Fairy Falls

Circular Walk with some uphill

0.5 miles / 25 minutes

From the car park in the centre of the village, cross the main road in front of the Woollen Mill and turn right. At the end of the row of shops - opposite the Fairy Falls Hotel - turn left and walk up the hill. After a few yards, turn left onto the waymarked Trail 4 that will take you to the Falls. From the Falls, climb up to the footbridge for a different view, then descend by road or re-trace your steps back to the centre of the village.

The Trefriw Fairy Falls were named by the Victorians who were fascinated with fairies and identified many enchanting locations as home to these diminutive, mythical creatures. 

But whether you believe in fairies or not, this is a magical spot.

The falls running through the heart of the village were formed during the last ice age some 20,000 years ago when the main Conwy Valley was gouged out into it’s current U-shape by a glacier. As the glacier moved down the valley towards the sea at Conwy, it cut off the bottom of the tributary valley leaving the River Crafnant to cascade down over the falls that you see today.

In summer, the falls are often reduced to a trickle as water is diverted to create electricity in the woollen mill below.

In winter, it is often a different scene with torrents of water pounding down and slowly eroding the rocks at the bottom of the falls to form deep plunge pools.