Conwy Falls

Conwy Falls lies where the River Conwy cuts through a narrow gorge near Bro Garmon in north Wales. The water plunges fifteen metres into a deep pool at the end of the last gorge section. Woodland surrounds the falls, protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Polecats and thirty-two bird species live among the trees that cover about nine and a half acres. A nearby café sits beside the A5 road, designed by the Welsh architect Clough Williams-Ellis. The river is known for its salmon, and two salmon ladders help fish travel upstream. One ladder, built in the 19th century, was destroyed by a storm soon after completion. The modern ladder, finished in 1993, contains thirty pools arranged in a zig-zag tunnel. It can count every fish that uses it, though visitors cannot see the ladder itself. A gauging station measures water flow to protect plants in the gorge. The café began as a wooden hut before Clough Williams-Ellis was asked to design a new building in 1938. His original plan showed a structure perched above the falls, but it was never built. The present café, dating from the 1950s, reflects his style with a Georgian-style pediment and an open loggia on the upper floor. Drawings of the original design are displayed inside. The falls and surrounding woodland offer a quiet place to walk and watch wildlife.