The B T R Overall area of PO i Stage 3 CeiriogValleyWalk Overall area of Stage 4 Pontfadog Overall area of Stage 1 Chirk Glyn Ceiriog B B P B B T R WC PO Dolywern R WC Fully Way- marked T Llwynmawr i Pont Faen Bridge PO B T R B T Overall area of Overall area of Stage 2 Stage 6 Overall area of B T R Pandy Stage 5 Place name Pronunciation Meaning Y Waun Uh-Wine The Moor Pont Faen Pont-Vine Stone Bridge Buzzards Bronygarth Bron-uh-garth Hillside Enclosure Pontfadog Pont-vad-og Madog’s Bridge Overall area of Dolywern Doll-uh-wern Swampy Meadow Stage 7 Tregeiriog B T Glyn Ceiriog Glin-key-re-og The Glen of Ceiriog Pandy Pan-dee Fulling Mill Tregeiriog Tray-gee-re-og “Town” of Ceiriog Llanarmon Thlan-ar-mon Saint Garmon’s village Dyffryn Ceiriog Duff-rin Key-re-og in the Ceiriog Valley Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog ‘“The tranquil and unspoilt B T R WC Ceiriog Valley” (WC open in Summer) Pheasants “A haven of Welsh history and culture” “The bubbling torrent falls 1740 feet B4500 P R in its 22 mile journey from source to Main Valley road Car Park Refreshments confluence with the Dee” Side road T Public Telephone B Bus Stop. Remember, the “Remnants of the Glyn Valley Bus will stop on request at any Main Valley Walk route PO Post Office point on the main valley road. Tramway hug the river banks” Route to a Bus Stop “A valley of great Welsh poets” Alternate route WC Public Toilet i Tourist Information Point DownDDownvalleyownvalleyvalley Stage 1 DownDDownvalleyownvalleyvalley Stage 1 Stage 1 Marina To Chester and Start the walk from Chirk, either from the car park behind A choice now - you can aim for Chirk via “The Aqueduct Wrexham the Hand Hotel (1a) or from the Train Station (1b). Walk” (35 mins); or the shorter 20 mins. “Castle Woods” walk Rail to Chester 1a. The Aqueduct Walk direct to the train station. Chirk Castle B5070 Chirk Chirk Car Park to Pont Faen 1a. The Aqueduct Walk Chirk Train B P B T Distance 1.5 km. Height gain 20 metres Pont Faen to Chirk Station B R WC PO (65 ft). Time 30 mins. There is a bus stop at Pont Faen. B4500 Church Leave the car park through the ‘No Exit’ way, Distance 1.5 km. Height gain 35 metres Caravan i Chirk Castle Gates Park turning left on to the main street. Continue past (112 ft). Time 35 mins. 1b the church and begin to go down the hill. About B4500 1a Standing on the bridge, face the main road and go River Ceiriog Pont Faen Bridge Aqueduct 100 yards after leaving the last building in town, through the kissing gate on your right. Walk along the Trout farm Viaduct cross the stile on your left. Follow the grassy river bank for 9 mins. to pass under the great railway B T B5070 River Ceiriog Main route track to the right downhill, then bear left towards viaduct, then the canal aqueduct built in 1801 before River Ceiriog the old mill building. Cross the footbridge over railways were even invented! Follow for another 8 Fishing j Llangollen Canal mins. along the riverbank to a brick building and T Rail to the old mill race, go over the stile and keep ahead Shrewsbury to a metal gate. Go through a gap left of the gate ascend the ramp to the main road (until recently the A5 London to Holyhead trunk road). Carefully cross Castle Woods and To and carefully cross the road and through the 1 kilometre the road. Left of the drive into the former mill, take a Shrewsbury kissing gate opposite. Continue down the track The Aqueduct Walk 0.5 miles gap between two metal gates onto an initially tarmac and follow the river bank, passing under the The area around Chirk has seen many changes point for the River Ceiriog, the oldest bridge in path. Keep ahead alongside the old millrace. After a massive aqueduct and viaduct. Keep to the the stile and a little footbridge keep ahead on the path over the centuries. Many hands, from the Celts, the valley being the bridge at Pont Faen, which river bank on your left until you get to a stone which swings right, up towards an old stonewall. Steps Romans, Welsh and English have modified the carried the Chester / Cardiff road! The later bridge. Pass through the kissing gate and turn left and a stile lead to the main road for the final 5 mins. settlements. Holyhead / London coach road, built by Thomas onto Pont Faen (Stone Bridge). into the centre of Chirk and the Hand Hotel. In 1282, when Llewelyn, Prince of