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Home , Berwyn range, Carrog, Corwen, Denbighshire, Llangar, Llangollen

DISCOVER AND THE DEE VALLEY

EXPLORE THE BEAUTY, HISTORY AND WILDLIFE OF CORWEN AND THE RAILWAY STATIONS IN THE DEE VALLEY resulting consequences. publishers accept any responsibility for as possible, neither theauthorsnor to make thisbookletas accurate Although every effort hasbeenmade Dee Valley. of Corwen andthe history and wildlife of thefascinating help you seesome been designedto This leaflethas something for everyone. COUNTRYSIDE of theRiver Deemeets the Berwyn Mountains, before windingitsway where thewidevalley the Vale ofEdeyrnion . From oak beneath thecrags of remains, Corwen has railways andhistoric EXPLORE CORWEN’S eastwards towards woodlands to old Corwen shelters www.discoverdenbighshire.co.uk For cycling routes visit www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk/walking For more walks inthisarea please visit www.denbighshirecountryside.org.uk www.clwydianrangeanddeevalleyaonb.org.uk Range andDeeValley AONB 01352 810614 For Furtherinformation contact Clwydian things to dovisit For information on where to stay and www.northeastwales.co.uk |www.corwen.org ridenorthwales.co.uk email: clwydianrangeaonb@.gov.uk enjoying thelocalcountryside. scenery withfantastic opportunitiesfor local nestled inspectacular railway in1865.Today itremains athriving was madeeven busierby thearrival ofthe community asathrivingmarket town and (now theA5).Itserved thelocalfarming travellers onthecoach road to important stop for drovers, andlater for community here. The town was an by thefounding ofanearlyChristian Roman times, whichwere thenbuilton The town ofCorwen hasitsoriginsin first documented in1222. Age hillfort andaChristian community church ofAllSaintsat , anIron tales ofOwain Glyndŵr, amedieval Delving into thehistory ofCorwen finds

KEY • • • • • COUNTRYSIDE CODE Consider otherpeople Keep dogsunderclosecontrol take you litter home Protect plantsandanimals- you findthem Leave gates andproperty as follow any signs Be safe –planaheadand

Monument Viewpoint Church Church withtower CYNWYD

CORWEN Picnic area Kissing gate Stile Gate

CARROG BERWYN CORWEN /CYNWYD CAER DREWYN GRO ISA DÔL AFON PEN YPIGYN GLYNDYFRDWY Railway Quarry Permissive path footpathPublic Walk route

BERWYN RIVER DEE RAILWAY WALKS B4401 Train station Camping Play area Toilets Parking A5 10 14 12 4 4 6 8 2 LLANGOLLEN

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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 stone circle, constructed in 1919 for the opening ceremony of the National . 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 , 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 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 . a Iron Age site and offers n C t

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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. , 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 -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. Length: 3 miles return to Llangar Tickets are available from Rug Chapel (1 mile Time: NW of Corwen off the 1 - 2 hours CYNWYD A494).

Nearest Facilities: Swyddfa Bost Entrance is free for Corwen Town Centre Post Oce Cadw members. 8 9 e e D r ive GLYNDYFRDWY R

Glyndyfrdwy lies in a A less challenging, but wonderful walk, can be found on the southern edge Berwyn beautiful spot in the Dee of the village, just behind the Owain Arms GLYNDYFRDWY Valley, nestling between Glyndŵr Memorial Hall (which houses Eglwys Sant Tomos some interesting memorabilia if you find A5 the heather clad it open). The Nant y Pandy walk leads St Thomas’s Church Mountains you up through an enchanting wooded valley to the ruins of the slate works, Neuadd and wild , which are a fascinating glimpse of the Owain Glyndŵr either of which can be industrial past. The walk returns along Owain Glyndŵr Hall the old tramway and is a little over 2 km explored using the Dee (about a mile) in total. Valley Way or North y d Berwyn Way. n a

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THINGS TO DO

• Visit the Owain Glyndŵr Memorial Hall and view local memorabilia

• Enjoy the views from the Berwyn Arms

• Take a walk up the Nant y Pandy to the old slate works 200m • Visit St Thomas’ Church – open daily

• Catch the train Gogledd y Berwyn i Lwybr Way North Berwyn to Gweithfeydd llechi Slate works 10 11 y d w Dyfr ryn y y Wa D ley r Val b ee y D w l Grouse Inn CARROG L Pont Af on Dyf CARROG Carrog rdwy River e De

PEN-Y-BONT Carrog was originally The arrival of the railway in 1865 had a huge effect on the village – the railway B 5 known as Llansantffraid makers struggled with the length of the 7 4 B5 43 3 Glyn Dyfrdwy and was name and named the station after a local 7 farm. Soon after, the village itself also one of the homes of became known as Carrog, and wealthy Owain Glyndŵr. His businessmen built imposing holiday Mwnt Glyndŵr homes here for their families. Glyndŵr Motte manor house was located 1/2 mi near the 12th century The river Dee runs gently under the bridge, built in 1661, and a riverside motte near the A5. It was footpath provides an excellent spot for here that he proclaimed watching out for wildlife. 100m A5 LLIDIART himself Prince of Wales Y PARC and started his rebellion against English rule in 1400. BERWYN

Eglwys Llantysilio Coed Hyrddyn Llantysilio Velvet Hill THINGS TO DO church

er • Stroll around the village – can spot where Riv D 3 l y e 10 a dw e B5 an Owain Glyndŵr’s prison, “Carchardy”, yfr C D en on ll used to be? Af go an Ll • Enjoy a walk by the river Rhaeadr y Bedol las Maes Llantysilio am C • Enjoy the views from the Grouse Inn Llantysilio Green Gwesty • Visit Owain Glyndwr’s Motte (access from Hotel the A5 on a permissive path, courtesy of Pont Gadwyn A5 Carrog Station Camp Site) Chain Bridge

• Visit the village church N WY BER ER WY • Catch the train B N R DD OAD OR FF 100m 12 13 BERWYN

The railway station at Across the river lies the Llangollen Canal, which has its very beginnings just a Berwyn is located at short walk to the west at the Horseshoe a narrow point in the Falls. The first 11 miles of the canal were declared a World Heritage Site in 2009 Dee Valley, where all on account of the amazing feats of the historic transport engineering, including the , that were achieved by William routes squeeze through Jessop and Thomas . together. The road and Just beyond the Horseshoe Falls is railway intertwine their the lovely Llantysilio Church, with its bridges over river and captivating churchyard and fascinating windows. The picnic site at Llantysilio canal, and the refurbished Green offers a fantastic view of the Falls Chain Bridge now offers against the backdrop of the distinctive Llantysilio mountains. pedestrians the chance to cross again. MAP OVERLEAF

THINGS TO DO

• Cross the newly refurbished Chain Bridge

• Visit the Horseshoe Falls – the start of the Poncysyllte and Canal World Heritage Site

• Visit the beautiful Llantysilio Church

• Watch the river (and canoeists) go by from the comfort of the Chainbridge Hotel

• Catch the train

• Try the “Horseshoe Quest” App

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