Sychnant Pass

The Sychnant Pass (Welsh: "Bwlch Sychnant", sychnant = dry stream/valley) in North Wales, leads from Conwy to Penmaenmawr via Dwygyfylchi.

The Sychnant Pass is one of Conwy's best kept secrets. The road leaves Conwy via the Upper Gate in the town walls. In mail coach days it was the way of choice whenever the tide was in and the otherwise faster and safer route along the sands was unusable. Much of the route is within the Snowdonia National Park. There is good hospitality in several places just off the route, which runs westerly along the wide valley on the south side of Mynydd y Dref (Conwy Mountain) with its Neolithic Hut Circles and the hillfort of Castell Caer Seion. There are parallel tracks and footpaths (including the North Wales Path) on Mynydd y Dref for most of the way. Finally, the Sychnant Pass Road runs between the high stone walls of the Pen Sychnant Estate to emerge at superb views as it descends steeply to the valley floor at Capelulo, reputedly the site of an early medieval chapel of Saint Ulo. Here there are two inns, a restaurant and a bistro and in the ravine behind the inns is "Nant Ddaear-y-llwynog" (The Fairy Glen), a "Victorian" nature trail. From Capelulo it is an easy walk or short drive to the coast at Penmaenmawr. A large area of land within the pass is designated as a site of special scientific interest.

External links

* [http://www.greatorme.org.uk/sychnant.html Conwy's secret - the Sychnant Pass]