Halloween in Snowdonia 2022
If you're planning to visit Ogwen Bank Holiday Park this spooky season, we've got you covered!
We have handpicked the best attractions and days out for you to best enjoy all that Snowdonia, North Wales has to offer!
Top 5 Castles to visit in North Wales near to Ogwen Bank Caravan & Lodge Park
Top 5 Castles to visit in North Wales
Did you know there are over 600 castles in Wales? We are said to have more castles per square mile than anywhere else in the world. North Wales is home to some really special castles, wherever you choose to go on holiday in Wales you won’t be too far from a historic site. However, at Ogwen Bank Caravan & Lodge Park you are not too far away from the following top 5 castles to visit in North Wales:
1. Gwrych Castle While the 13th century seemed to be the golden time for castle architects in Wales, you can find fortresses from other periods, too. Gwrych Castle is a 19th-century country house in North Wales that makes for a memorable sight. The castle is situated in the small town of Abergele and is visible from the A55 expressway. The castle was built by Lloyd Hesketh Bamford- Hesketh between 1812 and 1822. Today the castle is owned and run by The Gwrych Castle Preservation fund, the trust runs the castle as an attraction, whilst carefully restoring sections of the castle. The most exciting news to date is the Castle is home to the 20th Anniversary show I’M A CELEBRITY, GET ME OUT OF HERE. The presenter's Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly have swapped the Australian Jungle for Gwrych Castle in North Wales! The series will see the celebrities tackle the elements, trials, and the possibility of ghostly encounters in this truly wonderful castle.
The castle is currently closed to the public whilst I’m a celebrity is being filmed.
The castle is 39 mins - 28.6 miles away from Ogwen Bank Caravan & Lodge Park.
Gwrych Castle, Abergele, Conwy LL22 8ET
2. Penrhyn Castle
This huge, awe-inspiring Neo-Norman castle was built in 1819-35 situated on Bangor’s eastern edge. It was originally a medieval fortified manor house, founded by Ednyfed Fychan. In 1438, Ioan ap Gruffudd was granted a licence to crenellate and he founded the stone castle and added a tower house. Samuel Wyatt reconstructed the property in the 1780s.
The ground floor windows evidence domesticity, not defence was the architect’s priorities, and similar home comforts enhance its charm: a walled garden and lovely informal gardens add to the fairy tale atmosphere. Penrhyn is cared for by the National Trust, who have it in fine order.
Penrhyn Castle is 5 mins - 5.1 miles away from Ogwen Bank Caravan & Lodge Park.
Penrhyn Castle, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 4HT, 01248353084
3. Conwy Castle
Conwy Castle is a magnificent medieval fortress that still towers over Conwy after 700 years. Thanks to restored spiral staircases you can walk a complete circuit around the battlements of Conwy Castle.
In the distance rise the craggy mountains of Snowdonia and spread out below you are the harbour and narrow streets of Conwy – still protected by an unbroken 1,400-yard (1.3km) ring of town walls.
It is simply breath-taking, especially when you consider that King Edward I and his architect Master James of St George built both castle and walls in a barely believable four years between 1283 and 1287.
Conwy Castle takes its place alongside Edward’s other great castles at Harlech, Beaumaris, Caernarfon as a World Heritage Site.
Standing on the battlements your eyes are drawn away from the castle itself to Telford’s suspension bridge and the walled town, and the more distant breath-taking views - the sea in one direction, mountains the other.
Conwy Castle, Conwy, LL32 8AY 01492 592358
Conwy castle is 26 mins – 17.9 miles away from Ogwen Bank Caravan & Lodge Park.
4. Criccieth Castle
Criccieth Castle is located on a rocky peninsula overlooking not one but two beaches. Boasting views over the town and across to Cardigan Bay. This 13th-century castle can be found in local tales and poems, including the work of Iolo Goch, a Welsh bard that mentioned the ‘bright fort high on a rock’.
If you love to be beside the seaside Criccieth Castle is the one for you. Discover its history and make the most of its view before heading to the beach and enjoying a day out in the quaint little town of Criccieth.
Criccieth Castle, Castle St, Criccieth LL52 0DP
Criccieth Castle is 50 mins – 30.2 miles away from Ogwen Bank Caravan & Lodge Park
5. Caernarfon Castle
Edward I was not messing around when he built this polygonal 13th-century castle on a former Roman fort. The mighty Caernarfon Castle remains one of the most visually arresting sights you will ever see and does not disappoint. Having included all the mod cons for its day like toilets, running water and glass in the windows, this vast building is spectacular.
Caernarfon Castle is recognised around the world as one of the greatest buildings of the Middle Ages.
Here Edward and his military architect Master James of St George erected a castle, town walls and a quay all at the same time. This gigantic building project eventually took 47 years and cost a staggering £25,000.
Even after 700 years it still stirs the imagination like no other Welsh castle.
