The quiet resort of Penrhyn
Bay sits in the shadow of
Little Orme, whose more famous big brother, Great Orme, towers above the
adjoining resort of Llandudno. The
shingle beach with its rock pools is lined by sea defences consisting of large
boulders. The bay started out as a farming community, then in
the 19th century limestone quarrying commenced on Little Orme and a narrow
gauge railway was built to service the quarry.
The quarrying ceased in 1936, leaving Penrhyn Bay
to more pleasurable pursuits, and enabling the creation of a Site of Special
Scientific Interest and sanctuary for sea birds. Energetic visitors can make the climb up to
Little Ormes Head from where there are wonderful views.
The oldest building in the resort is Penrhyn Old Hall, now a restaurant
and venue for events. The hall is said
to date back to the 8th century originally, when the last King of the Britons
built a palace here. The Romans are also
thought to have passed through, judging by the Roman coins which have been found
there. The house belonged to a powerful
Roman Catholic family, the Pughs, in Elizabethan times, and it was the scene of
much drama arising from the struggle between the Catholics and Protestants,
with some of the Roman Catholics conspiring to put to death the Protestants in
the area. Some of the conspirators went
into hiding in a cave on the Little Orme, where they allegedly used a printing
press to produce the first book printed in Wales. The Old Hall is said to be haunted by a
number of ghosts, including a monk, a young girl haunting the stairway, a
soldier and an old lady.
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| Bae Penrhyn - geograph.org.uk - 95911. Photo by Dot Potter, via Wikimedia Commons. |
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