"By far, the best B&B in which my father and I stayed during our 2 week road trip around the UK. The rooms and bathrooms were clean, well kept and had all the comforts you would expect in a high class hotel. Wonderful living room with a big tv and plenty of space to spread out and read on the couches. The best part of staying at Winifred's Rest was the hostess - went the extra mile to make sure that we were comfortable. This place really is a hidden gem."

"Outstanding! Clean, welcoming and amazing food! Checked in late, took up kind offer to cook (dinner). Enjoyed it so much we ate there every night for the rest of our stay! Lovely rooms, with plenty of nice touches. Tea, coffee, biscuits, even dog treats! Couldn't have been made more welcome and we'll certainly be staying there again!"

"Amazing guest house, amazing location! Not sure where to start really, because it was all so good! The guest house is scrupulously clean and it had everything you needed and wanted. Breakfast was lovely, well cooked and fresh and we also choose to have an evening meal - it was suberb south east Asian food and plates were left very clean! We will definitely stay again, very reasonably priced and just a lovely experience."

"Top Notch B&B - delightful, very friendly and hospitable. The B&B was very clean, decorated in a modern feel with a relaxing and charming feel. The (evening) meal was the best Thai meal I have had for a long long time and would highly recommend that you request one. Restaurant prices, but worth it. The Breakfast was the best I have ever had in a B&B. Thank you for such a lovely stay."

"Excellent dog friendly B&B, great Asian food. Very well decorated and presented. The welcome was superb, made us and our dog feel so welcome. The choice and quality of cooking at breakfast was excellent. We had an evening meal and thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended - we will be back."

"This is a truly wonderful place to stay. The rooms had everything you could possible need and were very well presented. The breakfast and service was exceptional. We ate at the B&B on the Saturday evening and I was very impressed with the traditional Asian cuisine. I would highly recommend this B&B."

"Best B&B - just needed to share how absolutely lovely our stay was. The hostess is amazing - we have never been treated so well. We also sampled two of her Asian evening meals which were lovely. We would have no hesitation in staying there again, and in fact look forward to doing so. We highly recommend it!!"

"We had a lovely 2 night stay following our graduation. The Asian meals cooked in house were superb - really, really tasty, clearly lovingly cooked. In short, something a bit special. Had a lovely time and definitely planning to return,"

"Best B&B experience ever! It was an absolute pleasure staying at the Winifred's Rest, went out of the way to make us feel welcome. Our dog even had her own dog bowl and treats in the room. The room and bathroom were exceptionally clean and very comfortable. We had our own little 'hamper' with biscuits, tea, coffee, milk and bottled water - certainly more than you would find in other hotels. The full English breakfast was fantastic and all the ingredients of high quality. We highly recommend the Winifred's Rest. It certainly exceeded our expectations and we will definitely come back."

"Absolutely brilliant - We spent 4 nights at this fabulous B&B and we were absolutely delighted about everything. The room was very cozy and clean and the breakfast was amazing. It all exceeded our expectations!!!!!!!!!!! We will come back!"

"One infrequently experiences service which is genuinely orientated to the customer but this is what the owner of Winifred's Rest has managed to achieve. It is very clean and tastefully decorated. There are a good range of options for breakfast and the owner's home cooked Asian options for dinner are excellent."

"Lovely stay, very welcoming. Stayed here when visiting to climb Snowdon. The owners were very welcoming and keen to ensure we had everything to make our stay comfortable - I even got a cake for my birthday on our departure day!"

"Wonderful hospitality, it was comfortable and peaceful. The room was very clean and well presented with lots of extras. The large sitting room was very welcoming. I would recommend Winifred's Rest to anyone wishing to stay in this lovely picturesque area."
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Local Attractions

Contents

  1. 1 More about Trefriw
    1. 1.1 Trefriw Woollen Mills
    2. 1.2 Trefriw Trails and the Carneddau
    3. 1.3 Llanrhychwyn Church
    4. 1.4 Old postcards of Trefriw
  2. 2 Outdoor Adventure
    1. 2.1 Cycle trails
    2. 2.2 Watersports
    3. 2.3 Gwydyr Forest
    4. 2.4 Tree Top Adventure
  3. 3 Something for the family
    1. 3.1 Gardens and Villages
    2. 3.2 Mines galore
    3. 3.3 Cable cars, Railways & an Aqueduct
    4. 3.4 UNESCO World Heritage listed Castles
More about Trefriw

Trefriw Woollen Mills


Trefriw Woollen Mills is one of the few remaining mills of what was once an important Welsh industry. The mill had been operating for over 30 years when it was bought by Thomas Williams in 1859. It is still owned and run by the same family. Today, it continues to manufacture high quality traditional Welsh bedspreads, blankets, tweeds and tapestries, also available as jackets, bags and hats.

