Corwen Dee Valley
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DISCOVER CORWEN AND THE DEE VALLEY EXPLORE THE BEAUTY, HISTORY AND WILDLIFE OF CORWEN AND THE RAILWAY STATIONS IN THE DEE VALLEY WALKS LLANGOLLEN CANAL RIVER DEE RAILWAY EXPLORE CORWEN’S A5 COUNTRYSIDE B4401 Corwen shelters Delving into the history of Corwen finds tales of Owain Glyndŵr, a medieval beneath the crags of church of All Saints at Llangar, an Iron BERWYN the Berwyn Mountains, Age hillfort and a Christian community first documented in 1222. where the wide valley of the River Dee meets The town of Corwen has its origins in CORWEN CARROG GLYNDYFRDWY LLANGOLLEN Roman times, which were then built on the Vale of Edeyrnion by the founding of an early Christian before winding its way community here. The town was an important stop for drovers, and later for CYNWYD eastwards towards travellers on the coach road to Holyhead Llangollen. From oak (now the A5). It served the local farming community as a thriving market town and woodlands to old was made even busier by the arrival of the railways and historic railway in 1865. Today it remains a thriving PEN Y PIGYN 2 remains, Corwen has local community nestled in spectacular scenery with fantastic opportunities for COUNTRYSIDE CODE something for everyone. enjoying the local countryside. DÔL AFON 4 • Be safe – plan ahead and follow any signs GRO ISA 4 • Leave gates and property as CAER DREWYN 6 you find them • Protect plants and animals - CORWEN / CYNWYD 8 For Further information contact Clwydian take you litter home This leaflet has GLYNDYFRDWY 10 Range and Dee Valley AONB 01352 810614 • Keep dogs under close control been designed to email: [email protected] CARROG 12 help you see some www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk • Consider other people www.denbighshirecountryside.org.uk of the fascinating BERWYN 14 history and wildlife For more walks in this area please visit of Corwen and the www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/walking KEY Walk route Parking Dee Valley. For cycling routes visit ridenorthwales.co.uk Church with tower Gate Public footpath Toilets Church Stile Permissive path Play area Although every effort has been made For information on where to stay and to make this booklet as accurate as possible, neither the authors nor things to do visit Viewpoint Kissing gate Quarry Camping publishers accept any responsibility for www.northeastwales.co.uk | www.corwen.org resulting consequences. www.discoverdenbighshire.co.uk Monument Picnic area Railway Train station e n a PEN Y PIGYN een L Gr s a L The Church, dedicated to St Mael and St n Pen y Pigyn is the Cerflun ô Sulien, is steeped in history, and although L steep-sided hill CORWEN Owain it has been considerably reconstructed, Glyndŵr that Corwen nestles there are many fittings from the early Statue medieval period. Look in the graveyard beneath. There are for the unusual “kneeling” stones at the A5 footpaths leading to it foot of several graves and the epitaph of Llyfrgell an engine driver. You might also find the Library behind the Workhouse dagger mark in the stone lintel above the building and behind south doorway; legend says this was made by a dagger thrown by the Welsh hero the church. Owain Glyndŵr from Pen y Pigyn Wyrcws The paths wind up through oak and Workhouse birch woodland past the Gorsedd stone circle, constructed in 1919 for the opening ceremony of the National Eisteddfod. Chwarel Close to the Gorsedd circle is the “Dagger Cerrig camu Quarry Trail” – an easy 1/4 mile loop that leads Stepping past interesting sculptures to picnic sites. stones Red squirrels are known to be living in Pen y Pigyn Cynwyd Forest, a couple of miles away, but Gorsedd unfortunately are very rarely seen. Stone Circle Parking: 100m Main car park in Corwen Town. Head to the old workhouse or the church to begin the walk. Length: 2 mile linear or circular walk Follow the main path up the steps by the stone wall and you will reach Time: the monument and stunning views across the beautiful landscape. 1 – 2 hours The monument was built in 1863 to commemorate the marriage of the then Prince of Wales, later Edward VII, and restored in 1911 for the Nearest Facilities: investiture of his grandson (later Edward VIII). It was restored again in Town Centre 2014 in readiness for the return of the railway service to Corwen. 