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Dee Valley and LlangollenChirk Castle and the Aqueduct
Canal aqueduct and railway viaduct side by side over the Ceiriog, with a border castle above that has been lived in continuously since 1310.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 25
- 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
From the town, walk the towpath over the aqueduct and through the tunnel, then climb through the estate to the castle and return by field paths.
Worth knowing
- Take a torch for the canal tunnel beyond the aqueduct.
- The castle has been continuously occupied for over seven hundred years, which is rare anywhere.
- Offa’s Dyke runs through the estate and is clearly visible in places.
What you’ll see
The aqueduct and viaduct together, the castle and its Baroque gates, and the Ceiriog valley.
Background
Chirk was one of the Marcher castles built after Edward I’s conquest and was bought by the Myddelton family in 1595.