Chirk between the castle, canal and Ceiriog Valley

Chirk combines impressive structures with varied paths through the Ceiriog Valley. Chirk Castle has watched over the Welsh borderlands from above the town since 1295. There is also the historic Chirk Aqueduct, the 460-yard-long Chirk Tunnel, Chirk Viaduct and several circular walks of varying lengths and elevation gains. Anyone planning a trip with children can combine shorter walks, historical discoveries and longer days of hiking here to create a varied stay.

Castle history and trails around Chirk Castle

Chirk Castle is the town’s defining cultural landmark. Work on the castle presumably began in the final decade of the 13th century. Cromwell Hall displays weapons and armour from the 17th-century English Civil War. Adam Tower preserves medieval garderobes, arrow slits and two-storey dungeons. The original medieval settlement around the Church of St Mary and Church Street is also part of Chirk’s conservation area.

For a shorter stay outdoors, Chirk Castle’s accessible garden trail is suitable. It passes clipped yew trees, the Rose Garden and the historic Hawk House and is suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The Chirk Castle Woodland Walk, by contrast, is an easy circular route through woodland and open fields around the castle in Wrexham, Wales. Anyone looking for a longer route with a historical focus can choose the three-mile Battle of Crogen circular walk. It includes a short section of the Offa’s Dyke Path and passes the site of the Battle of Crogen.

Aqueduct, canal tunnel and notable structures

The history of regional engineering is particularly vivid at Chirk Aqueduct. The structure was built from 1796 to 1801 by William Jessop and Thomas Telford for the Ellesmere Canal. When it opened in 1801, it was the highest navigable aqueduct in the world. Its water channel lies in a cast-iron trough concealed within masonry. Today, Chirk Aqueduct forms part of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage Site.

Chirk Tunnel is one of the early British canal tunnels with an integrated towpath. The Chirk Circular 2 route follows this towpath of the Llangollen Canal into the tunnel. Chirk Viaduct also tells the story of transport: it was completed in 1848 and carries the railway line from Ruabon to Chester over the River Ceiriog. The Chirk Castle estate is also located in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Routes for different day plans

The paths around Chirk can be selected according to length and difficulty. The Old Golf Walk is 1.2 miles long, moderately difficult and offers a view of the castle along the way. The Chirk and River Ceiriog circular walk is 6.5 miles long and begins near Chirk railway station. It connects Chirk with Chirk Castle, the Offa’s Dyke National Trail and the River Ceiriog. The section of Offa’s Dyke near Chirk is approximately 1,400 metres long and runs north-northeast through the Ceiriog Valley.

For further comparisons, shorter circular walks are available: Atop the Aqueduct is approximately 1¾ miles long from the town car park in Chirk and has an elevation gain of 100 feet. Lady Margaret’s Walk covers approximately 2 miles with an elevation gain of 40 feet. Riverside, Forge and Hilltop is considerably more extensive, at approximately 5¼ miles with an elevation gain of 470 feet. A Taste of the Ceiriog Valley covers approximately 3 miles and has an elevation gain of 100 feet. This allows you to choose accommodation in Chirk in a location that suits your planned cultural and hiking days without committing to just one type of excursion.

Getting there and other nearby places

Chirk Station lies on the railway line between Shrewsbury and Chester. Arriva bus route 2/A from Wrexham to Oswestry stops in the town near the station. The best access to the towpath of Chirk Aqueduct can be reached on foot from the station in 25 minutes. This makes planning easier if you would like to combine trains, buses and walks. Other destinations for your travel planning include Llanarmon Dyffryn-Ceiriog, Penycae, Trevor, Bangor-on-Dee, Glyn Ceiriog, Erbistock, Wrexham and Bradley.

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