It's been a comfortable night at Travelodge as we prepare some breakfast, continuing to experiment with the food warmer. With patience, we even manage to make some toast and at the very least, having a warm breakfast is most welcome.
Peering out of the window, I can see that it's dried up overnight but know it won't last. Nevertheless, I'm going to continue with a plan that takes in a number of important tourist sites.
We leave around 9.00 am and it's right that I should take a drive along the promenade before we leave Colwyn Bay where it's all quiet this Tuesday morning after the long bank holiday weekend. We then head out of the town in search of some history. It's a short drive from here over to Conwy where we park up near the bridge over the Conway River. From here, we can walk across to the castle in view of the Conway Tubular Railway Bridge while to the north is a splendid view of the Conwy Estuary. I have a budget to visit Conwy castle, but right on queue, it starts to drizzle and I'm reluctant to get caught in the rain.
Conwy Castle, known in Welsh as Castell Conwy, is a fortification in Conwy. It was built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1287. Constructed as part of a wider project to create the walled town of Conwy, the combined defenses cost around £15,000, a massive sum for the period. Over the next few centuries, the castle played an important part in several wars.
Leaving the castle, I head down along the riverbank to find some shelter. On a nice day, this is a pleasant stop with attractions for visitors. The most curious is the smallest house in Great Britain. Here we find some cooked prawns and crab but as the rain persists, we head back to the car.
From Conwy, I could easily return the way we came but even with so much rain forecast, I'm going to continue with my plan despite the conditions. From Conwy we take the North Wales expressway heading for Caernarfon. In this part of Wales there is a lot to do but all we have time for is another historic castle, the most significant one in Wales.
Caernarfon Castle is a medieval fortress, renowned for its impressive architecture and historical significance, and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle, known in Welsh as Castell Caernarfon, was built by King Edward I of England in the late 13th century as part of his campaign to conquer Wales. The construction began in 1283 and was completed in 1330, costing between £20,000 and £25,000. The castle was strategically designed to serve as a royal palace and military stronghold, symbolising English power in the region. It was constructed on the site of an earlier motte-and-bailey castle and is located near the Roman fort of Segontium, linking it to the area's Roman past.
We park in the castle car park and discover this tourist town which could take up a whole afternoon to fully appreciate, but the rain only strengthens and again I don't want to do castle tours in weather like this for which I am totally unprepared with no suitable rain gear. Nevertheless, I have to risk the elements just to record my presence in photos. We're now at our furthest point and I still wish to add something more, taking a less obvious route back as we take the A487 towards Porthmadog. Most of this area is unfamiliar to me and in any other circumstances, I would be happy to explore more with the coastline and Snowdonia especially attractive. The best I can do now is to sample the mountains of Gwynedd as we head up to Blaenau Ffestiniog and the station there. Amidst the mist, we park up near the railway and head over to investigate. Again I haven't timed things well to see a train working on this heritage railway which was established from the need for slate from the nearby quarries. Blaenau Ffestiniog now relies on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,000 at the peak development of the slate industry, but fell with the decline in demand for slate. With no end to the rain, all I can do is to record my presence. It's time to continue back as we head for Dolgellau.
From Dolgellau we continue east towards Welshpool and discover yet another heritage railway, this time narrow gauge. We park up at the station at Llanfair Caereinion but still no action greets me. The Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) is a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railway in Powys. The line is around 8.5 miles (13.7 km) long and runs westwards from the town of Welshpool via Castle Caereinion to the village of Llanfair Caereinion. Finally, the rain relents and we continue to Welshpool at to refuel, and head into mid-Wales. Here I'm expecting to join the A49, but the GPS directs me into Shropshire and then into North Herefordshire. Using the A4110 would completely avoid the A49 where there are roadworks. We arrive back at a sensible time but had the weather been kinder there would have been 2–3 hours more time available. While I could dwell on missed opportunities, this simple overnight stay on a budget has been most rewarding.

Source: Visit