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Home , Beaumaris Castle, Conwy Bay, Deganwy Castle, Great Orme, Little Orme, Llandudno

Welsh seascapes and their sensitivity to offshore developments No: 5 Regional Seascape Unit ’s Head to Name:

Conwy Bay and Great Orme from Mountain (All photos © John Briggs) Looking across the from Friars Bay ()

Llanfairfechan looking across to shows much gentler topography and – where road/rail meet sea/mountain

Conwy Bay from Friars Bay (Anglesey), illustrating the level of night lighting along the coastline, from the A55 Expressway, settlements and promenades.

1 Welsh seascapes and their sensitivity to offshore developments

No: 5 Regional Seascape Great Orme’s Head to Puffin Island Unit Name: Seascape Types: THIR, THIU, THLR, Key Characteristics THMU, THMR The distinctive whaleback rocky limestone headland of the Great Orme forms the eastern landmark. reaches the coast in massive rocky acid tuff cliffs falling to the shore with large quarries on the slopes and acts as a backcloth for the whole coast. Road, rail and electricity lines are fitted along the steep coastline and mountainous hinterland. The western mainland coast is low lying with gently sloping rural farmland. Ynys Mon rises to gentle hills and soft low cliffs with Puffin Island at its furthest eastern extent enclosing the coast to the west. There are tidal currents associated with the and the Conwy estuary. Key views are to and from the Great Orme Country Park, historic settlements such as Beaumaris town and , Point, Castle, the coastal path and promenades and beaches in settlements such as Bangor and Llanfairfechan/Penmaenmawr. Key cultural associations: The Medieval urban and monastic landscape of Conwy, Beaumaris and Penmon, together with the more recent growth of the Junction to and Llandudno West Shore developments. The physical/topographic obstacles to land-based transport along the mainland coast.

Physical Geology A varied geology from the Precambrian rocks of Ynys Mon to the various Ordovician/Silurian Characteristics types including volcanic acid tuff rocks adjacent to Conwy and the fine grained igneous rocks at Penmaenmawr, and the of the Great Orme, Penmon Point and Puffin Island. There is substantial overlying boulder clay and some sand deposits at the mouth of the Conwy estuary. Coastal landform This is a semi-enclosed seascape, with coastline on 3 sides: a north facing fairly straight mainland coast, a west facing coast including the Great Orme and the south east facing coast of Ynys Mon. The distinctive whaleback exposed landform of the Great Orme defines the eastern extent with its steep sides, cliffs and rock outcrops reaching 200m AOD. This gives way to low lying, undulating landforms to the south including dunes (now a golf course) west of the Conwy estuary. A series of dramatic rugged mountains on the northern fringes of Snowdonia punctuate the coast in minor headlands with cliffs - Penmaen Bach (245m AOD) and Penmaen Mawr (400m AOD). These are partly disturbed by quarries. Elsewhere, the upland landform is generally set back from the coast allowing a low lying soft coastal edge. By comparison, the Ynys Mon landform is much more gentle, only rising to around 90m AOD, but with some small steep coastal slopes and rocky shores. The linear Puffin Island lies just off Penmon Point and reaches 58m AOD. Coastal landcover The majority of the coast is rural with pasture. This is punctuated by a series of settlements including, from the east, Llandudno, Penmaenmawr, Llanfairfechan, Bangor and Beaumaris. Some of the settlements are associated with quarries and others with tourism or rural uses. Bangor has a small port facility. Golf courses feature on the coast to the east. The A55 Expressway and railway form a transport corridor which abuts the coast for substantial stretches. Intertidal area There are rocky headlands with limited intertidal areas on Anglesey and the Great Orme, extensive areas of sand and mud between Bangor and Llanfairfechan (Traeth Lavan) and to the east around the Conwy estuary (Conwy Bay). Characteristics of sea Currents are associated with the Menai Strait to the west and the Conwy estuary to the east. Hinterland landform The area lies on the northern fringes of Snowdonia, which forms the backcloth to the unit. The land rises very steeply in places, Ynys Mon is smaller scale rising gently from the coast to around 90m AOD. Hinterland landcover Pastoral agriculture interspersed with woodland, semi natural vegetation and bare rock in places. Rural settlement is generally scattered. Lighting The main concentrations of light are within the settlements and along the transport corridor of A55. Lighthouses flank the entrances to the bay, at Great Orme’s Head and Penmon Point.

Use Land/coast uses Residential; quarries; transport; informal recreation, coastal path.

2 Welsh seascapes and their sensitivity to offshore developments Sea uses Leisure craft use the coast from Conwy Marina and Beaumaris. There is some commercial navigation from Bangor. Occasional summer steamers and pleasure trips from Llandudno (Unit 3) pass through this seascape and on to Menai (Unit 12).

Visual and How the seascape unit Great Orme Country Park; Coastal Path; A55 Expressway and railway; promenades and sensory is experienced qualities beaches in settlements such as /Llanfairfechan/Penmaenmawr; historic settlements such as Beaumaris; public footpaths in hilly hinterland. The Mountains of Snowdonia and their coastal outliers including Conwy Mountain, Penmaen Bach and Penmaen Mawr, offer spectacular panoramic views over the seascape, over Anglesey and the Great Orme to the sea beyond (the highest elevation along the North coast), and to the and Cumbrian Fells in clear weather. Between Llanfairfechan and Conwy, where mountains and hills meet the sea, lies the most spectacular section of A55 Expressway and railway along the coast. At Penmaen Mawr and Penmaen Bach headlands, there are road and rail tunnels. The eastbound road uses the older road that ‘Wiggles’ around headlands as well as through short tunnels, and views along the coastline also line up with cliffs on the . Great Orme is seen almost as if an island at sea. Degree of intervisibility There is significant visibility on land rising up from the coast including some very elevated of land and sea views from the Snowdonia range and from prominent headlands such as the Great Orme. Key views to sea and Great Orme Country Park; historic settlements such as Beaumaris town and castle; Penrhyn along the coast Castle; The North Wales Path; promenades and beaches in settlements such as Bangor and Llanfairfechan/ Penmaenmawr. Puffin Island and Great Orme are prominent features either side of views out to open sea. The high degree of enclosure allows many land-sea-land views, of which Ynys Mon to Snowdonia is the most impressive. Key views to land There are views from pleasure craft, especially those entering/leaving Conwy Marina, Beaumaris, the Menai Strait, and those going to/from units 3 and 6.

