Conwy is a county borough on the north coast of Wales. It covers 435 square miles (1,126 km2), had a population of 114,741 at the 2021 census, and is run by Conwy County Borough Council from Bodlondeb in Conwy, with its main offices in Colwyn Bay.
Llandudno is the largest town and the biggest seaside resort in Wales. Just over a quarter of residents speak Welsh, and the southern half of the county lies inside Eryri, the Snowdonia National Park.
| Country | Wales, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Status | County borough (principal area) |
| Area | 435 sq mi (1,126 km2) |
| Population (2021) | 114,741 |
| Density | 102 people per km2 (264 per sq mi) |
| Welsh speakers | 25.9% (2021 census) |
| Largest town | Llandudno |
| Council offices | Bodlondeb, Conwy and Colwyn Bay |
| Highest point | Carnedd Llewelyn, 1,064 m (3,491 ft) |
| Historic counties | Caernarfonshire and Denbighshire |
Towns and Villages in Conwy
The county borough has 115 named towns, villages and hamlets, listed alphabetically from Abergele to Ysbyty Ifan. The coastal strip holds Llandudno, Colwyn Bay, Old Colwyn, Rhôs-on-Sea, Abergele, Kinmel Bay, Penmaenmawr and Llanfairfechan; inland are the Conwy valley towns of Llanrwst and Betws-y-Coed and the upland villages of Hiraethog.
- Abergele
- Belgrano
- Betws-y-Coed
- Betws-yn-Rhôs
- Blaenau dolwyddelan
- Bont-newydd
- Brymbo
- Bryn Pydew
- Bryn Rhyd-yr-Arian
- Bryn-y-maen
- Bylchau
- Caerhûn
- Capel Curig
- Capel Garmon
- Capelulo
- Castell
- Cefn Berain
- Cefn-brith
- Cerrigydrudion
- Clwt
- Colwyn Bay
- Conwy
- Cwm Penmachno
- Cwmpenanner
- Dawn
- Deganwy
- Dinmael
- Dinorben
- Dolgarrog
- Dolwen
- Dolwyd
- Dolwyddelan
- Dwygyfylchi
- Eglwys-Fâch
- Esgyryn
- Foryd
- Gell
- Gellioedd
- Glanwydden
- Glasfryn
- Gogarth
- Graig
- Groes
- Groesffordd
- Gwytherin
- Hendre
- Kinmel
- Kinmel Bay
- Llanbedr-y-cennin
- Llanddoget
- Llanddulas
- Llandudno
- Llandudno Junction
- Llanelian-yn-Rhôs
- Llanfair Talhaiarn
- Llanfairfechan
- Llanfihangel-Glyn-Myfyr
- Llangelynin
- Llangernyw
- Llangwm
- Llangwstenin
- Llannefydd
- Llanrhychwyn
- Llanrwst
- Llansannan
- Llansantffraid Glan Conwy
- Llechwedd
- Llysfaen
- Maenan
- Maerdy
- Melin-y-coed
- Mochdre
- Moelfre
- Mynydd Marian
- Nant-y-Rhiw
- Nebo
- Old Colwyn
- Padog
- Pandy Tudur
- Penmachno
- Penmaenmawr
- Pennant
- Penrhyn Bay
- Penrhyn-side
- Pensarn
- Pentre Du
- Pentre Isaf
- Pentre’r Felin
- Pentre-Foelas
- Pentre-llyn-cymmer
- Pentre-tafarn-y-fedw
- Pentrefelin
- Pont-Cyfyng
- Pont-y-pant
- Pontwgan
- Pwll-du
- Rhiw
- Rhiwddolion
- Rhyd-y-foel
- Rhydgaled
- Rhydlydan
- Rhôs-on-Sea
- Rowen
- St George
- Tal-y-bont
- Tal-y-Cafn
- Tan-y-fron
- Tan-y-Graig
- Terfyn
- Trefriw
- Trofarth
- Ty Mawr
- Ty Nant
- Ty’n-y-groes
- Ysbyty Ifan
Geography
The River Conwy runs the length of the county from the moors above Ysbyty Ifan to a wide estuary between Conwy and Deganwy. The Great Orme, a limestone headland 207 metres high, shelters Llandudno on its own small peninsula.
South and west the ground rises sharply into the Carneddau, the largest area of high ground in Wales, topped by Carnedd Llewelyn at 1,064 metres, the third highest summit in the country. East of the river the Denbigh Moors, Mynydd Hiraethog, roll away towards Cerrigydrudion at around 500 metres.
Gwynedd lies west and south, and Denbighshire east.
Demographics
The 2021 census counted 114,741 residents, close to the 2011 figure. Around two-thirds live on the coastal strip between Llanfairfechan and Kinmel Bay; the interior is thinly populated upland.
Welsh is spoken by 25.9% of residents aged three and over, the fifth highest share in Wales. The proportion is far higher in the Conwy valley and the Hiraethog villages than in the resort towns, which have drawn retirees from north-west England for over a century.
Conwy has one of the oldest age profiles in Wales, a direct result of that retirement migration. Llandudno is the largest town, followed by Colwyn Bay, Abergele, Old Colwyn and Kinmel Bay.
Economy and Local Life
Tourism is the mainstay. Llandudno has kept its Victorian promenade, pier and tramway to the Great Orme summit, and remains a conference and coach-holiday town. Betws-y-Coed serves walkers and climbers heading into Eryri, and the Conwy valley carries a steady flow of visitors to Bodnant Garden and Gwydir Forest.
Public services and retail employ much of the coastal population, with the council, Betsi Cadwaladr health board sites and Coleg Llandrillo among the larger employers. Farming, mainly sheep, works the uplands, and Conwy’s mussel fishery is one of the last hand-raked fisheries in Britain.
History
Edward I built Conwy Castle and its town walls between 1283 and 1287, after displacing the Cistercian abbey at Aberconwy. The castle and walls form part of the Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd World Heritage Site, and the circuit of 21 towers is among the most complete in Europe.
Llandudno was laid out from the 1850s on land owned by the Mostyn family, planned from the start as a resort. Before that the Great Orme held copper mines worked in the Bronze Age, rediscovered in 1987 and now open to visitors.
The county borough was created in 1996 from parts of the former Aberconwy and Colwyn districts, taking in land from both historic Caernarfonshire and historic Denbighshire.
Getting There
The A55 expressway runs the length of the coast, passing through the Conwy immersed-tube tunnel under the estuary, the first of its kind in Britain. The A470 heads south from Llandudno Junction up the Conwy valley towards Betws-y-Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog, and the A5 crosses the south of the county.
The North Wales Coast Line calls at Llandudno Junction, Colwyn Bay and Abergele & Pensarn, with direct trains to Chester, Crewe and London Euston. A branch runs into Llandudno itself, and the Conwy Valley Line goes south to Betws-y-Coed and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Liverpool and Manchester airports are the nearest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Conwy?
114,741 at the 2021 census, across 435 square miles.
What is the largest town in Conwy?
Llandudno. Colwyn Bay, where the council has its main offices, is next.
How many villages are there in Conwy?
This directory lists 115 named towns, villages and hamlets.
How many people in Conwy speak Welsh?
25.9% of residents aged three and over at the 2021 census, the fifth highest share in Wales.
Is Conwy in Snowdonia?
Partly. The southern half of the county borough, including Betws-y-Coed, Capel Curig and Dolwyddelan, lies inside Eryri, the Snowdonia National Park.