All walks › Wrexham and Flintshire
Wrexham and FlintshireCaergwrle Castle
Welsh-built castle on a wooded hill above the Alyn, begun by Llywelyn’s brother and never finished, with a good view over the Cheshire plain.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 45
- Ascent
- 180 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
A circuit, and the steep part comes first. Paths climb from the village to the castle and loop back by the river and lanes. Steady climbing.
Worth knowing
- The castle was built by Dafydd ap Gruffudd, Llywelyn the Last’s brother, and abandoned unfinished.
- The Caergwrle Bowl, a Bronze Age gold-decorated vessel, was found in the marsh below.
- Free and open at any time.
What you’ll see
The castle ruins, the Alyn valley, and the Cheshire plain east.
Background
Dafydd ap Gruffudd began the castle in 1278 and it was slighted after his rebellion and execution in 1283.