Dee Valley Guide

Llangollen

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Sarah Ponsonby and Lady Eleanor Butler, the Ladies of Llangollen and their famous Plas Newydd home left their mark on the town. They are buried in St. Collen's churchyard and their old home is in such a beautiful setting with such exquisite woodcarvings and decorations that you will have missed a treat if you leave it off your itinerary.

Castell Dinas Brân, the possible burial site of the Holy Grail of the Arthurian legends, was known to have been the 13th Century home of Madoc ap Gruffydd Maelor, the founder of Valle Crucis Abbey and it was possibly a stronghold for Eliseg, Prince of Powys in the 6th Century.

The castle looks down on the beautiful valley of the River Dee, the canal, the railway, the International Musical Eisteddfod Pavilion and the bustling town of Llangollen, a haven for shoppers looking for interesting and unusual gifts. There are lots of interesting walks in the town. The canal from the town to the Chain Bridge Hotel and Horseshoe Falls at Llantysilio is very picturesque. There's Bishops Walk from the Bridge End Hotel side of the river bridge along the riverside past the old mill sluice gates and leet and the remains of the weir, past views of St. Collens church over the river and on to the Sarah Ponsonby Inn.

On the town side of the bridge, a stroll along Dee Lane and Victoria Promenade to Riverside Walk is a real gem. Pretty gardens, lots of seats, riverside and steam train views, dozens of ducks expecting you to feed them, a bandstand, tennis courts, bowling green and children's play area.

Castle Street is the main street in Llangollen. There are many shops and businesses including the Tourist Information Centre and One Stop Shop, a County Council services outpost.

On Parade Street, accessible from the riverside, you will find Llangollen Museum (free entry). The imposing weathered sand stone buildings across the road house the police station, an old magistrates court and the town council chambers.

The town has become a mecca for amateur theatre productions with thriving societies producing high-class plays, musicals, operas, cabaret and concerts. There are over one hundred groups with a multitude of different interests in the immediate locality.

Wander down the side streets and you're bound to stumble upon an interesting find, be it an antique shop, bookshop, gallery, wine bar, salon, craft shop or bakery. There's a lot to do and see and it's little wonder it is such a popular inland resort.

Valle Crucis Abbey

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Is there time for a short, brisk walk?

From near the farm at the abbey entrance there’s a path up Velvet Hill, a National Trust property. There are wonderful views in all direction from the top. Not feeling energetic? Walk a little way to…

Eliseg

Half way between the Abbey and Abbey Grange Hotel just up the road on the same side as the abbey you will see Eliseg’s Pillar, erected in the early 800’s by the Lord of Powys. The top few feet were broken off about nine hundred years later and eventually is was re-erected. The base inscription is not now readable but it did say “Concenn, the son of Cateli; Cateli, the son of Brochmael; Brochmael, the son of Eliseg; Eliseg, the son of Cnoillain; Concenn, therefore the great-grandson of Eliseg, erected this stone to the memory of his great-grandfather, Eliseg.” Concenn died around 854.

Eliseg was related to Macsen Wledig the Emperor (died 387). He was an elevated Roman General who proclaimed himself leader of Britain and when he left Wales and Britain around 383 a power vacuum developed which has not been settled categorically ever since.

A very short drive up the road brings you to the Britannia Inn, winner of many top awards for its flowerbed displays. It’s a very quaint inn, totally refitted and refurbished recently and a comfortable place to stop and rest a while.

Don’t miss the next part of the drive - up to the top of the famous and spectacular Horseshoe Pass and the Ponderosa Café and Craft Shop. All facilities and car parking are available here and its also a favourite meeting place for folks from near and far.

There are lots of walks across the hills or down the Pentredwr valley or just sit on a seat and take in the bracing air and watch the world go by.

Llantysilio

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Thomas Telford

The picturesque church dates from the 7th Century. Additions have been made over the centuries, some taken from Valle Crucis Abbey which is not very far away. Robert Browning worshipped here and there is a commemorative plaque in the church. Either side of the church are two well preserved mansions. Up stream is Llantysilio Hall and downstream Bryntysilio Hall which overlooks the church and the falls. Llantysilio Green, a well-maintained parking area with toilets and picnic tables is nearby and provides a base for many walks and rambles in the area.

The River Dee below the Chain Bridge Hotel follows a geological fault line and cuts through a deep and narrow slot. Canoeists from all over the country use this testing section in their competitions.

The horsedrawn canal barge terminus is not far from here and so it is possible to do a round trip using the steam train at Berwyn Station for the return journey to Llangollen. A short walk away along the canal you will find the interesting Llangollen Motor Museum.

Worlds End

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Screes of frost eroded limestone yield many coral and sea shell fossils showing that this raised mountain was once below a clear, shallow and warm sea. Up along this road towards Garth, on the left, there is a monument to I.D. Hooson, the noted Welsh poet from Rhosllanerchrugog, once the largest village in Wales and famous for its choirs. At the moment there are six of them, and winners of the highest awards, National and International. Rhos, (Rhos uffern!) to the Jacos - so called because there was great support in my home village for the Jacobite cause - is only a couple of miles away along narrow lanes and footpaths.

The views from the hillside, half a mile further on up the road from the I.D. Hooson memorial, are worth seeing. Many English counties along the flat land come into sight, with a large chemical works in the foreground and Telford’s Aqueduct to the right. This is all binoculars and camera area. Offa’s Dyke “longdistance” path passes from Garth to World’s End before crossing the moors to Minera.

There is a circular walk from Llangollen passing Castell Dinas Brân to the Panorama walk to Garth, Trevor and back again along the canal.