History

Early History

Llandudno's history can be traced back to as early as the Stone Age, but evidence of human development can be easily seen within the Great Orme Mines, showing that Bronze and Iron Age Man did live and mine in the Area. We know this as over a few hundred years, settlements and relics were discovered on the slopes of the Great Orme. Copper is thought to have been mined from the Great Orme 4000 years ago. Mining on the Great Orme continued until the 1850's when accessible ore was exhausted.

The first reference to Llandudno in written history is about the Manor of Gogarth conveyed by King Edward I to Annan, Bishop of Bangor in 1284.

Victorian History

Llandudno's population grew to over 1000 people in 1847, all served by the new Church of St. George. Most of these men worked in the copper mines, the others in fishing or subsistence agriculture. In 1848, a Liverpool architect by the name Owen Williams proposed the owner of the estate Lord Mostyn develop the town into a holiday resort. The town boomed, and became a popular holiday destination for visitors from Liverpool, Manchester, Crewe and the West Midlands. It was connected to the national railway network in 1858, the town was to become a major ferry port to Ireland, but in 1859 a storm damaged the pier and development was moved to Holyhead. Development continued to turn Llandudno into a tourist resort, with the Marine Parade running around the base of the Great Orme, the tramway up to the summit and Happy Valley gardens.

Recent History

Recent developments since the decline of UK tourism have been focussed on developing the town as an entertainment and shopping venue with the building of Parc Llandudno retail park and Venue Cymru confernece centre and theatre.