written by David Atkinson
updated 18.01.2019
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written by David Atkinson
updated 18.01.2019
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. That means Mad Hatters and Cheshire Cats will be everywhere from London to Manchester this spring. But Alice's story finds its heartland in the villages of Cheshire, where the author was born, and in a seaside resort in North Wales, where he often visited and saw the real-life inspiration for Alice at play. Here, David Atkinson takes us through the looking glass with a guide to following the Alice trail across England and Wales.
You can also admire the carving of a grinning cat at St Wilfred’s Church in the Cheshire village of Grappenhall, which is believed to have inspired the original Cheshire Cat. The moggy has now inspired landlords around Cheshire to name their boozers after the smiling moggy; the Cheshire Cat pubs group owns a host of cosy pubs across the region for a post-exploration pint.
The Georgian property majors on quirky design with a Secret Garden bar out back, while the Grown Up bar upstairs is focused around a wicker model of boxing March Hares straight out of a Wonderland tea party. Retire to one of the in-house hotel rooms or apartments for Alice-inspired sweet dreams.
Carroll, who by this time was Lecturer in Mathematics at Oxford University, was a family friend and regularly visited them in Wales, delighting in the imaginary adventures young Alice would recount. Soon afterwards, he completed his manuscript for the story that would go on to be translated into 97 languages, inspiring the likes of James Joyce and T. S. Eliot.
You can pick up the White Rabbit Trail map from the Tourist Information Centre and follow the 55 bronze-cast rabbit footprints around town. It will take you from the promenade, via the Happy Valley to the West Shore, where the Liddells had their holiday home, Penmorfa, with carved wooden sculptures of Wonderland characters along the way.
The White Rabbit app, an interactive audio-visual town trail, follows an eight-year-old Alice through the streets of Llandudno, learning about the culture and heritage of the resort along the way. The sister app, Alice’s Looking Glass, follows an alternative trail from the traditional seaside attractions of the North Shore to the dramatic sweep of the lesser-visited West Shore, presenting stories, recounted by 3D characters, at key locations along the way.
The hotel, where Carroll often visited the Liddell family for tea, gives the full Welsh affair a Wonderland twist by serving traditional Welsh cakes and bara brith (fruity bread) on Alice-styled crockery. You can even replace the waiters with actors dressed as Wonderland characters for larger group bookings.
The hotel also keeps a fine collection of Alice memorabilia, including an Alice first edition published in 1866 and a book signed by Alice Hargreaves née Liddell in 1934.
Explore more with the Rough Guide to Britain. Compare flights, book hostels for your trip, and don’t forget to purchase travel insurance before you go.
written by David Atkinson
updated 18.01.2019
David Atkinson is a journalist and tourist guide based in Chester and North Wales. He writes widely for national publications, including the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail, and runs a travel blog devoted to his home region. David also leads tours of his patch and gives talks about the region. Follow him @atkinsondavid on Twitter.
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