Route 26 Chirk Bank to Ellesmere Photo © Judy Mainwaring Photo

Route 26 Chirk Bank to Ellesmere Photo © Judy Mainwaring Photo A tantalising tow path trail This ‘watering hole’ is named after Mad Entering Ellesmere Jack Mytton – a heavy drinking local This walk takes you through a fascinating Ellesmere Port derives its name from this squire who, in a lifetime of outrageous hinterland, mainly along the Llangollen small town in Shropshire which needed antics, once set fire to his shirt to cure a branch of the Shropshire Union Canal. an import and export outlet at the end bout of hiccups. The Cheshire plain begins to undulate in of its trade-generating canal. a speculative manner as the landscape prepares itself for the Welsh Hills. Mystery hill As you enter Ellesmere along the canal Between Lower Frankton and Onston you will see the large house reputedly Our path meets the Ceiriog and Maelor with Ellesmere only a couple of miles to built for Thomas Telford – Britain’s Ways at Chirk Bank, where the Chirk the east, the Shropshire Way short-cuts supreme 19th century road, canal and aqueduct and viaduct span the Ceiriog a meander of the Llangollen canal and bridge engineer. It stands near what has Valley. You will also see the working end rises through a rare undulating patch. always been a major canal maintenance of Ellesmere, no less interesting than its Off the path lies a strange hill topped depot, now run by the new Canal and ‘lake district’ meres. with trees marked on the map as 117 River Trust – formerly British Waterways. metres above sea level. It is nameless In between, the Shropshire Way crosses and no map indicates that it is historic. Ellesmere is fast becoming famous for Wat’s Dyke Way at Preeshennle Bridge its sculptures – one of the best is an (no. 15) and goes past the canal boat Yet the contours suggest the hand of upturned boat seen as you enter the marina at Welsh Frankton and the Iron Age hillfort builders. They may only short arm to the town’s wharf. Its tiled Narrow Boat Inn. It also passes the coal have added defensive slopes to a natural interior features photographs and text mining village of St Martin’s where rise facing Wales and but surely there is telling some interesting local tales. production at the Ifton Pit continued more to this anonymous hill than meets right up until 1968. The six-mile signed the eye. We can only wonder at the Draining the canal St Martin’s Shropshire Way Circular nature of this unusual feature that the At some bridges you will notice vertical Walk will take you on an interesting level-headed canal builders circuitously grooves in the stonework at water level. panoramic tour. avoided. These facilitate the insertion of boards, sometimes stored nearby, to allow Every canal bridge has a number and a short section of canal, as opposed many have names whose derivation tells to a whole length, to be drained for of a time long gone – Pollett’s, Broom’s, maintenance work. Sarn, Coachman’s to name just a few. Canal bridge at Weston Rhyn Hindford Bridge speaks for itself, being near the hamlet of Hindford and the Jack Mytton Pub with its canal-side gardens. The marina at Welsh Frankton The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas From Bronygarth over the valley to Chirk Castle Discover Shropshire Route 26 CHIRK DIFFICULTY: level, mostly canal towpath. Canal locks at Lower Frankton c1960 Chirk Ifton Meadows Wood Coed B5070 Glanyrafon Nature Reserve 9.25 miles / 14.8 kilometres Motte B5069 Chirk Fach Bank St Martin’s St Martin’s Circular Rhoswiel 01KILOMETRES 2 B5070 Upper Weston Rhyn DISMANTLED Wigginton 01MILES ½ RAILWAY St Martin’s Moor Archives Courtesy of Shropshire Star. Shropshire Copyright Ellesmere Moreton Hall Lion Quays Circular Maes-y-Graig Henlle ELLESMERE Park Wat’s Dyke The Mere B5069 New Marton Visitor Centre LANGOLLEN CA Boathouse Café Marina Old Marton Newnes A495 A495 Hall Telford’s House Blake Mere Gobowen Y Hardwick WA Pool R N A528 iv e r A L Pe rr Hengoed y DISMANTLED RAIL A5 Welsh Onston Lower Hengoed Larches Hindford Frankton Wood Tetchill Marina B5009 A495 “Mystery Hill” Wat’s Dyke B&B Lower Park Hall Frankton Farm Big Locks Route Profile Whittington Wood You are not permitted to copy, sub-licence, distribute or sell any of this The route is generally level data to third parties in any form. © Crown copyright and database rights 2012 Ordnance Survey 100049049 B4579 Gravenhall For more details and information visit: www.shropshirewalking.co.uk B5069.

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