2 3 e e D r e iv R Gro Isa y The old refuse tip for Corwen is w d located part way along the path fr RIVERSIDE WALKS y behind the sports fields, and you may D There are 2 easy ways to enjoy the river from Corwen town: n spot pieces of pottery and interesting fo A old bottles beside it. The name refers to the gravel river bed, Part of the boundary of Gro Isa is which is present on this section of the made up of large upright slate slabs – GRO ISA River Dee. The banks of the river are a method peculiar to the Corwen area edged with willow and reeds and the and in particular the Rhug Estate. shallow waters are an excellent place for river dipping. Please keep away from the Gro Isa is a grassland fast, deep water though, and ensure all animals are returned to their habitats. e area which provides n a 100m L A short walk down Green Lane (the n a haven for birds, e e junction near the Owain Glyndwr statue) r G butterflies and small leads to the playground. Look out for the as Lôn L mammals. fingerpost pointing the way to Gro Isa. CORWEN Length: A5 Cerflun 1 mile there and back Owain Llyfrgell Glyndŵr Library Time: Statue 40 minutes The River Dee is renowned for salmon, brown trout and lamprey. It is also said to be one of the best rivers in Britain for grayling which are a sure Follow the path alongside the platform at sign of clean water. The waters edge provides a home for otter and water Corwen East to the short tunnel beneath vole, and birds such as dipper, heron and goosander are commonly seen. DÔL AFON the railway. The meadow by the river is full of wildflowers and insects. It is an excellent place to watch the river go by, enjoy the passing trains, and watch out 100m for wildlife. rdwy Rive Afon Dyf r Dee Length: Dôl Afon 1 mile there and back CORWEN Time: n Road A5 Heol Llundain Londo 4 40 minutes 5 CAER DREWYN 100m A walk up to Caer Follow the Hillfort symbol for a 2 mile circular walk and audio trail, taking in Drewyn hillfort Caer Drewyn and Corwen Cutting. provides a chance to The walk begins on Corwen cutting, expore this fascinating which was once the railway line between N Corwen and Ruthin. a Iron Age site and offers n C t lo Caer Drewyn hillfort was built sometime C d F d a fantastic views across o i rw ad w between 600 BC and 43 AD, but unlike e C the countryside. n o r C r Caer other hillforts in the area, it doesn’t have u w earthen banks and ditches but a large tt e in n Drewyn dry stone wall. Inside the ramparts there Maesafallen g are remains of the stone foundations of some of the round houses. Stories say a beautiful woman, the sweetheart of the giant, Drewyn, milked her cows here. Caer Drewyn is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. It is protected as being an important archaeological site in Wales. Canolfan Hamdden Leisure Centre B5437 Parking: CORWEN Leisure Centre off B5437 (alternative parking in the town centre) Length: The site has not been excavated and there The stones are covered in are still many questions about its history: - places with very rare lichens 2 mile circular which have developed Why are there some mysterious circular over 2000 years on the Time: ‘holes’ in some of the walls? rocky habitat of the walls. 1 - 2 hours Where did the stones come from? It is a good place to see yellow hammers, and large Nearest Facilities: There are no large quarries in the area numbers of ravens gather and no sign of a ditch yet tons and tons of here in autumn. Their aerial Leisure Centre stones have been used! acrobatics are a joy to watch. 6 7 A5 CORWEN CORWEN 200m CYNWYD RAILWAY LINE AND LLANGAR CHURCH This old railway line Walk west along the A5 to the Cynwyd turning. Follow the North Berwyn Way or once carried trains Brenig Way signs and please keep to the line from Corwen to of the path through the private gardens. Barmouth, but now LLANGAR CHURCH River Dee provides a lovely walk wy Eglwys Llangar Half way between Corwen and Cynwyd, you frd through woodlands Dy Llangar Church pass the fascinating Llangar Church, now fon and grasslands. The owned by Cadw, which is well worth a visit. A nearby River Dee According to documents of 1730, the original is home to otters, name of the church was Llan-Garw-Gwyn, church of the white deer. The story says that kingfishers and a white deer, disturbed from the site of the church, ran off and its path established the sandpipers, with 1 boundaries of the parish. 0 cormorant, goosander 4 The earliest mention of the church is in 4 and heron being B 1291. It has been beautifully restored and frequent visitors. includes amazing wall paintings from the 14th Century. The church is open Parking: 12.30 – 2.30 Town Centre car parks Monday to Friday, April – September.