Trefriw
Trefriw, which lies in the wooded Conway Valley, north west of Llanrwst, is a clustered hillside village made popular in the Victorian era when visitors took the strong iron and sulphur waters for such complaints as rheumatism and anaemia. The old bathouse and pumproom which now serves as a guest house, stand near the wells, where visitors can still buy the water.
At the Trefriw Woollen Mill visitors can see the weaving and hydro-electric turbines. The River Crafnant still provides its power. The mill and shop are open Monday - Friday, the shop is also open on Saturdays. The village has two inns, both of which serve food and there is also a restaurant and tea rooms.
Trefriw has an interesting history, Llywelyn the Great is known to have had a court there in the twelfth century. The Church of St. Mary was founded in the thirteenth century by Llywelyn the Great. Nearby Llanrychwyn Church, a highly characterful building, known locally as 'Llywelyn's Church' dates from the late eleventh century.
A walk at Trefriw
*(1)Commencing from the the woollen mill at Trefriw, turn left. After passing a school the school turn right; keep left, then gradually right. On arriving at a junction turn right. Just before the bridge, turn left along Bro Geirionydd, passing through a kissing gate. Follow the riverside path upstream, passing through a small wood, and over a flat bridge created from the roots of trees. Continue for 200 yards until sighting a bridge off to the right. Pass through the narrow wooden gate in the hedgerow and turn left along the path. Cross a bridge and turn left up the lane beside a small waterwheel.
*(2)Continue for aroumd a mile until reaching waterfalls above Crafnant car park. Turn right, and join the track that runs above the west bank of the reservoir. Beyond Llyn Crafnant the track narrows to a rough path. Follow this to reach two closely spaced poles and a low way marked post. Fork left here, passing over a ladder stile into grounds at the rear of a house. Continue along the wide path through the trees on the left, spass through a gate, then a footbridge. Turn left, Follow the path until reaching an old barn and a telephone box. Continue right, along the path signposted Llyn Geirionydd.
*(3)Pass over the stile and continue along the path marked by blue-topped poles. At a sharp bend, veer right to continue up the steep path through woods. Turn downhill. At the second blue pole take the narrow path on the left, dropping to the roadway lower down, continue straight across, again recrossing the forest road to find it lower down. Turn left to reach a wide turning area near a cottage about 100 yards before the lake. Climb the stile below the cottage and continue into the woods beside Llyn Geirionydd to reach a rocky promontory. Keep to your left, over the path at the back of the outcrop which rejoins the lake beneath old mine workings. Towards the end of the lake pass over the stile and take the waymarked path outside the wall to reach an old barn. Turn right.
*(4)Pass a barn and turn left. Continue along this lane through two gateways. About 100 yards after passing the second gateway, take the signed footpath signed on the left. Follow the footpath signs right, left, then right to a fingerpost. Turn right, behind sheep pens is a fingerpost marking the route. Pass over a stile and continue into a small valley. Keep just to the right of the stream, entering woodland, continue along a path gradually curving to the right to join a wider path above a wall. Follow this right to a stile, then along the path beyond. Turn left and then first right to return to the school.