Great Orme’s Head

Also known as:
Creigiau Cochion
Nearest town:
Llandudno (2km E)
OS reference:
SH75618357
OS sheet:
115
Latitude:
53° 20' 2.55 N
Longitude:
3° 52' 5.66 W
Added to TMA by

Images

Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Towards Deganwy and Conwy, the beautiful Conwy valley stretching away beyond.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.4.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 10, 2018
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking towards the Carneddau and Penmaenmawr. The views make this a first rate cairn to visit, even on a dull day.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.4.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 10, 2018
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Showing traces of kerb. With the highest point of the Great Orme behind.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.4.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 10, 2018
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking westwards towards Ynys Mon and Ynys Seirol (Puffin Island).

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.4.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 10, 2018
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The cairn is on a relative high-point, ensuring it has long views in all directions.

Image credit: A. Brookes (23.4.2018)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Jun 10, 2018
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by postman

On the NE an arc of small limestone boulders appears to be the remains of a kerb, Snowdonian mountains abound in the distance.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jun 19, 2016
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by postman

Looking back up to the trig point, carpark, shop, chair lift and tram station. Busy place is Clandidno.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jun 19, 2016
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by postman

Looking west to Puffin Island, Angelsey and the Straits.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jun 19, 2016
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by postman

Castell Caer Seion upon Conwy mountain is across the water above the cairn.

Image credit: Chris Bickerton
postman
postman Jun 19, 2016
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The cairn in its headland setting. Afon Conwy beyond. What appears to be a kerb can be seen on the left.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (20.8.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 22, 2011
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

There is an extensive spread of cairn material under the more recent mound.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (20.8.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 22, 2011
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking towards Penmaenmawr and prehistoric-rich Tal y Fan area.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (20.8.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 22, 2011
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

The silver ribbon of Afon Conwy behind. The outer edge of the scoop can be seen on the left of the picture.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (20.8.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 22, 2011
Image of Great Orme’s Head (Cairn(s)) by thesweetcheat

Looking towards Tal y Fan (the flat-topped summit) and the northern Carneddau. Next to the cairn is a big scoop, leaving an outer ring of stone.

Image credit: A. Brookes/Bloss (20.8.2011)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 22, 2011

Articles

Great Orme’s Head

postman
postman Jun 19, 2016

What a thoroughly and absolutely beautiful place.

Llandudno is, as you can guess quite a large town mainly because of the tourist trade, but it hasn’t suffered like Rhyl or Blackpool, it’s still a very nice place. But if even if the nicest town in Wales is too much town for you then the Great Ormes head cairn is as far away from the town as possible whilst still being technically in Llandudno. You can walk, drive, tram or fly through the air with the greatest of ease to within about half a mile from this wonderfully situated cairn.
It was so nice that when we were there a couple were doing Tai Chi, or perhaps it was the modern Klingon equivalent either way they looked a bit daft, but not as daft as thirty of them at a retreat on the edge of town.
No? I guess you had to be there.

The cairn can be found at a ninety degree turn of the wall right by the footpath, the mound is twice as large than the spread of stone upon it, I may have spotted the arc of kerb stones, it might not be though. I wondered what the large scoop was next to the cairn, it’s not in the cairn, it’s next to it, material taken for the cairn possibly, if the cairn was supposed to be viewed from across the estuary around Tal y Fan where there were many things going on in the Bronze age, then the little quarry would be hidden behind the cairn. I dunno i’m just ruminating, perhaps its the grave of the guy who had the stone rows built. Who knows.
Back to that amazing view, north is the open sea, left is Puffin Island and Angelsey, the Straits, then a lot of mountains, which then sink into the river Conway where nestles one of the best castles in Britain. It was so nice that one could go for a bit of Mok’bara.

Miscellaneous

Great Orme’s Head
Cairn(s)
thesweetcheat
thesweetcheat Aug 21, 2011

Coflein description:

A stony mound 8.5m in diameter and 0.5m high, 1.4m high including the more modern pile on top of it.
On the NE an arc of small limestone boulders appears to be the remains of a kerb, while on the W boulders half buried beneath the modern cairn may have formed part of an inner ring.

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