Conwy

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Template:Otheruses1 Template:Infobox Wales place Conwy (formerly anglicised as Conway) is a town in Conwy county borough in North Wales, which faces the resort of Llandudno across the Conwy Estuary. The town lies in the traditional county of Caernarfonshire.

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Image:Conwy walled town.jpg Image:Small House, Conwy.jpg Conwy is one of Europe's finest examples of a mediæval walled town. Conwy Castle was built by Edward I between 1283 to 1289 and, together with the castles and walls of Harlech, Caernarfon and Beaumaris, is a World Heritage Site.

Conwy was the original site of Aberconwy Abbey, founded by Llywelyn the Great, which was moved up the valley to Maenan by Edward I when the castle was built. The parish church still retains some parts of the old abbey church.

Conwy has other tourist attractions that help draw visitors to the town. Thomas Telford built the Conwy Suspension Bridge, which spans the River Conwy next to the castle. It was completed in 1826 and replaced the ferry at the same point. Telford matched the bridge's supporting towers with the castle's turrets. The bridge, which is now open to pedestrians only, together with the toll-keeper's house, is in the care of the National Trust.

Robert Stephenson built the Conwy Railway Bridge, a tubular bridge for the Chester and Holyhead Railway in 1849. This is still in main-line use with a station on the North Wales Coast Line within the town walls. The crossing of the River Conwy has always been a problem and today, in addition to a modern bridge serving the town, the A55 road goes under the river by tunnel. The old mountain road to Penmaenmawr runs through the Sychnant Pass.

The National Trust owns Aberconwy House, which is Conwy's only surviving 14th century merchant's house. Another fine house open to the public is Plas Mawr (great mansion) built in 1576 by the Wynne family and now in the care of Cadw. The Quay House at the quayside in Conwy is often touted as Britain's smallest house; its dimensions are roughly six feet wide by eight feet high.

Conwy is a convenient place from which to explore the mountains of Snowdonia.

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