‘Living here is like going back 50 years – you can even go out for walks after dark’

All summer we will be taking the pulse of our most famous traditional seaside towns, examining the efforts being made to regenerate them, and opining on whether they are still worth visiting. This week, Chris Moss explores Llandudno.

Llandudno is North Wales’s grand-dame seaside town, a much-loved stop on the journey from the bucket-and-spade-and-static resorts to the east and the castles and mountains and upmarket destinations of the west. If decline has set in at Rhyl and Colwyn Bay – not to mention most English coastal towns – Llandudno is regarded as a place that bucks the trend.

Is it true? On the evidence of my two-day sojourn, yes it is. I visited on a gloriously sunny day in early May, and the town and beach looked spectacular. There was a nip in the air in the morning, which is as traditional an element of the English seaside as sticks of rock and cockles, but by the afternoon it was positively balmy.

Llandudno feels old, but not in a bad way. The seafront evokes the Victorian era. A two-mile stretch of handsome terraced properties, punctuated by grand four-star hotels like the St George’s, still going strong, and the Washington, now a restaurant, looks all the better for the horseshoe-shaped bay. The prom is a glory, with palm trees and a wide area for strolling, benches and artworks.

Many seaside resorts depend perhaps too much on their seafront. Llandudno has more than that. At either end are hills – the Little Orme and the more substantial Great Orme. You catch sight of these as you stroll around town, as well as glimpses of the mountains of Snowdonia. On a hot day, it can look positively Mediterranean.

A thriving high street

One block in, on Mostyn Street, is a proper shopping thoroughfare, with few empty spaces. There are plenty of banks and free ATMs and cash is accepted everywhere. For self-caterers (the chalet holiday is big business hereabouts), there are supermarkets and a big Marks and Spencer on a large retail park. Some shops look a bit hopeful – such as Johnny Throws axe-throwing – and there are the usual tired chains, but the overall vibe is livelier than in many cities. Many shop fronts have awnings, some with ornate filigree and curved windows.

There are lots of listed buildings, chapels, churches, a museum and gallery, and pubs not owned by Wetherspoons. The average age might be around 70, but I see young parents and 20-somethings, too; the cafes – which are many – are busy. Providero does a great flat white and Portuguese custard tarts. You don’t need hipsters to satisfy hipster tastes.

The long pier is a bit tucked away to stand out, but it’s not sullied by endless amusement arcades; there are just a few slot machines and a pub with lots of outdoor seating at the end. They were playing the Kinks when I arrived, which seemed to fit the era being evoked.

Llandudno evolved from a mining town. Next door Conwy is a walled market town with a Unesco-listed castle. The two resorts function together to provide quite a range of services and amenities for holidaying families, golfers, sailors, coast walkers and city escapists. This year, there’s a new Alice in Wonderland-inspired game experience called Finding Alice, a new 15-stop Heritage Trail and the Ffin y Parc Gallery, relocated to Trinity Square from the inland town of Llanrwst.

Walking along the prom is lovely at Llandudno. When I stepped out for a pre-dinner amble, a sea fret had turned the pier end of the town murky and magical. But as I walked towards the Little Orme, the fog cleared and all was brilliantly clear again.

What’s it really like?

The pandemic hammered Llandudno. Many hotels and other businesses went under. Some places – the Grand Hotel above the pier being the most obvious – need more than a lick of paint.

A few more independent shops would add a lot to the town. Currently, it feels owned by chains. There’s also the market for more daring, locally focused restaurants.

The town seems to be preparing for this summer season with gusto. The little shelters with benches along the beach are all being spruced up. The Craig-y-Don paddling pool on the front – which needed resurfacing because it was dangerously slippery – is reopening soon and is “still free”.

What’s not to like?

The shops on the pier are naff. One sells “crystals”. Another sells only quirky name signs. These are arguably typical of the English seaside, but it’s a pity you can find such tat yet the seafood kiosk was closed on a late spring day.

The entertainment offering is patchy in North Wales resorts, with too many tribute bands and not enough quality arts. But the Banff Mountain Film Festival tour came to Venue Cymru in April.

The phone signal is dire all round town; that needs sorting, especially as QR codes are used to share information on historical sites.

