd y Dref or Conwy Mountain is a hilly area to the west of the town of Conwy, in North Wales. To the north it overlooks the sea of Conwy Bay, and to the south lie the foothills of the Carneddau range of Mountains, of which it forms a part...
(Conwy Mountain), which is topped by Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
hut circles and the hillfort of Castell Caer Seion. There are parallel tracks and footpaths (including the North Wales Path
North Wales Path
The North Wales Path is a long distance walk of some 60 miles which runs close to the North Wales coast between Prestatyn in the east and Bangor in the west....
) on Mynydd y Dref for most of the way.
At the western end of the valley, the Sychnant Pass Road runs between the stone walls of the Pensychnant estate and through a narrow gap in the surrounding hills before descending steeply to the valley floor at Capelulo, reputedly the site of an early medieval chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
of Saint Ulo. Here there are two inns, a restaurant and a bistro, and in the ravine behind the inns is Nant Ddaear-y-llwynog (the Fairy Glen), a "Victorian" nature trail. From Capelulo it is an easy walk or short drive to the coast at Penmaenmawr.