A Walking Tour of Conwy

Conwy is that rare thing: a whole medieval walled town you can explore on foot in an afternoon, without once looking at your phone for directions. In one gentle loop you'll pass one of Europe's mightiest castles, the most complete town walls in Britain, a swagger-worthy Elizabethan mansion, a house so small a grown man couldn't stand up in it, and a quay that has been serving up mussels since the Romans turned up looking for pearls.

This is a self-guided walking tour — no ticket, no timetable, no guide holding an umbrella aloft. It's about a mile and a half all told, mostly flat streets with a few steps if you fancy climbing the walls, and it suits everyone from grandparents to grandchildren (who, we promise, will make a beeline for the battlements). Follow the stops in order and you'll end up more or less where you started, ideally with an ice cream.

The walking tour, stop by stop

1. Conwy Castle — start here

Begin where the town began. Edward I threw up this colossus between 1283 and 1287 to keep a freshly conquered Wales in line, and 700-odd years later it's still showing off — eight great drum towers, two barbicans and walls thick enough to shrug off an army. It cost around £15,000 at the time, a jaw-dropping sum when a labourer earned pennies a day. Climb one of the towers for a view that sweeps the estuary, the mountains and the whole huddled town below. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and children tend to declare it "the best castle ever" within about ninety seconds.

2. The Quay & the Smallest House in Great Britain

From the castle, drop down to the waterfront and stroll along the quay to the tour's cheeriest surprise: a little red house, wedged at the end of a terrace, that holds an official Guinness record as the Smallest House in Great Britain — all of 72 inches wide and 122 inches high. Its last resident, until 1900, was a fisherman named Robert Jones who stood 6 feet 3 inches tall and couldn't stand fully upright in his own home; eventually the council declared it unfit to live in, which, to be fair, it was. Pop your head in (there's a small charge in season) and marvel that anyone managed at all. While you're on the quay, watch the fishing boats and look out for Conwy's famous mussels — hand-raked from the estuary's last wild mussel bed in the UK, and prized since Roman times for the pearls hidden in their shells.

3. Aberconwy House

Head back up into the town and, on the corner of Castle Street, you'll find Aberconwy House — Conwy's only surviving medieval merchant's house, and one of the very first buildings raised inside the new town walls back in the 14th century. That makes it comfortably over 600 years old and a good two centuries older than showy Plas Mawr up the road. Now in the care of the National Trust, its creaking timber floors have watched Conwy go about its business since the Middle Ages.

4. The High Street & Plas Mawr

Carry on up the High Street to Plas Mawr, the "Great Hall" — the finest surviving Elizabethan town house in Britain, built by the well-travelled Robert Wynn between 1576 and 1585 to let everyone know exactly how well he'd done. Step inside (it's cared for by Cadw) for riotously ornate plasterwork, colourful painted rooms and a Tudor kitchen. It's the sort of place where you half expect the owner to sweep in and ask why you're admiring his ceilings.

5. Up onto the town walls

At the top of the town, climb up onto Conwy's famous walls, which snake right around it — some 1,300 metres of them, studded with 21 towers and pierced by three original gateways. They're among the most complete medieval town walls anywhere in Europe, and here's the best bit: you can walk long stretches of them for free. Follow the parapet for the classic Conwy photograph — a tumble of slate rooftops with the castle and the glittering estuary beyond. Mind the little ones on the steps; the views are worth the puff.

6. St Mary's & All Saints Church

Come back down into the quiet green heart of the town and you'll find the parish church, standing on the site of Aberconwy Abbey — the Cistercian monastery that stood here first. When Edward I wanted the spot for his shiny new fortified town, the monks were politely moved upriver to Maenan, and their abbey church became the townsfolk's. It's a peaceful pause near the end of the loop, and a reminder that Conwy was a going concern long before the castle arrived.

7. Telford's Suspension Bridge

Round off the loop back by the castle at Thomas Telford's elegant suspension bridge of 1826 — cleverly castellated so its towers echo the fortress right beside it. It replaced the old ferry (and the occasional soaking that went with it), and today it belongs to the National Trust and carries walkers only. Stroll across for one last, unbeatable view of the castle rising straight out of the water — the picture that ends up on everyone's postcard.

Make a day of it

Once you've closed the loop, linger. Order a pot of Conwy mussels or an ice cream on the quay, browse the little independent shops along the High Street, or hop on a short boat trip around the estuary. Feeling energetic? Walk the entire wall circuit, or drive ten minutes to the beaches at Llandudno and the West Shore, or to the glorious gardens at Bodnant. Conwy is small, but it packs in a remarkable day.

How long is the Conwy walking tour?

It's about a mile and a half in total, following the streets. Allow around an hour and a half at a gentle pace, or longer if you stop to explore the castle, walls and houses along the way.

Is it suitable for children and pushchairs?

Yes — the town streets and quay are flat and easy, and children love the castle and the tiny house. The town walls themselves have steps and narrow parapets, so that optional part isn't pushchair-friendly, but the rest of the route is.

Can I walk the Conwy town walls for free?

Yes. Long stretches of the medieval walls are open to walk free of charge, and they give some of the best views in town. (The castle itself is a paid attraction, cared for by Cadw.)

Are dogs allowed?

Dogs on leads are welcome around the streets, the quay and the town walls. Some indoor attractions ask you to leave dogs outside, though assistance dogs are always welcome.

Where do I park, and can I come by train?

There are several car parks in and around the town, and Conwy has its own railway station right in the centre — so it's an easy day out by train.

Is the Smallest House open to visitors?

Yes, the little red Quay House is open to visitors for a small charge during the season — and yes, you really can see the whole thing in a minute or two.