Penmaenmawr to Conway (upland route via Druid's Circle)

Walk: Bus from Conwy to Penmaenmawr. Up the direct route from Penmaenmawr to Y Meini Hirion (Druid’s Circle) and then due east using the brilliant North Wales Path to reach the Sychnant Pass then finally up and over Conwy Mountain to re-join the car parked in Conwy

Distance: Approx. 7.5 miles

Parking: Free roadside on Cadnant Park - a road near where the North Wales Path exits off Conwy Mountain into Conwy

Bus Route: Arriva's excellent No 5 service Llandudno to Bangor. Getting on at the bus stop (called Opp. Bodlondeb) on the main A547 (Bangor Road) outside the town walls in Conwy and getting off in Penmaenmawr, near the library.

The route is closely related to an earlier walk written up on this BussPassNBoots site which traced the upland route between Conwy and Llanfairfechan. This one is a bit shorter, making it a bit less of a mission but no less spectacular. It goes the opposite way (West to East) to the previous write up. The west to east direction offers cracking views out over the Coast and Conwy Estuary.

A wobbly legged Carneddau Pony foal. Our only one of the day

On a sunny day, it is an absolute eyeful of colour. I was a week early for the Carneddau Pony foals this time (late April 2026). They all seem to be born around the 1st May. I saw only one wobbly-legged foal on the walk (there with its mother on the photo) plus a dozen or more low-slung expectant mothers - probably about a week away from D-Day.

Its a classic BussPassNBoots walk making good use of the No 5 bus to make a longer linear walk than would be practical without public transport in this beautiful part of the world. We (that is Rosie the Spaniel/Swamphound and I) parked on a road called Crafnant Park. It is accessed over a short narrow bridge off the main A547 (Bangor Road) and is the second road on the left after exiting through the narrow archway of Conwy's town walls heading west. Turn left just after the bus stop to which we'll return to start the adventure.

Crafnant Park has several advantages (apart from being free). First is its proximity to the bus stop that will get you to the start of the walk in Penmaenmawr, second is its proximity to the the footpath exiting off Conwy Mountain down which you'll be tramping at the end of the walk. Couldn't be better placed. It’s as if they knew!

There are toilets in town, just 10 minutes walk away, but a quick stop for a coffee at Llandudno Junction Macdonalds (just about 7 or 8 mins drive away) on the way there sorted that out. I say a quick stop. I spent longer wrestling with the multichoice interactive ordering console than actually drinking the coffee and driving the rest of the way to Conwy combined. I Just Want a Bloody Coffee and a Wee was not one of the thousand options unfortunately. I expect it's an age thing.

Once parked, we walked the minute or two back to the bus stop. I think we must have missed the bus that I'd initially planned (probably because of the multichoice madness). A minor problem as we caught the next one (a 5D) about 25 minutes later.

The entrance to Fernbrook Road Car Park with misleading (for me) brown sign

 In Penmaenmawr, aim to get off at the bus stop announced as Penmaenmawr Library. There is a small footpath with ornamental walls directly behind the stop - this leads up into the car park above. There are toilets but they looked permanently shut to me. I got suckered in by a brown sign announcing the path to Y Meini Hirion - (The Druids Circle) that I'd noticed pointing up the road (Fernbrook Road) at the main entrance/exit to the car park.

This signage actually leads to an alternative route up the hills above, starting from the east end of the town whereas our route goes more directly up from the west end. No great drama as doubling back to find Graiglwyd Road (to get back on track) was not a problem. However, if I was to do this again in this direction, I would go out of the west end of the car park, pick up the road above ( Y Berllan) and turn right (west) then bearing almost immediately left (south) up Cwm Road and then straight on to an ungated footpath. The footpath feeds out by the Splash Aqua Park and caravan site on Graiglwyd Road some distance above, just east of the start of our path up the mountain.

Take the drive up to Graiglwyd Farm

Follow Graiglwyd Road west for about a quarter of a mile leaving the Aqua Park Caravan Site behind on the left. You will see a concrete driveway on the left leading up to Graiglwyd Farm (see photo). Go up the drive and continue up to the left side of the buildings. Our footpath is accessed over a ladder style positioned just out of sight above the farm. Once over the stile, the path makes its way pleasantly up with the fence separating you from the sheep and lambs in the pasture to the left.

Views back over Penmaenmawr from the picturesque path up to Druid’s Circle

The path continues up steeply offering the first coastal views of many during the day. A good antidote to grey dullness of what has seemed to be a long winter.

Keep going straight on up toward the ridge above. When you eventually approach the ridge, you'll notice a path leading left with some stones (rough paving) and a metal rail helping you across a boggy patch. Use this to get to the drier section of path heading to the metal gate in the wall above.

