Site of the Eigiau Dam Breach 1925

On 2 August 1925, the Eigiau Dam gave way in the Conwy Valley, releasing a wall of water that tore through the landscape below. Today, the breach site remains a sobering reminder of one of Wales' worst industrial disasters - over 16 people lost their lives when that dam failed, and the scar it left is still visible in the hillside near Penmaenmawr.

There's not much to see in the conventional sense. No visitor centre, no interpretive boards, no gift shop. What you get instead is the actual landscape where it happened - the broken dam structure itself and the valley floor that bore the force of millions of gallons. It's the kind of place that rewards a bit of reading beforehand. Knowing what occurred transforms a walk through rough moorland into something with real weight to it.

This is for history types and walkers willing to do their homework. Casual visitors passing through Penmaenmawr will find it underwhelming. But if you're interested in industrial heritage, engineering failure, or Welsh disaster history, it's absolutely worth the detour. The walk itself is straightforward enough - moorland terrain, exposed in places, so check the weather.

Basecamp yourself at one of the caravan parks nearby - Maenan Abbey or Erw Glas are both within 4 miles - and work the Eigiau breach into a broader exploration of the Conwy Valley's industrial past. Allow a couple of hours including the walk. Go when the weather's clear; low cloud makes it harder to appreciate the geography of what happened.