Colwyn Bay is a relatively recent town, developing rapidly in the late 19th and early 20th century. Until the mid 20th century it was an important holiday destination. Before the late 19th century the land was fields and woods, with a few farms and cottages, and was owned by the Pwllycrochan Estate.
The development of the town was linked to the sale of the estate in 1865. In 1875 aware of the benefits of easy rail access from the urban areas of North West England, and the possibilities of developing a new fashionable resort the Pwllycrochan Estate Company sold off the land as building plots. They controlled what was built on the plots, the former estate parkland being earmarked for the finest villas. By 1901 the town’s population had grown to 8,689.
