Country Parks Walk Leaflet Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service

Clywedog Valley Trail

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service ww w.wrexham.gov.uk / ww w.wrecsam.gov.uk

Clywedog Valley Trail

The Clywedog Valley Trail runs from Lead Mines located around 5 miles to the west of Wrexham and finishes at King’s Mill approximately 1 mile to the south-east of the town centre.

It is an easy to follow waymarked path along the river helping you to enjoy the natural beauty of this peaceful valley and uncover its rich history. The is approximately 5.5 miles from start to finish and can also be enjoyed in shorter sections. The trail contains a number of stiles and gates. The final section of the walk after crossing Sontley Rd towards Kings Mill can be very muddy during winter or wet weather. An alternative is to finish the walk at Sontley Road at stage 12 on the guide.

Parking is available at (LL11 3DU) and (LL11 3BT). There is also on road parking at and King’s Mill

For more information on the trail please go to: www.wrexham.gov.uk/countryside

Or contact Tel: 01978 763140 Email: [email protected]

For information on local buses please contact: Traveline Cymru: 0871 200 22 33

This leaflet has been produced by the Parks, Countryside and Rights of Way Service. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, Council cannot accept responsibility for any consequences of any errors in this publication.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service Introduction Clywedog Valley Trail The has always been the lifeblood of the valley, watering crops and livestock since early times, powering corn mills and driving industrial machinery. The trail allows you to explore the industrial past and varied bio-diversity of the valley.

During the 18th and early 19th centuries the river was the powerhouse of the area, running 17 mills along its length – fulling mills to prepare cloth, corn mills for grinding wheat and barley, and paper mills. Huge waterwheels powered the bellows blasting air into the iron furnaces at Bersham.

The population grew dramatically as the industrial revolution drew workers to the Wrexham area, serving the rapidly developing coalmines, lead mines, limestone quarries, ironworks and lead smelting works. There was a never-ending demand for food to feed the rapidly increasing workforce. The fertile Clywedog floodplains had always provided rich pasture and corn but, to meet the increased demand, new corn mills were built and additional areas of woodland were cleared for growing crops. When steam power took over in the 19th century new industries no longer needed to be sited close to the river. New technology and competition from overseas in the 20th century started the demise of the Clywedog industries.

Today the Clywedog valley has returned to nature but the industrial heritage still plays an important part in the life of the valley. Walking is relaxing and good for your health, so why not enjoy a walk exploring the beautiful Clywedog Valley.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service Clywedog Valleys Biodiversity Limestone flora Wildflowers flourish on the thin limestone soils near the lead mines at Minera. Look for the array of orchids in early summer and flowers such as Knapweed with its purple thistle-like flowers and Creeping Yellow Birds Foot Trefoil. The variety of flowers play host to a range of butterflies including the Common Blue. Riverside wildlife The river has its own specialised plants and animals. Watch for dark brown and white Dippers and graceful Grey Wagtails along the river, attracted by the wealth of insects and other tiny creatures that live in the water. Trout thrive in the river below Big Weir near Bersham, along with Eels and small Bullhead fish, that hide in the gaps between stones. If you are lucky you may see Heron and Kingfisher feeding along the river. Bats Nant Mill is home to many bats. Lesser Horseshoe Bats use the tunnel under the road that drained water from the wheelpit into the river and smaller Pipistrelle Bats roost in the roof. At dusk on summer evenings you can see them emerging from their daytime roosts to hunt for insects.

The caves at Minera also provide a habitat for bats along with the many ivy-clad trees along the route.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service Woodland The woodlands along the trail consist of both conifer plantations and broadleaved woodland, including beech, ash, oak and hazel. In the spring the smell of wild garlic wafts through the broadleaved woodland, and the floor is carpeted with its thick green leaves. In Coed y Glyn on the edge of the Estate there are many old trees, mainly oak and beech but also more unusual species including hornbeam and field maple. This variety of trees, and the shrubs, ferns and flowers growing beneath them, provide homes for many birds and animals. The supply of nuts, seeds and berries attract many insects, mice, voles and birds – a plentiful supply of food for the foxes, badgers, owls and kestrels that also live here. The woodland between Sontley Road car park and King’s Mills is boggier and the woodland floor is carpeted with clumps of ferns, wood rush and huge horsetails that thrive in the damp conditions.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service Start

