Sunken palace nicknamed the ‘underground cathedral’ to open by UK seaside city
Llandudno’s long-forgotten Victorian reservoir, compared to an ‘underground cathedral’, has been hidden beneath the Great Orme for years – but now there are plans to open the site to the public
The astonishing underground reservoir has remained inaccessible and forgotten for decades(Image: Handout)
For more than a century visitors have remained clueless of what lurks beneath their feet at one of Britain’s most celebrated coastal destinations. Concealed under Llandudno’s Great Orme, Wales, lies a submerged reservoir.
This is no ordinary water store or subterranean lake. The imposing brick pillars soar from the depths supporting vaulted ceilings – all hidden below ground and so magnificent it has been likened to “an underground cathedral”.
Fach reservoir was constructed during the 1800s and officially opened by the Prince of Wales on June 17, 1880. It formed part of an ambitious scheme to tackle the water shortages that had persistently troubled the growing seaside destination in north Wales.
Fach underground reservoir beneath Happy Valley on the Great Orm(Image: Handout)
During operation, the reservoir reached 12ft in depth when at capacity and could hold 936,000 gallons. To integrate the structure into its landscaped environment, brick arches and a covering were installed in 1914, forming a concealed, cavernous chamber.
However in time, “this vast hidden chamber” became redundant and was subsequently emptied and largely abandoned. Its grassy covering eventually became a putting green while the reservoir beneath remained mostly unreachable for decades, reports the Express.
Entry was via a manhole, requiring ladders to descend. It has drawn comparisons to Istanbul’s magnificent Basilica Cistern. Dubbed the “Sunken Palace” it represents the largest among hundreds of ancient water stores beneath the sprawling Turkish metropolis.
Similar to the Welsh counterpart, it also features towering pillars and brick-constructed arched ceilings. Llandudno’s subterranean reservoir could soon be opened to the public once again, this time as a new tourist attraction named Llandudno Vaults.
The UK site has been compared to the chamber of the historic Basilica Cistern ‘Sunken Palace’ in Istanbul(Image: Getty)
The proposed year-round visitor hotspot aims to blend Victorian engineering, immersive storytelling and Welsh mythology. A fresh entrance would be established in an area currently known as Happy Valley.
While there have been ongoing discussions and speculation about the largely forgotten site becoming a tourist draw, the plans have made significant progress after securing a £20,000 grant. However, considerably larger amounts will be needed to bring the plans to fruition.
Andy White, managing director of Llandudno Vaults, stated: “For more than a century, thousands of people have walked across Happy Valley without realising what’s beneath their feet. The reservoir is one of north Wales’ hidden engineering treasures, and our ambition is to reveal it in a way that respects its history while creating a completely new visitor experience.”
The team anticipates submitting a planning application later this year and has begun liaising with local businesses, organisations and community stakeholders as the proposals continue to evolve.
The Great Orme is a large, beautiful headland alongside the town of Llandudno(Image: Getty)
Conwy county councillor Sharon Doleman commented: “The Llandudno Vaults project presents an exciting opportunity to unlock a hidden part of the town’s heritage and create a truly unique visitor experience.
“By combining Victorian history and engineering with Welsh culture, mythology and storytelling, it has the potential to become a distinctive year-round attraction that complements Llandudno’s existing tourism offer. The project could help attract more visitors, support the local economy, and showcase both the town’s rich heritage and the unique cultural stories that make North Wales so special.”
The Llandudno Vaults website states: “Beneath the Great Orme in Llandudno lies Y Fach, a long-forgotten Victorian reservoir built from red brick arches with vaulting so grand it feels like an underground cathedral. For decades this vast hidden chamber has been locked away, its potential unseen. The Llandudno Vaults project seeks to transform this unusual space into a landmark immersive arts venue, where Welsh myths and creatures are brought vividly to life through storytelling, music, and interactive technology.
The astonishing underground reservoir has remained inaccessible and forgotten for decades(Image: Handout)
“At its heart, the Vaults is about reimagining an extraordinary piece of local heritage as a stage for culture and imagination. Visitors will descend into an atmospheric world where water, echoing acoustics, and Victorian engineering merge with projection, sound, and performance. Here, audiences won’t simply be told stories – they will become part of them.”
The story of the underground reservoir traces back to St Tudno, the sixth century patron saint of the coastal resort, who dwelt as a hermit and relied on spring water for survival. For generations, spring waters from the reservoir sustained the region’s miners and agricultural workers.
The town’s swift growth during the 19th century, fuelled by Victorian tourism, stretched resources to breaking point, especially water supplies. During the latter half of the 19th century, authorities launched an ambitious project to provide a “magnificent water supply” to Llandudno.
Llandudno is one of the UK’s great seaside resorts, which exploded in popularity in the 19th century(Image: Getty)
Examining the water, Professor Frankland declared in 1880: “It is a most excellent water for dietetic and all domestic purposes. It is wholesome and palatable and contains only a very small amount of vegetable organic matter. It is exceedingly soft and therefore well adapted for washing.”
Surface reservoirs were constructed, including Y Fach, which was formally inaugurated by the Prince of Wales on June 17, 1880. For over three decades it remained an unremarkable installation but started to appear incongruous in an area undergoing constant development.
In 1914, blueprints were prepared for a roof supported by the brick arches and the reservoir was discretely concealed from sight and gradually faded from memory.
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