Llandudno Junction railway station (NPRN 87077), 'on the Chester and Holyhead Railway, where the Llandudno Branch and the Blaenau Ffestiniog Branch cross,' was opened in 1858. The town now known as Llandudno Junction subsequently developed rapidly around this railway station, as can be seen in the 1st to 4th editions of the 25inch OS maps. As the town expands it absorbed the smaller settlement of Tywyn to the north west.
The first edition of the 25inch OS maps, published in 1889, shows Tywyn and Llandudno Junction as two small, clearly distinct settlements. Tywyn consisted of a few rows of cottages, Peniel Welsh Calvinistic Methodist (NPRN 7035) and two public houses - the Farmers Arms and Castle View. About a mile to the south east was Llandudno Junction railway station. The settlement itself has not been named, presumably because the area around the railway station is mainly characterised by dispersed farms and houses. However, the map already shows signs of development. A little to the west of the station are two hotels - the Junction Hotel and Ferry Farm Hotel. To the east there was a brick works.
Significantly more dwellings were depicted around Llandudno Junction on the 2nd edition of the 25inch OS maps, published in 1900. The village is also labelled as 'Llandudno Junction' for the first time. There were workers terraced houses built near the brickworks and three chapels were opened for worship - a Presbyterian church built in 1900 (NPRN 6788), an Independent chapel built in 1891 (NPRN 97144) and Preswylfa Wesleyan Methodist chapel, built in 1890 (NPRN 6992). Another, larger, brickworks had been built on the opposite side of the railway tracks. A little to the east of the main settlement there were a row of cottages known as Pen-Sarn cottages, which was served by a school and Pen Sarn Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel (NPRN 6991).
The third edition of the 25inch maps was published in 1913. It shows that Tywyn had retained its two public houses, and had gained another chapel - Bethel Wesleyan Methodist church (NPRN 7037). At Llandudno Junction, Ferry Farm Hotel was no longer recorded, but the Junction Hotel remained. The smaller brickworks was not recorded on the third edition map either, but yet more houses had been built in the area and the larger brickworks on the southern side of the railway track remained. There were also more amenities - the Station Hotel, a school and two more chapels - the Calvinistic Methodists' Caersalem (NPRN 7034) and the Welsh Independents' Memorial Church (NPRN 7032). Nearby, next to Pen-sarn Cottages, the Holy Trinity Church had been built although by the time the fourth edition of the 25inch maps was published in 1937, the Church had been labelled as a 'church room.'
The fourth edition of the 25inch OS maps depicts Llandudno as a well-developed town with several residential streets. Tywyn had expanded to the south east and Llandudno Junction to the north west, making the two settlements almost indistinguishable. On the site of the old Ferry Farm Hotel an omnibus depot and laundry had been built. On the northern edge of the town was a recreation ground and a church dedicated to St. Michael and All Angels (NPRN 420459), which was built in 1929-30. A memorial hall to remember those who had fallen in the First World War was also recorded on the map (NPRN 418871).
On modern editions of the OS map, the large brickworks on the southern side of the tracks is now an industrial estate, a caravan park and a leisure centre. The Station Hotel has been renamed 'the Old Station Hotel' but remains open. Six of the places of worship appear to have remained - St. Michael's church; Pen Sarn Calvinistic Methodist chapel; Preswylfa Wesleyan Methodist church; Horeb Baptist chapel; Caersalem Welsh Calvinistic Methodist chapel and the English Presbyterian church. These have been joined by a Catholic Church (NPRN 421660). Llandudno Junction also has two schools, a post office, a cinema, playing fields and a sports ground as well as numerous shops and eateries.
Sources: modern and historic OS maps; Google maps
M. Ryder, RCAHMW, 11th February 2019