The Great Orme has been a hive of activity for thousands of years, both over ground and underground, writes Paul Mackenzie
Photography by John Cocks
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Seeing the Great Orme through the mist of an early spring morning makes it is easy to see how the headland came by its name. Believed to be derived from the Norse for 'sea serpent', the land lurches into the water and its softly undulating silhouette could easily be mistaken for the head and neck of a huge creature.And this is far from being a lifeless rocky outcrop. The land teems with tourists today but long before the first holiday-makers came, this was one of the busiest sites in North Wales.The Great Orme houses one of the biggest prehistoric mines in the world where more than 30,000 bone tools have been found in the mine shafts and where ancient man learned to turn malachite into copper.The mines are now a popular attraction for the hordes of visitors to Llandudno who ride the tram or take to the air in the cable cars to the crest of the headland.
