Llandudno which claims to be Wales's largest seaside resort, is located on the north Wales coast formerly within the historic county of Denbighshire, but currently within the modern county borough of Conwy. It lies on the shore of Llandudno Bay between the twin limestone headlands of Great Orme and Little Orme. The name Llandudno means the "church of Saint Tudno"; the church itself, parts of which date back to the 11th century, sits on top of the nearby Great Orme.
Llandudno once earned its keep from fishing and copper mined from the Great Orme (where there are workings dating back to the Bronze Age.) but grew into a town during the latter half of the 19th century, when the local Mostyn family encouraged by the arrival of the railway sought to develop an upmarket and dignified resort at the location.
In 1902 a cable tramway was built to take tourists to the top of the Great Orme, which became the site of a small hotel, since transformed into a visitor centre. In 1969 a cabin lift was added to provide tourists an alternative means of transportation. (Although there is also a simple road for those who wish to make their own way.) The Great Orme is also the home to a herd of feral Kashmiri goats, believed to be the descendants of a pair acquired by one of the Mostyn family from Queen Victoria's herd at Windsor.
Table of References
- http://www.gazetteer-wales.co.uk/
- http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/wal/
http://www.llandudno.com/
http://www.eurotravelling.net/wales/llandudno/llandudno_history.htm