What’s going for it? It’s easy to forget the rest of the world exists when you’re eating a slice of bara brith beside the Tu Hwnt l’r Bont tearoom’s elegant, three-arched bridge, all hairy with virginia creeper, like Hagrid out of Harry Potter. Llanrwst is deep in the Conwy valley, walled in by Snowdonia one way and its foothills the other. A blanket of hush envelops this artsy, majority Welsh-speaking town. You might be high in the Himalayas, inviolable. A few centuries ago, when Llanrwst was one of the biggest towns in Wales, it blew a great fat raspberry to Edward I and his flunkeys, and declared independence with its own flag and motto. And even as late as 1947 the local council, it is said, made an application for recognition to the United Nations. Spirited lot, this. Mind you, they need to be: the outside world has a habit of always creeping in. Or, er, flooding in...
The case against Last Christmas, the Conwy burst its banks. The town has been known to flood before. There are new flood defences, but exceptional weather is pushing them hard.
Well connected? Trains: a station! In rural Wales! Trains every two or three hours south to Betws-y-Coed (12 minutes) and Blaenau Ffestiniog (40), north to Llandudno (also 40); change at Llandudno Junction for the north coast mainline. Driving: it’s 25 minutes to Conwy, 30 to the seaside at Llandudno and 45 to Bangor. The T4 Conwy Valley Line bus plies between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Llandudno, too.
Schools Primaries: the town’s Bro Gwydir is “good”, Estyn says. Secondaries: its Dyffryn Conwy is “good”, too.
Hang out at… Bara brith at Tu Hwnt l’r Bont, of course, two local landmarks for the price of one.
Where to buy The historic old town is all monochrome, whitewashed walls, faux black timbers or grey stone, in cottages or town houses. Worth a gander. Otherwise, for suburbans, hunt northwards on Llanddoged Road, and south towards Melin-y-coed, on and off Fford Berthddu and Nebo Road. Large detacheds and town houses, £250,000-£450,000. Detacheds, £250,000. Semis, £120,000-£170,000. Terraces and cottages, £105,000-£150,000. Flats, £70,000-£140,000. Rentals: not much – a three-bed house, £600pcm.
Bargain of the week A three-bedroom Victorian stone detached house, in need of updating, £260,000 with Express Estate Agency rightmove.co.uk.
From the streets
Rhonda Stevens “We moved from Surrey three years ago – gorgeous scenery and a very friendly town. I miss the big shops, but there’s Chester for that, an hour away.”
Anna Dixon “The coffee shop at Ffin y Parc – delicious cakes and small exhibitions of local artists. Great to while away a few hours if it’s raining. Gwydir Castle is also a great day out.”
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