Minera Lead AA Mines Car Park

BB CC

Nant Mill Car Park DD Watch out for the feeding Dippers and EE Wagtails along the river. FF

G H J K I L

Minera to Bersham Distance: 5 km/3 miles Start: Minera Lead Mines Country1 km Park ScaleMap 1 Parking: On site car park at the½ leadmile mines © Crown Copyright. All rightsTime: reserved.2 hours Wrexham County Borough Council 200514 Licence No. 0100023429 Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service A. Minera Lead MinesKey midlands – to define and B. City Engine House – The City protect his border with . Engine House was used to The Clywedog was once frontier pump water from the mines country and the dyke is clearly A into the Deep Day Level visible close to the path. C. This section of the Trail may be H. Big Wood Weir was probably part of an old waggonway used built by the Wilkinsons of to transport limestone from Bersham to supply water to a Minera to small coal mine on the other B D. Deep Day Level – This drained side of the road. water from the mines upstream I. The leete, now dry, runs beside C at Minera. The water is orange the path. Look also for sluice coloured due to the iron gates that diverted water from deposits in the rocks it has the works when needed or to passed through. prevent a flood. Nant Mill E. Nant Mill – The series of holes J. Caeau Weir – was used during Car Park in the right side of the mill the 19th century to provide a supported the overhead channel steady flow of water to D that brought water from the Bersham Ironworks. leete to turn the waterwheels. K. Cannon were possibly cast in E F. 19th century gothic bridge the octagonal building G. Offa’s Dyke – An earthen ditch L. Bersham Mill was built as and bank stretching from North an ironworks foundry but to South Wales, was built by converted to a corn mill when F King Offa of Mercia – now the the ironworks closed.

GG HH

JJ Bersham on road Herons and Kingfishers parking only are often spotted KK feeding along the river. II LL

1 km Scale ½ mile © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Wrexham County Borough Council 200514 Licence No. 0100023429 Clywedog Valley TrailTrail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service The Trail – Please refer to Map 1

Although well marked, the following guide will help you navigate the trail from Minera to King’s Mill with the help of the enclosed maps. The maps break the trail down into two sections. 1. From the main car park at Minera Lead Mines head up the path towards the mine workings. At the top of this path turn left down the hill towards the wooden gate. Mining dominated this stretch of the trail as the underlying limestone around Minera is rich in metal ores, particularly lead and zinc. This is the site of the deepest shaft and once one of the busiest mining centres (Map Point A&B). Between 1819 and 1914, over 30 different companies prospected for lead nearby, digging 50 shafts and extracting lead ore worth over £4 million! The biggest hazard in the mines was the risk of flooding, particularly as the shafts deepened. Drainage channels were dug and the deepest of these, known as the Deep Day Level emerges beside the Clywedog near Nant Mill. The Romans were probably the first to mine the lead – the name ‘Minera’ comes from the Latin word for ore. Mining continued throughout the Middle Ages and, by the 14th century, lead was such an important commodity that the miners received special privileges such as exemptions from taxes. 2. Through the wooden gate, head to the road and turn right. Follow the road for a short distance until you reach the next way marker on the opposite side by farm buildings. Follow this track to the stile and then once over you we need to head over 2 more stiles, then the path is easy to follow between the fences. (Map Point C refers to this part of the track).

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service 3. At the road, bear left across to the path, keeping the river on your left. You are now entering woodland trust land. Carry on across the meadow.

4. As you exit Nant Wood the path splits, take the left path down some steps and across the bridge over the river. Look out the Deep Day Level emerging to your left (Map Point D). Follow the leete and path towards the playgrounds at Nant Mill.

The Evans Family The Evans family, Samuel, Sarah and their 10 children, worked Nant Mill and ran the adjoining farm from 1889 to 1930. They lived in the farmhouse, now ruined, on the opposite side of the ford from the mill. (You can still see the pigsties beside the children’s play area).