The path turns left over a boggy area

Go through the gate in the wall above. Once through you are in a different land. This upland plateau forms an east-west corridor which, given the concentration of stone monuments, must have been an area of some great significance to our neolithic ancestors. Who knows why. It could be just because the world transitions from Sea to Mountains and this is somewhere in between. There is no hiding up here and I can certainly attest that the vistas are awesome.

The next port of call on our walk is the impressive stone circle of Y Meine Hirion (The Long (or Tall) Stones). It was much visited in Victorian times where horse and carriage would haul the visitors up from Llanfairfechan on a cart track (old coach road).

The finger post and cart track with faint footpath beyond

You'll see two wooden posts above you which are actually alongside the route of the aforementioned track. Though the official routes would have you walk up to the stubby one on the right and then walk left, on the track, to the finger post on the left, it is just easier to go to directly to the one on the left.

Once there, you'll see a faint path leaving the track and heading further uphill. Follow this faint path in more or less the same direction as you took approaching the finger post from the gate below. Not far above you are rewarded with the first view of the tall stones.

Some of the stones of the Druids Circle with the coast backdrop

Y Meine Hirion stone circle creates quite an atmosphere. The photo here is of just some of the stones showing their epic location on the plateau overlooking the coast. There are plenty of photos of the complete ring (including one on the earlier blog when Rosie and I walked from Conwy to Llanfairfechan) - little point adding another one here.

A short way up to the right (west) there is another collection of stones which, though smaller and more jumbled, evoke no less an atmosphere - slightly friendlier if anything. What they are and why they are here are still open to speculation. I read that, during archaeological excavations, cremated remains of some children were found in the middle of Y Meine Hirion which I guess conjures pictures of sacrifice and stuff. As no-one knows for sure, I'd like to think they could just as easily have been placed there after natural deaths - by way of reverence, to honour their short lives. Think what you want but do take a moment to soak the atmosphere and the backdrop. Its a lovely quiet yet powerfully evocative place.

Once you are soaked to the skin in atmosphere, it's time to continue the walk. Angle east away from Y Meine Hirion heading diagonally downhill across a somewhat swampy gully. On my previous walk here I sank in the mud and swore rather loudly - even Rosie blushed. Take care and, if the worst does happen, bite your tongue as one of the stones above (the deity stone) is reported to set a curse on anyone swearing within its vicinity. I didn't know that at the time, thinking about it, I have definitely had a couple of sub-optimal years since my last visit.

The 5-stone Irish Circle

Continue down on the diagonal, making to re-join the cart track. Before you do, be sure to greet the Irish Stone circle (my personal favourite) some 30m off the track, level with the track fingerpost nearest to where you will eventually join. I found out after my last visit that this simple 5 stone circle is similar to ones found in County Kerry in South West Ireland hinting at some links with the folk there and possible trade routes benefiting from a familiar neolithic signpost for those ancient traders.

Join the track again and follow it pleasantly east, underneath a 33kV High Voltage overhead line and a building on the right.

Digression Alert: I love a well constructed overhead line. These wooden structures are not pylons, they are poles (or supports) - and the uninsulated conductors are not cables, they're lines(or conductors). I just wish someone would tell the BBC and other news channels - it does my head in. When conversation runs dry in the snug, you can impress your friends by letting them know how to determine the voltage of high voltage lines. One or two dish insulators (the round ones that look like dinner plates) on the occasional section poles (in most of Wales and England) means they are 11kV. Those with three dish insulators are 33kV. Either voltage is way more than is needed to cook you on direct contact. Those yellow signs don’t lie. Another snippet while you have their rapt attention is that the standard for the minimum height of the conductor over the ground below was determined by the height of a large person on a large horse riding upright with a riding crop or whip raised. Plus a bit to allow for the bad habit of high-voltage electricity jumping an air gap to snag an unsuspecting victim. Good eh? End of digression.

Glorious views East from the North Wales Path

The Track is part of the North Wales Path which, apart from a short diversion to take on the peaks of the Iron Age Hillfort on Conwy Mountain, you'll follow all the way back to the car. This bit is particularly lovely.

Eventually, the track turns right and through a gate to another track in front of the row of trees - visible on the right on the photo. This lower tree-lined track doubles as the driveway to the property (Bryn Derwydd on your map) that sits just alongside the trees. Continue along the track/drive, away from the house and trees, noting the stout standing stone named Maen Crwn in the field on your right. After about 6 or 7 minutes walking this way, you will notice a finger post pointing right through a gate in the stone wall.