Caernarfon Castle, Castle Ditch, Caernarfon LL55 2AY
Caernarfon Castle is 23 mins – 13.4 miles away from Ogwen Bank Caravan & Lodge Park
No matter how old we get, castles will never fail to enchant us. Why not make a weekend of visiting the castles in North Wales and book a short break in one of our luxury lodges at Ogwen Bank Caravan & Lodge Park? Please call us on 01248 600486 or click here for more information.
Photograph credits. Visit Wales Crown Copyright.
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Rib Ride Velocity Competition
We feel the need, the need for speed! How do you fancy a ride on the world's fastest Rib Ride, Velocity?
Head over to our Instagram page @ogwen_bank and follow the simple instructions to enter our competition giveaway!
The lucky winner will win 4 tickets for the Rib Ride plus a 1-night break at Ogwen Bank in one of our luxury pods. Ogwen Bank Holiday Park is located on the edge of Snowdonia and boasts wonderful views of the River Ogwen, Penryhn Quarry and beyond.
The competition will close on Sunday 22 November 2020 and the winner will be announced on Monday 23 November 2020 on our Facebook & Instagram pages. Get following folks and good luck!
Terms & Conditions Apply.
If you’re interested in short breaks or holiday home ownership at Ogwen Bank Caravan and Lodge Park, call us on 01248 600486.
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Top Days Out in North Wales - Pen Môn Lighthouse, Anglesey
Top Days Out in North Wales – Pen Môn Lighthouse, Anglesey.
2020 has not been the year that we had planned, but its certainly time to "lockdown" your wish list of places to visit once all the travel restrictions are lifted! A good place to start would be a trip to Anglesey, an island rich in history and beauty. Its coastline is simply stunning and perfect for some well-earned Vitamin Sea for you and your family.
Discover beaches and cliffs, tiny fishing coves and busy ports before arriving at Penmon Point, also known as Black Point, or Trwyn-du in Welsh, situated on the south-east corner of Anglesey and overlooking the Menai Straits, the Irish Sea and Puffin Island. The name derives from Welsh: pen (which can mean “head”, “end” or “promontory”) and Môn, which is the Welsh name for Anglesey.
According to Wikipedia, the first lighthouse was erected in 1838, at a price of £11,589. There had been a call for a light at this location for some years by master shipmen in the nearby city of Liverpool, especially after the steamer the Rothsay Castle ran aground and broke up on nearby Lavan Sands in 1831 with 130 people losing their lives.
The present Lighthouse, built 1835-1838, is 29m tall and was designed by James Walker. It was his first sea-washed tower and a prototype for his more ambitious tower on the Smalls.
The Lighthouse has a stepped-base designed to discourage the huge upsurge of waves that had afflicted earlier lighthouses on the site and reduce the force of the water at the bottom of the tower.
Austere vertical walls, instead of the usual graceful lines of other rock towers, are probably an economy measure. The tower has a crenellated stone parapet, in preference to iron railings on the gallery, and narrows in diameter above the half-way point. These are features used by Walker in his other lighthouse designs. The tower is distinguished by its original three black bands painted on a white background. Its also bears the words "NO PASSAGE LANDWARD" on its north and south sides.
Walker also pioneered, unsuccessfully, the use of a primitive water closet, comprising a specially designed drain exiting at the base of the tower. The stepped design of the lighthouse may have helped water exit the closet, but surges of seawater made its use difficult during heavy weather.
The light-source initially was a 4-wick Argand lamp, set within a first-order fixed catadioptric optic manufactured by Isaac Cookson & co. It displayed a fixed red light.
The best way to experience Anglesey and visit Pen Môn Lighthouse is to come and stay. Spend a few nights at Ogwen Bank Holiday Park or even a week! Take time to relax in a luxury lodge with a hot tub by night and explore the wonders of North Wales by day.
Note: Getting close to the lighthouse is via a private toll road costing £3.50. The closest postcode for the site for sat nav purposes is LL58 8RR.
For more information on the lighthouse please
visit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trwyn_Du_Lighthouse
Photograph: Visit Wales
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Zip World's Quarry Karts
We were lucky enough to be invited as a local business and loyal supporter of everything Zip World is trying to achieve for North Wales, to be one of the first to sample the totally outstanding New Quarry Karts which we have to say is the most exhilarating experience ever. Please give this activity a try, it's incredible value for Money and we as a team have not stopped talking about it for days on end.
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Luxury Holiday Homes in Snowdonia
Here at Ogwen Bank, we know that Snowdonia National Park is the bees’ knees, and we want you to know that too. The spectacular natural beauty, ever-changing variety of the landscape. Snowdonia is an incredibly special place, there’s always something to do or something going on within the region, no matter the weather.
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Reasons to Visit Snowdonia in the Spring
Perhaps the signature season of Wales, spring brings with it a tapestry of colours in the form of blooming flowers; the most recognisable probably being the daffodils. The weather is drier and milder and to top it off for the nature lovers, there’ll be an array of lambs, wildflowers and chirping birdsong to be in awe of along the way.
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