Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksConwy Valley and the North Coast

Conwy Valley and the North Coast

Castell Cawr and Tower Hill

Iron Age hillfort in woodland above Abergele, with limestone grassland and a view over the coast to the Great Orme.

Distance
3.7 mi / 6 km
Time
2 hr 10
Ascent
250 m
Difficulty
Moderate
Shape
Circular

Where it is

The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.

The route

Head up from the town through the woods to the fort and return by a loop. Steady climbing with steps.

Worth knowing

  • Castell Cawr means the giant’s fort and its ramparts are well preserved among the trees.
  • The limestone grassland here holds orchids in early summer.
  • Gwrych Castle nearby is a nineteenth-century fantasy and open to visitors.

What you’ll see

The hillfort ramparts, limestone woodland, and the coast from the Orme to the Dee.

Background

Castell Cawr is one of a group of hillforts along this limestone ridge, occupied through the Iron Age.