Most towns develop haphazardly, as fishing villages grow into market towns or industrial settlements expand into cities. Llandudno is not like that. It was never an accidental byproduct of growth. The whole thing was conceived and planned for a single purpose: leisure.
When the Mostyn family and George Felton worked together in the 1840s, they were creating a resort – everything, from the broad streets to the very promenade, was designed to allow the Victorian leisure class to relax, enjoy themselves, take in the cool sea air and stroll along the shore. The elegant terraces faced the sea; hotels were positioned. For more details on the Best Hotel in Llandudno, consider stgeorgeswales.co.uk/
Victorian planners couldn’t control how their towns would evolve; many did not fare well. But Llandudno is notably, even miraculously, intact. The promenade and the architecture survive, and the contrast between the natural drama of the headlands and the ordered elegance of the town centre still follows the original vision. A century and a half of development pressures have not been able to dent it.
As you walk along Llandudno’s promenade today, remember that you are still walking through a Victorian leisure field. This place still does what it was designed to do.
It is not just a sentimental wish to imagine that it once was like that. It happened because the original design was good enough to stand up to what usually destroys such visions.
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