Tranquillity/rem- The mainland coast is not tranquil because of development and the busy A55 Expressway. oteness/wildness However a short distance inland into the Carneddau Mountains, are some of the wildest, most remote and tranquil landscapes in Wales. Sense of scale Large scale on mainland and medium scale on Ynys Mon. Openness/ Semi-enclosed by eastern and western headlands (Great Orme and Penmon Point/Puffin enclosure Island). Diversity Diverse Exposure Exposed to east, moderately exposed to west.

Key cultural The monastic settlement on Ynys /Puffin Island and at Penmon recall the sea-borne associations nature of Early Christianity. Conwy and Beaumaris are both Edwardian bastide towns of immense cultural and historic importance. Little is evident of , a site that is associated with the legend of Taliesin. Land routes also form a significant elements of the cultural landscape in the shape of the route across Traeth Lafan to the Edwardian town of Beaumaris as well as the roads across Penmaenmawr by Silvester and and their twentieth century successors, and the main line railway. Overland transport links enabled the development of Llandudno’s West Shore, with its possible links with Alice’s adventures down the rabbit hole, and Penmaenmawr, a town divided between quarrying and tourism. The granite at Penmaenmawr has been worked since the stone age, and quarrying has significantly altered the landscape along this coastal stretch. The A55 tunnel building and road dualling of the 1980s opened up easier westerly access by road, to Arfon, via the spectacular mainland route between sea and mountains, through this seascape.

Forces for Land/coast Development pressure along coastal edge including the spread of street lighting; change Coastal erosion at Conwy Bay, Wîg (Bangor) and Ynys Mon.

Pressures for marina development.

Conflict between active recreation and fishing/cockling and the need to conserve Traeth Lavan as a nature reserve. 3 Welsh seascapes and their sensitivity to offshore developments

Climate change may put pressure on sea defences and threaten low lying land with flooding.

Sea -

Designations National Park Snowdonia and sensitive features AONB Anglesey Coast AONB Heritage Coast Great Orme Long-distance coastal North Wales Coastal Path, footpath/National Trail Angelsey Coastal Path Outstanding and special North ; Penmon; Creuddyn and Conwy. historic landscapes Historic gardens and ; Bryn y Neuadd, Baron Hill Park (Beaumaris) parks Key scheduled ancient Deganwy Castle SH 7879 monuments and Town Walls (also Guardianship and World Heritage Site) SH 7877 Plas Mawr (Guardianship site) Castell Caer Seion Hillfort SH 7577 / 7677 (also Guardianship and World Heritage Site) SH 6076

Country Parks Great Orme Open access land Great Orme; Extensive tracts on Conwy Mountain, Penmaen Bach, some at Penmaen Head, and rising up to the Carneddau.

4 Welsh seascapes and their sensitivity to offshore developments

No: 5 Regional Seascape Great Ormes Head to Puffin Island Unit Name: Headline Sub-criteria Increases sensitivity Decreases sensitivity criteria

Overall Summary of key • The semi-enclosed bay focuses open sea views • The amount and type of development character factors to the north and north-east that detracts from a sense of tranquillity and • Many view points, including low lying, and wildness, including much night qualities promenade, main road and railway, as well as lighting, major roads and some elevated mountain areas suburban development spreading in a • The high levels of accessibility and recreation linear form along the coastline. both on land and offshore • Only a limited arc of open sea horizon • The undeveloped parts of the hinterland can be seen, with much therefore • The extensive, undeveloped inter-tidal area. hidden from view. • The need to protect the setting and backdrop of • Established active quarrying activity at historic at Beaumaris and Penrhyn Penmaenmawr and historically near • Surrounding higher land, where vantage points Penmon allow views down into the estuary and bay, including extensive areas of the Carneddau Mountains • Puffin Island, Penmon Point and Great Orme’s Head as focus points in seaward views

Seascape sensitivity levels for different forms of offshore development Modelled scenario Generic form of Sensitivity Comments development

Tall structures 13km Moderate A limited arc of view to an open sea horizon would be the Offshore wind offshore focus of low level views towards any development of tall sensitivity structures offshore in that area. However, headlands would mask wider views of the open sea. Any tall structures within the bay itself would become land marks because of the enclosure and many viewing locations.

Wave energy units Broad flat structures on Low-moderate Broad flat structures offshore would be clearly visible sensitivity the sea surface from the many elevated view points around Conwy Bay, especially from the mainland. However, there is much existing linear coastal development and transport links from which the viewing location would also contain other built elements in the foreground.

Tidal energy units Developments placed Low-moderate Sensitivity would be reduced for locations of structures in sensitivity only a short distance the sea just offshore where they are seen in relation to offshore. existing coastal development. Topography can be used to limit some views from land – for example the headlands, providing visual separation between one local seascape unit and another. There is also much existing coastal development which relates to new development.

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