Morgan Williams weaving at Trefriw Woollen Mills

Trefriw Trails and the Carneddau

Nine trails ranging in distance, difficulty and taking in a wide variety of terrain in and around Trefriw, and the surrounding hills and lakes. Trail 5 is a perennial favourite of ours with breathtaking scenery encompassing the twin lakes Llyn Geirionydd and Llyn Crafnant, beautiful hills and valleys, and the Taliesin Monument that commemorates the famous 6th century Welsh bard who lived on the shores of Llyn Geirionydd.

Photo of Llyn Crafnant from Library of Congress
Llyn Crafnant and the lower slopes of the Carneddau, ca. 1890-1900
    
The picturesque Cwm Eigiau (valley) nestled in the Carneddau

For a spot of solitude, take a short drive up the hills to Llyn Eigiau and enjoy the often neglected wilderness of the Carneddau from the east. Here you will find numerous trails from gentle strolls in the surrounding hills and valleys to challenging walks covering Carnedd Llywelyn, Carnedd Dafydd and Foel Grach. The Cwm Eigiau Horseshoe is recognised as one of the finest walks in this picturesque area. For more information, take a look at the Walking Britain route and this detailed photo blog.

Llanrhychwyn Church

Photo of Llanrhychwyn Church taken by Terry Hughes
Reputed to be the oldest church in Wales, Llanrhychwyn Church is a gentle drive up the hills above Trefriw and reachable on foot even if a little strenuous in parts. It was built by Llywelyn the Great and dates back to the 11th century. Elevated on high pasture lands, it holds a commanding view of the Conwy valley below.


For further information:
Other interesting old churches in the vicinity:

Old postcards of Trefriw

Photos of Trefriw dating from 1900. This charming village has remained largely unchanged for more than 100 years.

W: http://www.postcardnostalgia.co.uk/trefriw.htm


Photo of Trefriw village from National Library of Wales
     The view of Trefriw village from Winifred's Rest, ca. 1890-1900


Outdoor Adventure

Being a mecca for walkers, the avid hillwalker is naturally spoilt for choice in the Snowdonia National Park. Here is a range of other pursuits for the outdoor enthusiast in our backyard.  

Cycle trails

You will find two highly popular mountain biking trails practically at our doorstep:
  • Marin Trail (25km, graded red/difficult) - down the road from Winifred's Rest
  • Penmachno Trail (22km, graded red/difficult) - just a short drive away
Other cycle trails in the neighbourhood:
Winifred's Rest is centrally located to explore other cycle trails further afield:

Watersports

The watersports enthusiast will find numerous access points for canoeing and kayaking in and around Trefriw thanks to its proximity to four rivers - Conwy, Llugwy, Lledr and Machno.
  • Llyn Geirionydd (lake, 45 acres) in the hills above Trefriw
  • Afon Conwy and Upper Conwy (river, 44 km) accessed from Dolgarrog, barely 2 miles away, and various points on the outskirts of Betws-y-Coed
  • Afon Llugwy (river, 14 km) from Betws-y-Coed to Capel Curig
  • Afon Lledr (river, 15 km) a short drive south on the A5
  • Other access points in the Conwy valley and the Clwyds
With easy access to the sea, a mere 20 min drive away, you have a further array of choices for watersports from sailing and sea fishing to power boating and sea kayaking.

Gwydyr Forest

Photo of Gwydyr Forest taken by Hogyn Lleol
The extensive Gwydyr Forest covers 72.5 square kilometres and stretches from Betws-y-Coed and Penmachno in the south to Trefriw and the lower slopes of the Carneddau in the north. This Site of Special Scientific Interest is dotted with historical mills, lead mines, abandoned tramways and over 10 lakes. It also encompasses upland oak woodland, large conifers and, of course, the popular Marin Trail.


