Thanks Steve
and there's more now
West Shore to the Gunsite coastal walk continued
The 3 observation posts are at the bottom of a very steep valley but we have always been able to climb to the track at the top without any trouble. This time it was difficult as the erosion was on an unprecedented scale and even reaching the observation posts was difficult. Water was free flowing and bringing with it soft mud and I was the first casualty when my right foot went deep into the slimy stuff then closely followed by Tellytubby who sank about a foot into the mud. Anyway we made it to the observation posts and they had been subsiding for a while but the mud from the erosion was going inside the buildings making them more unstable.
The next part was very difficult with the conditions and the slope was nearly vertical in places but we carefully made our way up until we found a section of the concrete steps that hadn't been washed away When we got to the top of the steps we were ready to have our refreshments but didn't sit down for too long as I think that we would have both seized up after the effort of getting up there.
We then made our way up to the Gun site. During WW 2 the Royal Artillery's Coast Artillery School was relocated to Llandudno and it occupied a 1km length of the lower slopes of the Great Orme and constructed workshops, stores, searchlight emplacements, as well as Naval and other gun sites. It was considered the perfect place for gun practice and they would tow ships into Conwy Bay and point the guns in the direction of Bangor and Anglesey and then use them for target practise. As a young boy I can remember the gun positions exactly as they were in the old photo I've attached ( minus the guns of course ) and took Tellytubby to show him them. Now sadly all that remains of the gun emplacements are the circles of metal on the ground.
Seeing them again brought a smile to my face and reminded me of an amusing incident I had a few years ago. Tellytubby and I were travelling to the car park by the Spinney's Nature Reserve near Penrhyn Castle when we we stopped by the Police who explained that no one could go any further as there was an unexploded shell on the beach and that the Bomb Disposal Unit were setting off a controlled explosion on the beach. So we turned around and parked our car nearby and walked to the wooden Kingfisher hide on the Reserve and started taking photos of the many birds that were there. Then there was an almighty bang and the whole building shook and all the birds scattered. It turned out that the Bomb Disposal Unit had triggered the controlled explosion not far from our hide!
I wonder if that shell was one of those fired from the Great Orme over 70 years ago
Anyway we then continued on the track until we came to the main part of the site. After the end of WW 2 the School handed everything back to the Mostyn family who owned the land but at the time there was a serious housing shortage in the area so as soon as the School left, families of squatters soon moved in and took over the buildings. My Aunty Peggy lived in one of the buildings and it had a prime spot on the site and I can remember visiting her there. Other forum members were also living there at the time too and Quiggs has written a fascinating account of the life and times of the squatters. It is well worth reading and tells of the tough times that the families had but also of funny things that happened there, even if you have already read it, it is still interesting to read over and over again.
We then took the concrete road out of the site to Llys Helig Drive but before we went past the locked gates I stopped to take a photo because this is where Tonyf once lived. Tony is another forum member and contributor to the stories that Quiggs started on here. I bet Tony would like to own that plot of land now.
At the end of Llys Helyg Drive on the left is a well with the water coming down from Ffynnon Gogarth high above the road. At the Marine Drive we turned right but not before I took a photo of a cottage that had been converted into an ultra modern building and noticed water pouring out of the garden wall and that water also was coming from Ffynnon Gogarth.
A short distance down on the left is Pen Y Ffordd Goch which is a tarmac lane going up to the rear of some properties whose frontage is on the Marine Drive.
This is part of an ancient right of way called the Monk's Path that starts just above the Toll House it sescends down Pen Y Ffordd Goch before crossing the road and goes through the gardens of the private houses until it comes to the Bishop's Palace itself. The path also continues from the ruins up the Great Orme on a diagonal green path until it reaches the walls of the farm at the top
As a point of interest Miriam and Isaac who lived in the cave I mentioned earlier moved to a cottage on the corner of Pen Y Ffordd Goch and the Marine Drive and set up a small business and called it the Gogarth Tea Rooms. Little remains of the cottage now apart from a low wall, some steps and the terracotta kitchen tiles
Because of the recent landslide on the drive the road ahead was closed to cars and pedestrians so we walked up the Monk's Path and back to our cars. It had been a good day for a walk but it was also just nice to get out again