Discover Rossett: Churches, Mills and Walking Routes

Rossett combines remarkable buildings, a milling history stretching back centuries and paths through a varied landscape. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday house can therefore explore the village according to their own interests: with culture and architecture, on a surfaced circular route or on longer walks through fields and quiet country lanes.

Churches and historic buildings

One prominent building is Christ Church. The present church was built between 1891 and 1892 and replaced an earlier church from 1841. It was built in the late Gothic style to a design by Douglas and Fordham. The stained glass is also notable for visitors interested in architecture and furnishings: the east window contains work by Kempe from 1905, while the chancel has stained glass by Morris and Co from 1907.

Christ Church is also characterised by a Living Churchyard with several nature conservation areas. In this way, the site combines ecclesiastical history with a green setting. Another interesting stop is Rossett Presbyterian Chapel. It was built in 1877 to a Gothic design by the architect John Douglas of Chester.

Rossett Hall also contributes to the historic character. The Grade II listed building dates from the mid-18th century, was built for the Boydell family and was known as “The Rossett”. Rossett Mill is a Grade II* listed building and is considered a particularly significant and distinctive landmark in the Rossett Conservation Area. The history of the site probably dates back to around 1474, when the mill was known as “Upper Merford Mill”.

River landscape and routes for different days

The River Alyn provides an important landscape setting for Rossett. Mill Bridge is an attractive entrance feature to the village centre, while a footpath follows the tree-lined course of the River Alyn to Alyn Bridge. Those looking for a walk of manageable length can plan the “Manor Lane and Cooks Bridge” circular route. The easy circular walk is 3.8 miles long and starts in Rossett.

Another option is the Tail Trail: the circular route is 2 miles long, leads around an organically managed farm and has a firm surface suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. This is particularly helpful if you want to take the type of route into account when planning your day. For longer outings, a footpath runs parallel to the railway line and then through fields and along paths to Darland, Lavister and Trevalyn; the terrain is largely flat.

The “Quiet Country Lanes” circular route runs mostly along quiet country lanes in Burton. This gives you a choice between a short circular route from Rossett, a surfaced path, a route alongside the river and a longer route through fields. These differences provide a practical basis if you want to choose your accommodation according to your planned holiday days and not just the name of the place.

Local flavours and further travel ideas

The Solar Shack is a farm shop selling organic milk, milkshakes, coffee and cheese. The milkshakes and cheese are made with fresh organic milk from the farm. A visit can therefore be included in your itinerary as a culinary stop in its own right, complementing Rossett’s historic and scenic attractions.

If you would like to combine different ideas for your days while choosing accommodation, Rossett offers several specific starting points: churches and stained glass for a cultural morning, a route along the River Alyn or through the fields for exercise, and the Tail Trail for a surfaced circular route. For further comparison, you can also look at Penycae, Bradley, Hanmer, Llanarmon Dyffryn-Ceiriog, Chirk, Trevor, Glyn Ceiriog and Wrexham.

For the higher-level travel overview: Wrexham.