Rest and Be Thankful café, Great Orme
Refreshments have been served here, near the western tip of the Great Orme, since the Marine Drive was constructed in 1878.
Cust’s Path, pictured right, was constructed from 1856 to 1858 on the instructions of Reginald Cust. He was a trustee of the Mostyn family estates, the main landowner in Llandudno. The path encircled the Great Orme and was very popular with Victorian visitors to Llandudno, especially to view the wonderful sunsets over Anglesey.
The path was replaced in 1878 by the Marine Drive, a 9km route which was engineered through some difficult terrain to enable carriages to make the tour around the Great Orme.
When it opened, a John Hughes was granted a lease on the site of the Rest and Be Thankful for a refreshment facility. It remained basically just a shed with no water, drainage or electricity - see the photo below right. It was eventually replaced by the present café in 1962.
With thanks to John Lawson-Reay, of Llandudno & Colwyn Bay History Society
Postcode: LL30 2XD
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