Llangollen History Trail

Starting in Llangollen, the 6 mile / 9.5km Llangollen History Trail meanders through the beautiful countryside, taking you up high above the town for brilliant views across the Dee Valley. The route follows the Llangollen Canal and the River Dee towards Berwyn, then past the Horseshoe Falls to Llantysilio Church. Then it's uphill to Valle Crucis Abbey and across to Castell Dinas Brân before heading back down to Llangollen. Some of the walk is challenging with steep paths and stiles, so please take care. This is a great base to explore the wider area, and the Llangollen History Trail is one of the best ways to do it.

Renowned for the surrounding hills and the River Dee, Llangollen has a variety of things to do and events. The town is probably most well-known for the colourful Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod held every July, and the brilliant Llangollen Food Festival in October.

Attractions in the town include the heritage Llangollen Railway, the Llangollen Canal, the Llangollen Motor Museum and Plas Newydd, an historic house lived in by the Ladies of Llangollen. Take a stroll along the Victoria Promenade to the Riverside Park for a picnic or watch the river tumble down beneath the bridge.

The Llangollen Canal meanders towards the English border through peaceful countryside and over impressive aqueducts. Opened in 1805 to carry slate from nearby quarries to the growing cities of England, with the coming of the railways the canal companies soon faced bankruptcy.

The solution was tourism and the Llangollen Wharf Pleasure Boat Company was founded in 1884. Visitors can still enjoy one of the most laid back forms of transport in the form of a boat trip over Thomas Telford's famous Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, one of Wales' UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Hire a day boat, or book on a boat cruise for a relaxing afternoon out. If you're feeling very brave, you can walk across the aqueduct yourself or book a kayak trip with with Bearded Men Adventures. 

Read more: Narrowboat and canal boat holidays in Wales

The River Dee has been important for centuries, with many myths and legends entwined in its past. The Dee is internationally important due to species such as Atlantic salmon and freshwater pearl mussel. Not surprisingly, the valley through which this river runs forms part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape (formerly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Watch out for the whitewater rafters and kayakers running the rapids - or book on thrilling trip and join them. Local companies include Whitewater Active and Safe & Sound Outdoors.

The Horseshoe Falls is a picturesque semi-circular weir designed by the famous engineer Thomas Telford in 1806 to supply water to the Shropshire Union Canal. Apparently, the canal took so much water from the River Dee that many of the local mills were forced out of business. This is a lovely spot to stop for a picnic.

Llantysilio Church occupies high ground just north of the Horseshoe Falls. Originally a small chapel built around 1254, the church was restored by the Victorians in 1869. Inside are a rare medieval oak eagle lectern and two small 15th century stained glass figures incorporated into the later north window. 

Now mostly in ruins, Valle Crucis Abbey was once the second richest abbey in Cymru, after Tintern Abbey. Founded by Cistercian monks in 1201, the abbey was lived in until the Dissolution of the monastery in 1537. Check out the pond - it's the only remaining monastic fishpond in Wales. Opposite is Coed Hyrddyn (Velvet Hill), meaning ‘wood of the long man’ in English, which may relate to the tall skeleton unearthed beneath the nearby 9th Century Eliseg’s Pillar.

Read more: North Wales' special places of faith

Built in the 1260s by a local Welsh ruler, Prince Gruffudd ap Madoc, to guard the strategic route through the Dee Valley, Castell Dinas Brân appears as an impressive landmark throughout this route. Although little remains of this once great castle, it is well worth the steep climb for the spectacular views over Llangollen and the surrounding countryside below.

Read more: Wales’ most soulful abandoned abbeys and castles

You can lengthen your walk to take in the impressive limestone Eglwyseg Escarpment, visible as a white scar on the landscape for much of the route. It was formed some 350 million years ago in a warm, shallow tropical sea teeming with life, which you can now see as fossils. The screes have accumulated since the end of the last Ice Age, some 11,000 years ago, as millions of angular pieces of rock have been dislodged by frost. 

If you want to stretch your legs further, you can join the Offa's Dyke Path National Trail. Offa's Dyke was built by the King of Mercia between 757 and 796 AD to form the boundary between England and Cymru. It runs 182 miles from Prestatyn in the north to Sedbury, near Cas-gwent (Chepstow) in the south.

There are many places along Offa's Dyke Path which are classed as strenuous walks.

Read more: Walking Cymru's long distance trails

• Please take care, remember to wear appropriate clothing and footwear, and follow the Countryside Code. 
• If you're bringing your dog along, please be responsible and follow the Dog Walking Code, especially around livestock.
• Adventure Smart UK has plenty of advice on how to ‘make a good day better’, and we recommend you read it before planning your walking adventures.