I admit I am not looking forward to this walk since the map shows a long stretch alongside the very busy A55. It is however a lovely day as we set off from the seafront of Llanfairfechan and I’m looking forward to seeing Conwy, a walled market town with what I’m told is an impressive 13th century castle.

Following instructions from a local we are directed under a railway line, through a small housing estate and across a metal bridge which lifts us above the roar of the traffic underneath us. We then thankfully leave the road for a while up a quiet cycle route which takes us away from the thundering traffic.

But what goes up must go down and soon we are back to the road and another metal bridge.

Halfway across the second one I have a bit of a wobble when I decide to look down at the blur of fast moving traffic under my feet but pull myself together and walk quickly on, staring straight ahead.

Approaching a village called Penmaenmawr we are faced with a decision whether to walk along the beach or follow the signs up into the village. It turns out to be the wrong decision but there are some quirky independent shop windows to stare into and churches and chapels to count – we walk past 11 for a population of 4,350 people and there are probably a few more. What god fearing people we used to be!

Anyway, we have lost a bit of time taking the long way round and it is getting very hot. We trudge along on a cycle route besides the road – my mood momentarily lightened by rows of flowering pine trees and gorse bushes

At some point even that joy is taken away as we approach a road tunnel that cuts through the hill known as Penmaenmawr Bach. My heart sinks when I see the tunnel as I can’t see any way for us ordinary mortals to get around it but to my great relief I then spy a cycle route sign and a narrow lane curling up and around the face of the cliff. I think you can see the traces of worry on my face in the picture.

From here on it’s a heads down half a mile trudge alongside the busy road until we reach yet another metal footbridge across the railway line and down to the beach – hurray!

Just before we start walking along the beach we find a seat and some metal statues where we take a well earned rest. Later I find out that the steel statues represent (from the left) Llewelyn The Great Prince of Gwynedd, Thomas Telford Civil Engineer and Margaret Williams Local Journalist and Author.

The path now skirts an area of reclaimed marshland called Conwy Morfa which is now being used as a golf course. Up ahead in the distance is the bulk of Great Orme’s Head which we will be walking around tomorrow.

After the hard thump of tarmac and concrete it is a pleasure to walk on the beach, even if it is stoney, which curves around and up the estuary of the Afon (River) Conwy. We walk past the affluent looking marina and into the town, where we follow the path around an unexpected patch of woodland encircled by stone walls, to our first sight of Conwy Castle.

Conway Castle and the town walls were built on the instructions of Edward 1 of England between 1283 and 1289 as part of his conquest of the principality of Wales. The walls are part of a World Heritage Site and people born inside them are known as Jackdaws after the jackdaws that live in and on the walls. It all looks like something out of a fairy tale.

Down on the quay another piece of history. The house (3.05 x 1.8 m) was occupied from the 16th century to 1900 when the then owner, a fisherman called Robert Jones, was evicted on grounds of hygiene. He was too tall to stand up inside the house!

We find a pub for a very welcome pint and sit outside watching the comings and goings of the harbour. A very fat seagull keeps a watchful eye on our crisps.

Distance: 10 miles