Nant Mill (Map Point E) There has been a mill by the river at Nant for hundreds of years. The original mill was probably for fulling thickening woven woollen cloth – but, by the late 18th century, Nant Mill was a corn mill. The flat field between the mill and the river may have been a ‘tenters field’ where the cloth was stretched and hung up to dry. This is where the phrase ‘to be on tenterhooks’ comes from. This corn mill was built in 1832 and continued to be worked until the early 20th century. It was briefly reopened during the Second World War. The large waterwheels no longer exist but you can see the wheelpit to the right of the building. Water to feed the mill was diverted from the river and channelled along a man-made leete that ran behind the mill.

5. Once at the playground head across the car park and pass in front of the visitor centre. At the junction at the top of the road past the visitor centre, turn right and head down the short section of road. Just before the bridge (Map Point F), enter Plas Power Wood through a kissing gate on your left.

6. The trail meanders on a well-used path through Plas Power Wood.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service As the river flows down the valley through Plas Power Wood you will see parts of Offa’s Dyke (Map Point G) and Big Wood Weir (Map Point H). Towards the end of the woodland section you will see the former leete (Map Point I) and Caeau Weir (Map Point J).

7. At the end of Plas Power Wood you will join a road near the chapel, turn left and walk along the road past the old ironworks foundry on your left (Map Points K & L).

Just before Bersham you will see an elaborate victorian chapel on your right, which was built by the owner of Plas power Estate, Thomas Lloyd Fitzhugh.

Iron at Bersham The ironworks were ideally situated as all the raw materials were close to hand. Iron ore was mined at nearby and . Limestone that was used as a catalyst in the smelting process came from Minera. Fuel to fire the furnaces, was initially charcoal from nearby and later coal from Llwyneinion and Ponciau. The river provided plentiful water to drive the bellows blasting air into the furnace.

The Wilkinsons John Wilkinson John Wilkinson took over the lease of the Bersham Ironworks in 1763, from his father, Isaac, who had been unable to run Bersham profitably. John, an innovative engineer and far-sighted businessman, was determined not to repeat his father’s failure. He wanted to have control of everything that affected the iron production, so he bought coalmines, opened limestone quarries and developed ways of transporting the iron. The Wilkinson’s even diverted the River Clywedog to ensure that the ironworks had enough power.

8. Continue along the road towards the bridge carrying the main A483 overhead, head under the bridge, turn left at the junction and then across the road towards the former Heritage Centre.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service Once at the centre head down into the car park and go left past the playground. At the end of the grass area go down the steps and at the bottom turn left and then right along the road through Bersham village.

Please use Map 2 from this point

9. Once you have left the village carry on the track at the side of the river, then cross a bridge over the river and turn left over stile. The path eventually opens up into a meadow (Map Points N & O). Keeping to the right hand side of the meadow head to the stile at the far end. Go over the stile and turn left up a track until you reach a footbridge.

Paper Mills Papermaking needed a good supply of rags, as a raw material, and clean, relatively hard water with an even flow to power the mills. A series of weirs and leetes were built to ensure an even water supply. Rags were plentiful - the 1851 Wrexham census shows there were large numbers of Irish immigrants collecting rags for John Wilkinson the paper mills. The rags were soaked in water and then pulped by water-powered hammers to separate the fibres. The mixture of water and fibres was then formed into sheets.

10. After the bridge turn right and take the right fork in the path. Follow the path through the field and over the footbridge. Carry on under the bridges and through a small wooded area. Climb the steep path to reach Felin Puleston (Map Point P).

Refer to information on King’s Mill regarding Felin Puleston.

11. Cross the footbridge just in front of the red-bricked house and go through the kissing gate on the right into Erddig Estate following the riverside path.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service Bersham on road parking only PP OO MM N T Felin Puleston S

QQ R

Bersham to King’s Mill Distance: 4 km/2.5 mile1 km Scale Start: Bersham Heritage Centre Map 2 Parking: On road parking½ availablemile near by © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Wrexham County Borough CouncilTime: 2005 114 hr Licence 45 minutes No. 0100023429

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service M. Bersham KeyQ. Coed y Glyn N. This weir provided a steady R. Kings Mill Leete - The ditch flow of water for the Turkey running along the woodland Paper Mill. edge is the leete that fed O. Site of the Turkey paper Mill that water from the Clywedog to produced the highest quality Kings Mill. paper, used for banknotes, S. The domed brick structure cheques, account books and beside Kings Mill is a beehive fine writing paper. kiln that was moved from a P. Felin Puleston is now an nearby brickworks. educational centre but the T. Kings Mill buildings were one of the tenanted farms on the estate.

