Happy Valley
A pretty 19th century public gardens featuring a camera obscura, rock gardens, and stone circle erected for the National Eisteddfod in 1962.
History
Happy Valley is the oldest public park in the Conwy region. It stands in a sheltered fold of the land on the eastern slopes of the Great Orme, above Llandudno. The site was originally a quarry, but in 1887 Lord Mostyn donated the site to the town of Llandudno to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.
The quarry was landscaped and planted with a lovely selection of specimen trees, and opened to the public as a recreational area. To mark the opening of the park a large and ornate drinking fountain was erected in the park, decorated with a sculpture of the queen.
Just beyond the memorial fountain is a druidic stone circle built in 1962 when Llandudno hosted the National Eisteddfod, a celebration of Welsh culture and heritage.
Another, much older, attraction is a camera obscura, built in 1890 and recently restored. The camera obscura offers panoramic views over Great Orme and the surrounding area. Nearby runs the aerial cable car, at over a mile between top and bottom this is the longest gondola lift in the country.
The gardens are beautifully landscaped, and an excellent example of a mainly Victorian public park. Near the shore is an informal garden area with a refreshment pavilion and entertainment centre. At the top is a popular ski centre and toboggan run, while further up the hillside just outside the park, is an Iron Age hillfort.
Happy Valley is the oldest public park in the Conwy region. It stands in a sheltered fold of the land on the eastern slopes of the Great Orme, above Llandudno. The site was originally a quarry, but in 1887 Lord Mostyn donated the site to the town of Llandudno to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.
The quarry was landscaped and planted with a lovely selection of specimen trees, and opened to the public as a recreational area. To mark the opening of the park a large and ornate drinking fountain was erected in the park, decorated with a sculpture of the queen.
Just beyond the memorial fountain is a druidic stone circle built in 1962 when Llandudno hosted the National Eisteddfod, a celebration of Welsh culture and heritage.
Another, much older, attraction is a camera obscura, built in 1890 and recently restored. The camera obscura offers panoramic views over Great Orme and the surrounding area. Nearby runs the aerial cable car, at over a mile between top and bottom this is the longest gondola lift in the country.
The gardens are beautifully landscaped, and an excellent example of a mainly Victorian public park. Near the shore is an informal garden area with a refreshment pavilion and entertainment centre. At the top is a popular ski centre and toboggan run, while further up the hillside just outside the park, is an Iron Age hillfort.
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