The best running trails around Llantysilio

Crowning a craggy hilltop high above Llangollen, Castell Dinas Brân – the Crow’s Fortress – is one of the most dramatically-sited and legend-haunted strongholds in the whole of Britain. Set within the corner of an Iron Age hillfort, it is one of the few surviving Welsh-built stone castles, constructed in the 13th Century by Gruffudd ap Madoc, ruler of northern Powys.

Towering high above the Dee Valley and the bustling town of Llangollen, home of the International Eisteddfod, Castell Dinas Bran occupies one of Britain's most spectacular sites. A rugged, foreboding pinnacle, the hillock was the ideal spot to erect a castle. It seemed completely impenetrable, commanded views for miles around, and offered quick recognition of an approaching visitor, whether friend or foe. Yet, the native Welsh princes of Powys occupied the hilltop for only a few decades. Today, that same site is open to exploration by the public. Forced to climb to the summit, modern visitors experience the struggle and the exhilaration that the castle's medieval inhabitants - and their Edwardian attackers - must have felt. Without a doubt, the walk is a breathtaking challenge. However, that climb heightens the allure of Dinas Bran. And, it demonstrates the stark reality of medieval castle life.

The Llantysilio Green weir, more commonly known as the Horseshoe Falls, is a 140-meter-long, horseshoe-shaped weir designed by Thomas Telford in 1808 to divert water from the River Dee into the Llangollen Canal. This prominent structure is a significant piece of engineering and a feature of the World Heritage Site, providing water for the canal and attracting tourists with its unique design and surrounding landscape. The Llantysilio Green Car Park is a designated access point for visiting the falls. In the late 19th century a long piece of wood, about 30cm wide, floated on the water here to deflect floating debris away from the canal intake. It was fixed at one end. It’s visible in the photo, taken c.1890. Some trippers couldn’t resist the temptation to walk along it, ignoring a warning sign nearby, if they weren’t spotted by the “waterman” in charge of the sluice. Local residents took a dim view of such “unheeding folly”. 😂😂

Went up on a beautiful crisp late morning hike from car park but could be nice to go from town of Llangollen

Lots of walking trails in this area just outside Llangollen!

Llangollen is a town and community, situated on the River Dee, in Denbighshire, Wales. Its riverside location forms the edge of the Berwyn range, and the Dee Valley section of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the easternmost point of the Dee Valley Way being within the town. It is a wonderful location to ride on all kinds of bikes with the canal running along Llangollen its much better to take that route as the roads are very busy.

The Chain Bridge crosses the River Dee at Llantysilio, linking Telford’s work on the canal with his road to Holyhead. It was built by Exuperius Pickering Senior in 1817. He wanted exclusive access to the canal to transport coal, limestone and iron bars to the west without paying the tolls in Llangollen.

Located on the River Dee, near to Llantysilio, this masterpiece of Thomas Telford Engineering is where the Pontcysllte Aqueduct and Canal World Heritage site begins. He designed this weir to draw water from the River Dee in to the canal, and it became a stunning addition to the landscape. At 460ft (140M) long, it’s a sight to behold.