Great Orme Tramway

Great Orme Tramway: The Last Cable Tram in Britain

The Great Orme Tramway in Llandudno has been running since 1902 and is the only remaining cable-hauled tramway still operating on public roads in Britain. It climbs 207 metres to the summit of the Great Orme headland in two sections, with a change of car at the halfway Halfway station. The whole journey takes around 20-25 minutes each way.

How it works

The tram is not self-propelled. It is pulled by a continuous underground cable, the same system used by San Francisco’s famous street cars. The lower section runs on the actual road through residential streets, which means the trams share space with cars and pedestrians at a leisurely pace. This section is genuinely charming and slightly absurd: a Victorian-era cable car threading through a Welsh seaside town. The upper section, from Halfway station to the summit, runs on a private right of way across open hillside and is the more scenic stretch.

Tickets (around GBP 10-12 return for adults, 2024 pricing) are bought at the Victoria Station terminus on Church Walks in Llandudno town centre. The service runs from late March through October; it does not run in winter. On clear days, the summit has views to Snowdonia, Anglesey, the Isle of Man, and occasionally to Ireland.

The summit

The Great Orme is a 679-acre Site of Special Scientific Interest with wild Kashmiri goats (around 200 of them, genuinely free-roaming and genuinely unintimidated by tourists), rare limestone flora, and the Great Orme Mines - Bronze Age copper mines that have been dated to around 4,000 years ago. The mines are the largest known prehistoric copper mines in the world. Entry costs around GBP 9 for adults and the underground tour takes 45-60 minutes. This is the most interesting thing on the headland; the interpretive exhibits are well done and the scale of Bronze Age mining in this location is surprising.

The Summit Complex at the top has a cafe and a small visitor centre. The cafe is functional rather than good - sandwiches, chips, hot drinks - but it is the only option up there and the views from the terrace are hard to complain about. A bowl of soup and a hot drink costs around GBP 10-12.

Llandudno itself

The town is a well-preserved Victorian seaside resort with a two-mile promenade between the Great Orme and Little Orme headlands. The main pier extends 700 metres into the sea and is one of the longest in Wales. The Llandudno Museum on Gloddaeth Street covers local history including the town’s Victorian development and the original Alice Liddell (the inspiration for Alice in Wonderland) who holidayed here.

For eating in town, The Seahorse on Church Walks does reliable fish and chips (around GBP 15-18 for a full portion). The Badgers Tea Room on Mostyn Street has been doing cream teas since 1922 and is worth a stop if you arrive in the afternoon.

Staying in Llandudno

The Imperial Hotel on the promenade is the Victorian grande dame - rooms from around GBP 100-160 per night, excellent sea-facing rooms on the upper floors, a slightly faded formal dining room that still does Sunday roast. Escape B&B on Church Walks is the small boutique alternative at similar prices, with more individual rooms and a short walk to the tram terminus.

The tramway runs until about 17:30 in high season. Do not leave the summit too late if you plan to descend by tram rather than walking; the last car down fills quickly.