Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksDee Valley and Llangollen

Dee Valley and Llangollen

The Horseshoe Falls

Level towpath from the town to the weir that feeds the whole canal, a curving stone crescent across the Dee built by Telford.

Distance
3.4 mi / 5.5 km
Time
1 hr 45
Ascent
40 m
Difficulty
Easy
Shape
There and back

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

Follow the towpath upstream from the wharf to the Horseshoe Falls and back. Flat and surfaced throughout.

Worth knowing

  • The falls are a weir rather than a waterfall, built to divert Dee water into the canal.
  • Horse-drawn boats still run from the wharf in season.
  • Fully accessible and one of the easiest good walks in north Wales.

What you’ll see

The weir and its curve, the Dee, narrowboats, and the valley sides above.

Background

Telford built the weir in 1808 to feed the Llangollen Canal, which still carries drinking water to Cheshire as well as boats.