Do this

The Great Orme is a limestone headland that rises straight out of the sea to a height of 679 feet. The walk is lovely, but you also ride up on the Great Orme Tramway – ferrying passengers to the summit since 1898. There’s also a mile-long cable car to the summit and a minibus option. On a clear day you can see the Lakes and Isle of Man, and there’s a visitor centre, nature reserve with Kashmir goats, pitch ’n’ putt golf and play area.

In 2021, Welsh whisky-maker Penderyn opened its new Llandudno Distillery. Tours of the mill, mash tun and innovative single copper pot still conclude with a wee dram (or “diferyn bach”) in the Tasting Bar afterwards. There are masterclasses for aficionados.

Visit Wales’s dedicated Llandudno and Colwyn Bay pages are a great source of activities for flying visits or longer stays.

Eat this

As well as lots of fish-and-chip outlets – the one that looks like a lighthouse on the pier is good – Llandudno has the usual British provincial spread of pizzas, curries, tea shops (with Welsh cakes and bara brith) and hotel restaurants. The Terrace Restaurant at the St George Hotel has Welsh lamb, fish, seafood and cheeses. Dylan’s, at the Washington, serves locally caught sea bass, Welsh beef and lots of options for kids.

Look out for Conwy mussels, which come from deep down in the seabed of the Conwy Estuary. I didn’t find any laverbread (“Welsh caviar”), which seems a pity – though it’s more properly associated with the south coast and the Gower Peninsula.

A short drive inland, Bodnant Welsh Food has a good locally focused shop and restaurant.

But don’t do this

The Carlton pub looks like a great freehouse, but it’s owned by mega-chain Stonegate, and hosts bingo on Thursday evenings and karaoke on Fridays. I know bingo “belongs” in seaside resorts, but surely not in a Grade II-listed boozer.

From a local

“It’s a beautiful place to live,” says Helen Parkes, 37, who moved here two years ago from London with her husband and three children. “We sometimes say it’s like a holiday that never ends. It’s lacking in terms of retail and culture – Conwy next door has had more spent on it and has more independent shops – but living here you do realise life’s not all about spending.”

Liz Westwood, 21, works at the Llandudno Pier Coffee Shop. “I came here from the Midlands, to live with my nan and, in a way, start again,” she says. “You’ve always got the beach and the mountains. I get on with people of all ages, but there are young people here if you want to find them. The only negative is the 20mph rule where it’s not needed; it causes jams, increases emissions and is really unpopular.”

“Living here is like going back 50 years,” says Ray, 80, who retired to Llandudno almost three decades ago. “The older ladies still dress nicely. You can go out for walks after dark. There are no rough gangs going around swearing and fighting.”

From a tourist

Yvonne Hurst, 56, from Manchester, has a caravan outside Llandudno. “I think it’s different to other seaside resorts because of the natural beauty and so they keep it looking naturally beautiful. There’s no litter, they keep it clean. I don’t like the Welsh government but they’re doing something right here.”

Four friends from South Yorkshire, Janet Booth, Sharon Lindley, Christine Tarmey and Pamela Lydster, “combined age over 300”, were unanimous in their praise for Llandudno. “The prom is beautiful,” said Janet. “We just took the open-top minibus up the Great Orme and it was lovely. You’ve no lager monsters running about like in Blackpool. They probably need to cater more for the younger generations. There’s nowt here for them.”

“My favourite place in North Wales, maybe anywhere,” says Carolyn Haycock, 59, from St Helens. “We come here almost every month, and it’s busy and nice even in winter. There’s plenty of people year round.”

“I suffer with dementia and come here for a bit of peace,” says Robert Berry, 66, from Collyhurst, Manchester. “We’ve been coming for 30 years. Llandudno is steady. It’s the same every year. Nothing changes.”

Getting there

Llandudno has direct trains to Manchester and Chester. Nearby Llandudno Junction has direct services to Cardiff, Birmingham International and London Euston. The line skirts the coast as it leaves behind the built-up, industrialised borders, serving up beach views. The A55 is a decent quasi-motorway, and it boasts lovely views once you’ve passed Rhyl. The A470, which winds through the heart of the country, has been called “Wales’s Route 66”; it’s the ideal way in for slow travellers.