A bit of Great Orme insanity (which gives a taste of the terrain):
This mountain appearing, at a distance, like a rock in the sea, is a peninsular, nearly circular, about four miles in circumference[..]
.. [the precipice] is some hundred yards above the [sea], and in many places is almost perpendicular, against which the sea is always beating, making a hideous noise, so that it is really shocking to be near the declivity [..]
We left our horses at one of the cottages under the mount, and ascended the hill on foot, which is about a mile to the top; to have rode up was impracticable. We marched on, sometimes over barren rocks, and rubbish out of the copper mines, which lies there in great plenty [..]
By this time we were got very near the summit, which was very steep, but covered with the same green turf [very lush, and which supports the 'sweetest mutton in Wales'] [..] Being arrived at the top of the hill or highest point of the Peninsula, we sat down to refresh ourselves, being a little fatigued with clambering up. We had rum and fruit in our pockets [..]
It remained to know the most expeditious way to descend, which was this-- we lay flat on our backs, and slided down at a great rate; the natives have a more expeditious way than this. When they have a mind to descend a mountain with speed, they fix their backs upon a flat kind of stone, holding the forepart fast with both the hands, betwixt the legs; then giving a spring, away they go, at the rate of a mile in a minute or more, according as the descent is. This is called "riding the stone-horse."
p74 in 'Notes of Family Excursions in North Wales', by J. O. Halliwell, 1860. Online at Google Books
I've not yet visited the Great Orme, but according to Gwynedd Archaeological Trust records there's a prehistoric hut circle north of Pyllau Road (SH77258305). I've no idea what kind of access there is to the site, or how much evidence remains on the ground.
There are two other possible hut circles to the south east (one at SH77498300 and the other at SH77358321). One of these looks like it has a public footpath running past it.
In June of 69, Britans longest cable car was opened, ferrying 1000 people an hour from happy valley to the top of the Great Orme. My family came to Llandudno every summer when I was small and a few times we went on the cable car, from this perfect vantage point I always gazed round the natural beauty of this large natural amphiteatre, the dark and mysterious cave below only visible for a few seconds as you sail by just added to the splendour of the Orme, one day I told myself i'll have a look round that place.
After a couple of goes on the toboggan run I managed to drag the kids off the beach day track, and off into the bushes we went, with only the cable above to point the way.
This is a big cave, a square mouth with a long square chamber, immediatly to the right is a tiny opening six feet up the wall, one could crawl through to what looks like a bigger chamber, but with no torch and noway in hell were my kids going in there, we didn't go further.
To the left of the cave mouth is the other part of the cave with a higher floor and three openings of its own.
Coflein states there are two caves, Kendricks upper and lower, the uppers entrance being 6metres above the lowers, weather these two caves are now one I do not know but I could see no other cave, not even from the cable car. But there is an area on top of the lower cave that you cant see from the ground so maybe its there, if it is its got to be harder to get to than its buddy below.
The donkeys are still there, and so are the dogs, Huskies by the look of them but they were mercifully quiet. The place does look like its all going to fall apart at any minute, I don't know if the big stoney mound that the chamber partly sits on and in is part of the chambers mound or if it's just a natural outcrop.
Standing on the mound with the mines just a hundred yards away and the chamber right behind you is it obvious to assume the occupant/s of the Greyhounds lair were big cheeses at the mine, what did they do? what was there role in the mine ?
Went on holiday to Llandudno dozens of times as a child, now were planning a return in the summer, what goes around comes around.
Absolutely incredible !!!
This is one of those places that should be more famous than it is, as well known as "that place in Wiltshire" or Avebury or anywhere, I think the only reason is, its not easily accessable, its on a mountain, in Llandudno, from the welsh capital its as far away as possible and still be in the same country.
The four of us had the entire subterranian mine to ourselves, hard hats donned, we made our way through sometimes thin low tunnels, we peered down tiny shafts that lead only into darkness.
Malachite still lingers in places and when you go down to level two you begin to appreciate just how big this place might be, some of the miners were only 5-7 years old, shocking isnt it, untill I think, how my kids want to go everywhere I do and do everything I do, these underage miners may have liked working with their parents. Sometimes the tiny tunnels look like its only just been abandoned. The tunnels go down nine levels and god knows how far they go, perhaps the descedants of the bronze age miners are still down there tunneling away, Morlock like.
Upon exiting the self guided tour we find ourselves just five yards away from the entrance, funny how when your underground theres no way to know exactly where you are.
The bridge over the entire place is great. There is a small mine entrance that can no longer be explored due to stalagmites and stalagtites, then when you think you can't be any more bowled over you find out that 90% of the mines are still to be uncovered.
What an incredible place.