With the blossoming of Victorian tourism in the 1840s, the beautiful Conwy Valley in North Wales, with its healthy climate and picturesque scenery, became immensely popular. The rediscovery and development of an ancient chalybeate mineral well led to the transformation of the quiet village of Trefriw into a major spa resort to which health-seeking visitors flocked, travelling on board a unique fleet of charming pleasure steamers, which quickly established themselves as an essential part of the Welsh tourist experience.
This absorbing book traces the colourful but largely forgotten chapter in British maritime and social history: the rise and fall of both the steamer trade on the River Conwy and of Trefriw as a fashionable spa.