For further information:
  • An informative photo blog of the Gwydyr forest by a Yorkshire man living in Wales.
  • Explore the forest and visit the numerous abandoned Gwydyr lead mines (pictured) in the forest. The UK Caving site notes that "entry is not recommended due to both the access situation and poor state of the mines". So please exercise caution when visiting these mines.

Tree Top Adventure

Tree Top Adventure is a high level adventurous journey through the trees that involves negotiating a series of obstacles. Participants are fitted with a harness and helmet and attached to a safety line.

Something for the family

Besides its outstanding natural beauty, a diverse range of outdoor pursuits and numerous sites of historical interest, this area is never short of relaxing and interesting places to visit with the family - from gardens, villages and mines to steam railways and World Heritage listed castles.

Gardens and Villages


  • Bodnant Garden -

    The world-renowed Bodnant Garden is one of the most beautiful gardens in the UK, covering some 80 acres and situated above the River Conwy. Marvel at plants from all over the world grown from seed and cuttings collected over a century ago on plant-hunting expeditions.
  • Portmeirion - Enjoy a relaxing day out at this popular village resort designed and built by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis between 1925 and 1975 in the style of an Italian village.
  • Beddgelert - Take a lazy stroll around this picture-perfect village or explore the wooded vales in the area.

Mines galore


  • Sygun Copper Mine - Just 2 km outside Beddgelert, this Victorian copper mine was closed in 1903 and was renovated and reopened as a tourist attraction in 1986. There are winding tunnels and large, colourful chambers, magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations and copper ore veins which contain traces of gold, silver and other precious metals.
  • Llechwedd Slate Caverns - This is a working slate mine that has been active since 1836. On the Miners' Tramway, visitors ride for 800 metres through tunnels and caverns on a train hauled by an electric locomotive. In the Deep Mine you will walk through winding tunnels and 10 cavern sequences led by the ghost of a Victorian miner (don't worry, he's pretty friendly).
  • Llanfair Slate Caverns - The slate in this mine, which is found in veins between layers of ancient Pre-Cambrian rocks, is among the oldest in the world. Many industrial towns in Britain and Ireland have the original roofs made of Llanfair slate.
  • Great Orme Mines - Uncovered only in 1987, the copper mines discovered below the ground represent one of the most astounding archaeological discoveries of recent time. Dating back 4,000 years to the Bronze Age they change our views about the ancient people of Britain.

Cable cars, Railways & an Aqueduct

  • Cable car and Tramway at the Great Orme - Both reward with spectacular views as you head towards the Great Orme summit just outside Llandudno.
  • Snowdon Mountain Railway - Britain's only narrow gauge rack and pinion railway, the Snowdon Mountain Railway (pictured) needs no introduction. It travels 4.7 miles from Llanberis to the summit of Snowdon.
  • Welsh Highland Railway - This 23 mile journey through the fabulous scenery of the Snowdonia National Park starts beside Caernarfon Castle, snaking around seemingly impossible bends, up hard gradients, around the foothills of Snowdon, descending to Beddgelert and the magnificent Aberglaslyn Pass before arriving in Porthmadog.
  • Ffestiniog Railway - Picks up from the Welsh Highland Railway at Porthmadog and journeys 14 miles through mountainous scenery to the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
  • Fairbourne Steam Railway - A 12 1/4 inch gauge miniature railway running for 2 miles from the village of Fairbourne along the beach to the end of a peninsula at Barmouth Ferry, where there is a connection with a pedestrian ferry across the Mawddach estuary to Barmouth.
  • Talyllyn Railway -
    This historic narrow-gauge steam railway (pictured) is set in the beautiful Mid-Wales countryside and runs from Tywyn to Abergynolwyn and Nant Gwernol. The 7 mile line passes the delightful Dolgoch Falls and there are excellent forest walks at Nant Gwernol.
  • Pontcysyllte Aqueduct - This engineering feat by Thomas Telford is the longest and highest cast-iron aqueduct in the world and rightfully a World Heritage Site. It forms a key part of the Llangollen Canal.

UNESCO World Heritage listed Castles

There are far too many castles in North Wales to list but here are some truly iconic ones nearby, all built by Edward I in the late 1200s. It is not hard to appreciate why they are collectively listed as a World Heritage Site.