The rough pasture with walled pastures in the distance on the right

Follow this sign and leave the track to join a footpath heading down through rough pasture (under an 11kV line - sorry, couldn't help myself) toward a farm building/ stone barn in the distance. Take the right fork to join another path coming in from the left before you get to the building. This leads down to a stream heading spanned by a wooden footbridge. Cross the bridge and continue beyond, heading uphill slightly, aiming for the corner of a walled pasture visible in the top right corner of this photograph. There are several paths cutting left along this section which are probably shortcuts but the land is prone to sogginess and this main path is driest.

A finger post points you to the path heading toward the Sychnant Pass

Once at the corner of the wall, continue climbing gradually with the wall on you right until you reach a prominent tree and a finger post (featured by Rosie in the photo) pointing left. Turn left here on a wide path, eventually passing a big lump of a rock and heading north east toward the Sychnant Pass and Conwy Mountain (Mynedd y Dref) in the distance.

Continue north east along this path for about a mile keeping an eye out for the small herds of Carneddau Ponies who seem to really like it here. They have a point.

About a mile after turning left at the walled pasture you’ll see a house down below and a wall and smaller footpath angling downward on the left. Don't be drawn down. Keep on the main track here and 50m or so later, as the valley comes up to meet you, you reach a staggered path-crossroads.

The staggered Crossroads with the North Wales Path 'exit' marked

If this was a roundabout, you would take the second exit - at around 10 O'Clock. The 'first exit' takes you steeply down to the village of Dwygyfylchi (not what you want). The third exit (the extension of the track you are on) takes you up to Llyn y Wrach ( lake of the witch) - intriguing I agree but again not what you want. Our 'exit' is marked with a finger post (easy to miss) and is the continuation of the North Wales Path leading directly to the Sychnant Pass.

Follow the marked path angling slightly upwards until, quite a way further on, you reach a stile and gate giving access to Pensychnant Nature Reserve and Farm.

Rosie looking down to the lower path that cuts back sharply following the wall down

Go straight on through the gate into the nature reserve. About half a mile further on, there is a fork in the path. Both forks go to the same place so take your pick. We took the left hand one (slightly shorter) which re-joins the longer route in a pleasant open grassed area. Turn left, downhill, following the North Wales Path signs toward the wooded area below. Once at the woods, the path cuts back right on itself and a little later joins a path alongside a wall at an acute angle. Turn sharply back left again here, back toward the pass, heading alongside a wall.

Follow the path with the wall on your right to emerge at the heavy decorative gate which leads out of the nature reserve onto a small parking area alongside the narrow road of the Sychnant Pass.

The spectacular track heading from the Sychnant Pass toward Conwy Mountain

Our route continues directly opposite the parking area on a rather precarious looking track etched in to the steep hillside on the other side of the road. The track is epic, last time I did this I noted that I'd be obsessed with the condition of my brakes if I used this every day (as the farm properties further up must actually do). If something went wrong, it would go very, very wrong.

Follow the track until it bears right and becomes less scary. A little further on, as the path bears right again, there is a footpath going up diagonally left. Take it, it just cuts the corner of the track. Where the path descends to re-join the track again, go straight across it to a ford and a gate. If the ford is deep there are stepping stone to your right.

Our path over the top of Conwy Mountain heads toward the Promontory directly ahead

Go through the gate and follow the North Wales Path signs straight up the rocky track, ignoring the track going off to the left. Once at the top of here, the way forward presents itself very nicely. The main North Wales Path takes a lower route to the right hand side of the peak ahead (see photo) whereas we want to take in the views and the history of Castell Caer Seion Hillfort afforded by going over the tops of Conwy Mountain. So take the track on the left heading for the 'nose' a distinctive promontory jutting out toward the Great Orme (over the estuary on the other side of the hill).

The view just before you cut back to take the steeper climb to the top of Conwy Mountain

Once overlooking the promontory, near a bench with some epic views toward Llandudno and the Great Orme (see photo), cut back heading uphill toward the peaks. Keep taking the paths that keep you on the high ground (on the ridge) ignoring other signed ways directing you over the ridge back to the main North Wales Path. The path is rugged and great and because of the shape of the hill you stay high with 360 degree vistas for a satisfyingly long time.

Make your way down overlooking the Estuary, Marina and town of Deganwy

After spending some time trying to re-imagine the rubble that is now the remains of Castell Caer Seion Hillfort, it's time for the final descent. The only thing you need to do here is to avoid being drawn down to the left (north) as staying on (or close to) the ridge will tip you off the hills onto Mountain Road in Conwy, within half a mile of the car.

Enjoy the view over the Estuary, the Marina and Deganwy before dropping down onto the grassier bits, eventually, in the wooded bit near the bottom, being directed right, through a gate and down a final very eroded section of path to come out opposite No 17 Mountain Road. Follow the narrow road down with houses on either side, around the right hand bend then slightly uphill to the Tee-Junction with Crafnant Park and, if you can remember where you parked, to be reunited with the car.

I could hardly recommend this walk more highly.