ASSETS to tourism in Llandudno

[Fester]

... and finally, as you head along inshore back to the jetty, you see those strange little turrets in the gardens of the houses at Craigside, (always wondered how they got there), the brand new lifeboat station which I think is very impressive... and the numerous yachts on the sea near the sailing club.

[Hugo]

That looks like a good boat trip Fester, how far did it go around the Great Orme?     The reason I'm asking is because just past the lighthouse is Ogof Llech ( the hiding cave)  and I've walked down to it over 50 years ago but now because of erosion you can't do that without ropes and the only way to see it is from the sea.

[Ian]

£8 for 50 mins is a good deal.

[Fester]

That looks like a good boat trip Fester, how far did it go around the Great Orme?     The reason I'm asking is because just past the lighthouse is Ogof Llech ( the hiding cave)  and I've walked down to it over 50 years ago but now because of erosion you can't do that without ropes and the only way to see it is from the sea.

That's my main issue, in fact my only issue with this boat trip. It only goes as far as that shingle beach, way short of the lighthouse. In fact you can only just see the lighthouse in the distance.
You get a lot of time at the little Orme, and not enough at the Big 'un.

[Hugo]

Thanks for the information Fester, that shingle beach looks like Pigeon's Cave, I used to go there swimming in my teens and diving off the ledge into the water when it was a high tide.   

[Ian]

I'm sure that was Pigeons.  We used to climb down the ladder (long gone, now) and explore the tiny tunnels at the back of the main cave opening .

[Hugo]

Thanks Ian,  I don't know why they moved the ladders as they were quite safe and bolted to the rock.    One year I went there by myself and just dived into the water and then went to climb the ladders but they had gone!
I had to swim around the headland to find a place to get back up to the ledge.

[Ian]

The main ladder simply rusted away, Hugo. It was fine when we were kids, but no one ever maintained it and it simply disintegrated, so I think they removed the bolts, which were sticking out with rusted metal on the ends.

[DaveR]

you see those strange little turrets in the gardens of the houses at Craigside, (always wondered how they got there)

They were built as Summerhouses for the original houses along that stretch of Colwyn Road.

[Hugo]

The main ladder simply rusted away, Hugo. It was fine when we were kids, but no one ever maintained it and it simply disintegrated, so I think they removed the bolts, which were sticking out with rusted metal on the ends.

It looked ok when I last saw it Ian and I used to go quite often until that incident I mentioned before.    I might be cynical but think that it was more to do with Mostyn Estates or the LUDC than to do with rust or H & S issues.
The last time I was there, there was a rope at the very end of the ledge so that you could climb down on to the beach but I'm too old to test it out.       

[Fester]

you see those strange little turrets in the gardens of the houses at Craigside, (always wondered how they got there)

They were built as Summerhouses for the original houses along that stretch of Colwyn Road.

I knew you'd know!  Cheers.

[OrmeMac]

That looks like a good boat trip Fester, how far did it go around the Great Orme?     The reason I'm asking is because just past the lighthouse is Ogof Llech ( the hiding cave)  and I've walked down to it over 50 years ago but now because of erosion you can't do that without ropes and the only way to see it is from the sea.

Don't know if it's visible or not in this photo I took when out on the MV Balmoral.

[Hugo]

I can't make it out from the photo but it will be to the right of the cliff where the lighthouse is.   If you are walking on the Marine Drive go past the lighthouse and then the cafe and the cave is just below the edge of the steep valley and about 25 yards above the shore line.

[Fester]

The shingle beach in my picture is the one only half way between the pier and the lighthouse I'd say.

The boat skipper did say it used to have a ladder to get down to it, but it rotted away a few years ago.

[Nemesis]

I seem to remember that quite a while ago the cave was on TV, someone went down there by rope and filmed the inside.

https://sites.google.com/site/cavesofnorthwales/11-caves-of-llandudno

The above link is quite a long read, but mentions most of the caves.