CLWYD |
| Bersham Industrial Heritage Centre |
Off B5098, 2.5 miles west of Wrexham |
One permanent exhibition at this centre is devoted to
John 'Iron-Mad' Wilkinson (1728-1808), who brought international fame to the Bersham
ironworks. His cannons were used in the American War of Independence and his cylinders
helped to develop James Watt's steam engine for industrial use. Another display records
the achievements of the Davies brothers, gatesmiths of nearby Croesfoel, who in 1721 made
the wrought-iron gates for Chirk Castle. The centre is on the Bersham and Clywedog
Industrial Trail - an 8 mile open-air museum charting industrial life in the area from
Roman times. |
| Bodrhyddan Hall |
Off A5151, 4 miles south-east of Rhyl |
A 3000-year-old Egyptian mummy is the unlikely occupant
of a small room in this mainly 17th century house. Brought from Egypt in 1836 by the
present owner's great grandmother as a honeymoon memento, it was later identified as a
junior priest in the Temple of the God Amun at Thebes. Much of the armour in the front
hall of Bodrhyddan came from Rhuddlan Castle after it was dismantled by Parliamentarian
forces in the Civil War. A glass-topped table contains the Charter of Rhuddlan, granted by
Edward I in 1284. |
| Chirk Castle |
Off B4500, 0.5 miles west of Chirk |
The outside of this border castle - ranged around a
central courtyard - has changed little since it was built by Edward I in 1310. It was once
the home of Sir Thomas Seymour, who married Henry VIII's widow, Catherine Parr, and of
Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I's favourite, and it has been lived in continuously for almost
670 years. Set in spacious formal gardens, the castle is a treasure house of portraits,
tapestries, elaborate plasterwork and superb furniture. |
| Denbigh Castle |
Near centre of Denbigh |
The castle, built on the orders of Edward I in 1282,
stands at the top of a hill dominating the ancient market town of Denbigh and the Vale of
Clwyd. Eight of its great towers remain, together with its impressive Great Gatehouse. The
Great Kitchen Tower has two fireplaces, each 16ft wide, on the ground floor. Among the
famous residents was Henry Percy who in 1402 occupied the castle in support of Owain
Glydwr against the claims of Henry IV. The town walls of Denbigh were built at the same
time as the castle and are still for the most part intact. |
| Erddig |
Off A534, 2 miles south of Wrexham |
For anyone seeking a complete picture of the
'upstairs-downstairs' life of the traditional country house, a visit to Erddig could
hardly be bettered. Downstairs, the original laundry still has its box mangle. In the
stable yard are the household's various carriages. Later means of transport are
represented by a 1907 Rover and a 19th century bicycle. The 'upstairs' part of Erddig has
outstanding furniture, including sets of silver, walnut chairs and pier glasses, and a
magnificent state bed. A visitor centre, open at weekends, explains the workings of the
estate. |
| Ewloe Castle |
Off B5125, 3.5 miles north of Buckley |
The great interest of this early 13th century castle is
that it is entirely Welsh, built by the Welsh princes before Edward I conquered North
Wales in the second half of that century. Hidden in a wooded hollow, it is identified by
its characteristically Welsh D-shaped tower. The tower is well preserved, although the
walls of the castle are in ruins. Begun by Llywelyn the Great about 1210, it was finished
by Llywelyn the Last about 1257. |
| Grange Cavern Military Museum |
Off A5026, 0.5 miles north-west of Holywell |
During the Second World War this cavern was used as a
store for more than 11000 tons of bombs, including the famous 'Bouncing Bombs' used by the
'Dambusters' in their raid on the Ruhr valley. Appropriately the cavern now houses one of
the largest collections of historic military equipment in Britain, in 2.5 acres of disused
limestone workings 100ft below ground. Displays range from a First World War trench to a
section on the Falklands campaign. |
| Plas Newydd |
Off Butler Hill, 0.25 miles south-west of Llangollen |
From 1780 to 1829 this elegant, black-and-white
timbered mansion was the home of Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby. Generally
known as the 'Ladies of Llangollen', the two inseparable companions soon established
themselves as a pair of eccentrics. When the two ladies first moved in, Plas Newydd was
little more than a glorified cottage. But they soon transformed it into an elaborate
residence complete with projecting oriel windows with stained glass and rooms filled with
dark, fancifully carved oak furniture and panelling. |
| Rhuddlan Castle |
Off A547 at Rhuddlan, 3 miles south of Rhyl |
Towering majestically over the River Clwyd, this late
13th century castle has concentric curtain walls and massive twin gatehouses enclosing a
square. Rhuddlan was the second major fortress built by Edward I in his efforts to
subjugate North Wales, and is now the home of an exhibition on the 15 Welsh castles
erected or strengthened during his reign. Rhuddlan Castle was partly destroyed during the
Civil War. |
| St Asaph Cathedral |
In centre of St Asaph |
Britain's smallest medieval cathedral, its peaceful
setting belies its long and turbulent history. The first cathedral on the site was built
in 560, ruined by Henry III's troops in 1245 and again destroyed by Edward I in 1282. In
1402 it was burnt down during a rebellion against the English, and it was restored in
1482. Among its many treasures are the clerestory windows dating from 1403, a first
edition of the William Morgan Bible in Welsh of 1588, which was used at the Investiture of
the Prince of Wales in 1969; the William Salisbury New Testament of 1567; and a 1549
prayer book that belonged to Roger Ascham, Elizabeth I's tutor. |
| Valle Crucis Abbey |
On A542, 1.5 miles north-west of Llangollen |
Set in a narrow valley by the Eglwyseg River, and
surrounded by rolling, wooded hills, this Cistercian abbey was founded in 1201 by Madoc,
Prince of Powys. Much of the abbey remains, including its strikingly original east end
with its five lancet windows. The facade at the west end, with its three Early English
windows and later rose window above, also survives largely intact, as does the richly
carved west door. The east range of the cloister was rebuilt in the 14th century, and the
fine chapter house remains. |
