Bryn Euryn – the well hidden prominent hill
A local nature reserve doesn’t necessarily sound very grand.
But never underestimate the power of discovering local places.
Today, I’m close to Rhos on Sea in beautiful North Wales .
I’d heard rumors of impressive views and now, I’m here to investigate.
Rhos on Sea is a pretty enough place with a village feel about it. Rhos on Sea is a very popular retirement place, partly thanks to it’s quiet, leafy suburban residential areas. As the name suggests, Rhos on Sea is indeed beside the seaside. The promenade stretches for miles along the sea front offering great easy walking opportunities. The beaches are golden and there’s even a small fishing harbour.
Tucked away on the inland side of Rhos on Sea, surrounded by modern housing, is a local nature reserve.
Bryn Euryn is an official SSSI, or Site of Special Scientific Interest. This is mostly due to Bryn Euryn being a suitable habitat for some rare plants and butterflies. Unless you’re particularly interested in scientific things, Nottingham catchfly and six spot burnet moths probably don’t fill you with excitement. However, stay with me and I’ll show you something else stunning about this local nature reserve.
There’s a small car park. Just beyond is a green, grassy meadow which looks as though it once might have been a quarry.
There’s a choice of two routes to walk and discover the nature reserve. There’s the woodland walk, I don’t recommend that one. Then there’s the summit route which is the one I do recommend.
The route isn’t generously signposted, but when the path splits, just keep going up! In the early stages of the ascent, we come across this very steep flight of steps. Don’t worry though, this one does have a signpost. Just follow the easier route!
Just keep going uphill! At this second flight of steps, there’s no easy route I’m afraid. The path soon becomes worryingly overgrown.
Eventually, we break free of the mayflower bushes and after a short stroll over rock strewn, grassy terrain, we arrive at this view!
Now, isn’t this unexpected! And stunning. What an amazing view!
Look, there’s Mochdre, the A55 and the River Conwy sparkling with the Snowdonia Mountains over there hiding in the distant haze.
Be careful though, don’t get too near to the edge! It’s a long way straight down!
Whilst we enjoy the wonderful scenery, I’ll share with you an introduction to the history of Bryn Euryn.
The hill is limestone which was created from the compressed remains of sea creatures some 350 million years ago. Since then, the landscape has been gradually formed by earth movements and erosion. The hilltop we see today has a plateau with steep cliffe edges towards the south. This formed part of the outer section of a an ancient hillfort, believed to date from the 6th century AD.
In more recent times, this plateau was used during World War II, firstly by the Home Guard as an observation post. It was then used by the RAF as one of the first radar posts, watching for enemy bombers passing towards Liverpool.
To the north of the hilltop, there’s the slightly higher summit area. This would have formed the inner part of the hillfort. If you look carefully, there are traces of a very well constructed limestone wall which would have formed part of the foundations for the defences of the fort.
The summit is topped with a concrete trig point and nearby is a small stone pillar with an information board mounted on top.
The summit doesn’t afford the best views due to bushes and vegetation overgrowth. Just to the side of the summit, there is a grassy area which affords these absolutely stunning views across Rhos on Sea, passing Penrhyn Bay and on towards the Little Orme in the distance.
This is a place we’ll definitely, definitely return to! I know the sky is a little hazy today, but can you imagine being here for sunset, or even sunrise? I know I can!
It’s Grand to Know |
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Opening Times |
24 hours |
Admission |
Free |
Parking |
Small car park – free when we visited |
Typical Visit Duration |
A couple of hours |
WC |
None |
Food & Drink |
None – bring a picnic! |
Giftshop |
None |
Location |
Rhos on Sea, LL28 4AB |
Website |
Bryn Euryn Nature Reserve |
Public Transport |
There are several nearby bus stops within a short walk. More frequent services at High Lane / Rhos Road and Ship Hotel / Church Road Closest train station is Colwyn Bay, (around 1.5 miles walk) Always check times and frequency of services before travelling |
Video |
Youtube |