Heaven on Earth

Mark Sutcliffe visits a 13th century castle and an iconic aqueduct on this picturesque walk from Lady Margaret’s Park Club Campsite

This beautiful walk climbs through parkland to the magnificent hilltop edifice of Chirk Castle before following a section of the historic Offa’s Dyke Path to meet the Llangollen Canal.

Stretching 46 miles – from Horseshoe Falls at Llantysilio to Hurleston Junction on the Shropshire Union Canal – the Llangollen Canal is one of Britain’s prettiest waterways. It’s rare to find rich industrial and natural history in such close proximity, yet the deep valleys of the English-Welsh borderlands are enhanced by the man-made structures like the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct which straddle them.

Designed by Thomas Telford, Pontcysyllte literally means ‘the bridge that connects’ – and it’s just one of a cluster of complex engineering triumphs which enabled the free passage of goods and people across the border. This marvellous structure spans the River Dee, linking the towns of Trefor and Froncysyllte via a cast iron trough suspended 126m above the valley floor on a series of 18 masonry pillars.

Less than a mile upstream lies the Chirk Aqueduct – another ingenious example of Victorian engineering.

Former Prime Minister David Lloyd George described the scenery around Chirk as “a little bit of heaven on Earth”. Discover the rolling scenery of the Welsh Marches for yourself while navigating more than a millennium of rich history on this rewarding six-mile walk.

Download this route and others to your smartphone or GPS device from the Club’s OutdoorActive page at: out.ac/IPp3bt

Directions

1. Turn right from the main gate of Lady Margaret’s Park Club Campsite, continue along the driveway to a junction in front of the gates and go straight on for 100m to take a footpath on the left signposted to the castle. Follow a grassy path between giant oak trees across the parkland.

2. 1.1km – Continue through the gate at the corner of the copse, following a fenced grassy track uphill through another gate, then following the field boundary and – as the castle comes into view – veering slightly right to a gate.

3. 1.8km – Continue through the gate and go straight along an asphalt drive, then turn right at the visitor centre and follow a footpath between woodland and the car park, through two gates and back into the parkland on another grassy track.

4. 2.2km – Climb steadily towards the cottage and go through a gate then right onto a lane, following a section of the Offa’s Dyke Path. Where the road heads right, take a footpath on the left and continue over fields to rejoin a road, heading left past a farm.

5. 3.9km – Keep right at a fork, descending through woodland, and go straight on at a junction. Follow the track opposite, heading downhill past some houses, then turn left followed by right to pass under a bridge. Head right again and up the steps beside some stables onto the canal towpath.

6. 5.4km – Head left along the towpath and skip to point 8 to follow the canal back to St Margaret’s Park. Alternatively, turn right and continue along the canal towards the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

7. 5.5km – Follow the towpath as the canal curves to the right onto the aqueduct. You can walk single file over the aqueduct but do so with care as the towpath is extremely narrow and high. Retrace your steps to point 6, staying on the same side of the canal (the far bank to the town of Froncysyllte).

8. 5.6km – After half a mile, where the canal curves right, follow the towpath under the bridge and continue south through the Whitehouse Tunnel. The towpath has railings here, but it’s narrow and headroom is restricted. It’s also a good idea to bring a torch.

9. 7.1km – Continue south on the towpath, now running parallel to the railway and passing Chirk Marina. Pass a factory and go through the woods to a bridge on the edge of Chirk. Veer left on a path up to the bridge, then right to cross to the far side and continue along a lane back to the Club campsite.

About the route

• Start/finish: Lady Margaret’s Park Club Campsite, Chirk, Wrexham LL14 5AA.
• Distance: 10km/6.3 miles.
• Time: 3 hours (allow an extra hour to complete the extension to Pontcysyllte).
• Level: Suitable for occasional walkers with a good level of fitness.
• Terrain: Country lanes, footpaths and tracks – most of which are well surfaced. The occasional grassy path and a canal towpath which is narrow in places.
• Landscape: Parkland and pastureland with some moderate climbs and steps.
• Refreshments: Chirk Castle and Sian’s Café in the Garden, Froncysyllte.

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The Caravan and Motorhome Club make no warranties concerning the accuracy or completeness of the routes published, which to the best of our knowledge were correct at the time of publication. Your use of the routes is at your own risk and we accept no responsibility for the suitability or safety of any routes published. Routes may be out of date or affected by changes to the physical environment and, to the extent permitted by law, we accept no responsibility for personal injury or property damage caused by your use of the routes.