Finish Kings Mill on road parking only P Coed y Glyn is made O up of mainly oak and TT M N beech, what other species can you see? SS

QQ RR Look for stems of Great Horsetails. A primitive plant that was common millions of years ago.

1 km Scale ½ mile © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. Wrexham County Borough Council 200514 Licence No. 0100023429

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service The wide, meandering river threads through fertile farmland in this final Section. Most of the surrounding land belongs to the Erddig estate, once one of the most important in northeast Wales. The house was built for Joshua Edisbury in 1683 when he became High Sheriff of Denbighshire but each subsequent owner has left his mark on the house and estate. The Yorke family was the last owners of the house, leaving it to the National Trust in 1973. 12. Carry on along the path through the 1st kissing gate. At the next kissing go through and head right. The path brings you to a pair of kissing gates either side of a tarmac road. (Please note this section towards Kings Mill can be very muddy during winter/ wet weather) Head through both the kissing gates, straight across the road. The path then meanders through Coed y Glyn (Map Point Q), when you reach the road go through the gate, head right and then go through the kissing gate on the other side of the road. The path then carries on through woodland. Wealth from coal had supported the estate since the 18th century but, ironically, coal almost destroyed it in the 20th century. The National Coal Board drove shafts from directly under the house in the late 1940s, causing subsidence that seriously damaged the house. The National Trust started the restoration of the house in 1973, partly funded by compensation from the Coal Board. The house, gardens and parkland are open to the public. Philip Yorke I (1743-1804) was the first owner to be born on the estate and he did more to shape the special character of Erddig than any other. He inherited the estate, aged 23, when he had just been called to the bar in London. He had 13 children – his first wife died in childbirth aged 30, having given birth to 7 children in 81⁄2 years but he remarried two years later and had another 6 children!! He diverted the course of the Clywedog to provide a more reliable water source for King’s Mill and to protect it from flooding.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service 13. Ignore the first stile into the field and carry on until you reach the second. Go over this stile and turn left. Follow the edge of the woodland through the gap in the hedge (Map Point R). 14. (Please note this section can be very muddy during winter/wet weather) Once through the entrance the field opens up, head across to the far right corner. Go through the kissing gate and across the field to the tunnel under the road which takes you to Kings Mill and the end of the trail (Map Points S&T). Congratulations we hope you have enjoyed the Clywedog Trail and its interesting history.

King’s Mill King’s Mill, that dates from the 14th century, was always Wrexham’s foremost mill. Its owners had ‘suit of mill’ that obliged all residents of Wrexham and Ansty to grind their corn and malt there. Despite this there was still much illegal competition, particularly from Felin Puleston. Felin Puleston was built in the 16th century by the father of the King’s Mill tenant. King’s Mill was then in a poor state of repair and couldn’t cope with the increasing demand for milling. If King’s Mill couldn’t perform its function the ‘suit of mill’ didn’t apply, so nearby Puleston Mill was well sited to pick up the surplus milling. In 1624 the capacity of King’s Mill was increased so people no longer had a legal justification to go elsewhere. However Puleston Mill continued to work illegally. The two mills shared the same leete and, as Puleston Mill took the first water, it could restrict the water flow to King’s Mill. By keeping their sluice gates open, even when they weren’t milling, they drained water from the leete. This continued until a separate weir and leete were built in 1668. The competition finally ended when Philip Yorke rebuilt King’s Mill in 1769 but also bought Puleston Mill and converted it for farm use. The monopoly on milling was fully broken in 1854 when 29 influentialn innkeepers, brewers, millers, malters and auctioneers formed an association to resist what they claimed were illegal tolls. Once steam-driven mills were built in Wrexham, King’s Mill was unable to compete. It closed down totally in 1940.

Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service Clywedog Valley Trail Wrexham Parks, Countryside & Rights of Way Service