Wales was Telford, also crosses the river at Chirk. England is on the other side! OR 1b. Castle Woods defeated and killed by Edward I, the land around The developments in industry and transport 1b. Castle Woods Chirk was confiscated and handed to Roger during the 18th and 19th century saw the Pont Faen to Chirk Train Station Chirk Train Station to Pont Faen Mortimer. The creation of a borough charter in expansion of small-scale mining operations. The Distance 1 km. Height gain 30 metres 1324 cemented English rule over the area now coal mines at Chirk Bank, Black Park and Distance 1 km. Height Gain negligible. (100 ft). Time 20 mins. known as Chirkland, though it always remained Brynkinalt needed a means of transport. The Time 15 mins. From the bridge, face the main road. Ignore the within Wales. building of Telford and Jessop’s canal and aqueduct Leaving the station, turn R, crossing the railway kissing gate on right and walk uphill on the main road in the valley in 1801 provided the vital link with bridge and canal tunnel, ahead for 5 mins. to the for 100 metres to take a footpath forking left up Chirkland was sold to Sir Thomas Myddelton at through woodland. 200 metres up the path it passes the end of the 15th century. His descendants lived the west Midlands. With the development of impressive castle gates. Turn left onto the sometimes gated tarmac drive. Where the drive through a low stonewall and 15 metres beyond, turn in and developed Chirk over the centuries. His steam the masterpiece was slightly overshadowed left onto a walled track. Pass a caravan park and keep bends left into the caravan park, keep ahead. At a family still reside in Chirk castle to this day. by Brassey’s magnificent railway viaduct in 1852. ahead to reach the splendid white ornamental castle T-junction go right, downhill through woodland. On route 1b, you will pass the magnificent castle gates. Turn right here for the final 5 minute walk to the Emerge onto the road, go right for 100 metres, train station. gates, which were built by Davies Bros in 1719. There is a Tourist Information point at ‘Home and then left onto the delightful old stone bridge, (If you wish to continue into Chirk Centre, keep straight ahead). The area has always been an important crossing Wear’ shop (opposite Hand Hotel). ‘Pont Faen’. 1 kilometre Stage 2 DownDDownvalleyownvalleyvalley Stage 2 0.5 miles Stage 2 The English Bit The English Bit Pont Faen to Offa's Dyke Offa’s Dyke to Pont Faen River Bus stops at Pont Faen and at Castle Mill There are bus stops at Pont Faen and at Castle Mill Ceiriog Offa’s Dyke You may join the walk here by taking public transport to Distance 2.7 km. Height Gain 154 metres Cas- (510 ft). Time 1 hour 5 mins. Castle Mill (there is no car parking space), crossing the river bridge and up the short steep lane to a T-junction. tle B From the bridge turn right onto a riverside lane Chirk Castle Turn left up the lane for about 10 or 11 mins. to the Old (we have just joined a section of the Maelor Way). B4500 School House which is on your right, with a clock above an Just past the telephone box go over the stile on upstairs window and a spire with weathervane. Twenty right and through a meadow with the river on metres beyond the house, take the tarmac lane left (You Pont Faen Bridge Trout farm your right. Follow along to the next stile that are now on the route!) Main route Bronygarth B T Offa’s Dyke leads into woods owned by the Woodland Trust. Distance 2.7 km. Height gain perhaps 5 Follow the path along the riverbank, and then up metres (20 ft). Time 50 mins. and down the steps, turning left at the bottom of Fishing j From the Dyke, continue on the broad track with fine WALES T the flight. Continue ahead crossing a stile out of beech trees on your right and superb views to the left. the wood and ahead to another stile onto a track. Ten mins. from the dyke, reach a crossroads and go left, ENGLAND Pass beneath the huge Black Poplar tree to follow downhill on a good stone track for 200 metres (3 The English Bit DownDDownvalleyownvalleyvalley the track to double gates at a house. Continue up mins.) to cross a stile on right. Keep ahead to a low the lane to a road at the top. Turn right for just 20 broken wall/hedgerow into a humpy field (quarry on Warfare has played a major role in the history of population.