Happy Valley Botanical Gardens, Llandudno

Happy Valley Botanical Gardens are tucked away at the side of the Great Orme just along from the pier. The land was that of a former quarry which was gifted to the town by Lord Mostyn in celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887. The quarry was turned into gardens with an open air theatre and miniature golf course which has since been turned back into gardens and a ski slope and toboggan run.

It was a lovely place to walk, though as you get closer to the top of the gardens it does get quite steep so bear that in mind if you have walking difficulties. There are benches where you can sit for a breather though and admire the views and some of the local wildlife.

There’s actually more to see at the gardens than I was expecting. One such item is this stone circle. You’ll remember from my time in Llanrwst that I stumbled across a stone circle that had been erected for the National Eisteddfod. Well, here is another example – the Welsh National Eisteddfod ceremonies were held here in 1896 and 1963.

There’s also this lovely bandstand – decked out to the local Alice in Wonderland theme.

Here too is the base of the cable car that can take you to the summit of the Great Orme. It was opened in 1969 and is the longest single cabin lift in Britain.

There’s also this impressively large drinking fountain with a bust of Queen Victoria to commemorate her Golden Jubilee.

The paths are well maintained if somewhat meandering with large rocky areas of garden – I was visiting at the wrong time of year to see all of them in bloom. There’s also a cafe nearby, plus a ski slope, though I didn’t partake of either.

From here I walked further up the Great Orme, but that’s for next time.