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Our Walled Towns
Denbigh
Denbigh, meaning ‘small fort’, is one of the largest and strongest walled towns in the whole of Wales. It survived Welsh Prince Owain Glyndwr’s uprising in 1400. Not bad for a place with a little name. The gate house alone is one of the toughest defensive structures of its time. In fact, the fortress, was so sturdy it took Cromwell’s army four months to get the better of it.
No such trouble these days, thankfully. The only problem you’re likely to encounter is deciding whether to walk Offa’s Dyke path, or go white water rafting on the Dee at Llangollen. Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong with just sitting and enjoying the view while you make up your mind.
And if it’s a view you're after, you’re in the right place. The Clwydian Range is officially an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. More than 20 miles of rocky hills, green vales, heathery moors and woodland. It’s a Mecca for mountain bikers. Who like to test their off-road skills on the 7.5 mile Coed Moel Famau Loop. Rated easy. Or the Loop de Loop. It’s over 33 miles long and takes 6 hours. Officially difficult.
You don’t need any off-road experience for Denbigh’s other past-time. Shopping. Denbigh was a market town when Edward I arrived. There’s still a market in Crown Square every Wednesday. And a People’s Market every month. Where you can pick up something delicious. The best food is local so it’s fresher. And it doesn’t have far to go, so you won’t be notching up food miles. Which makes it better for the environment. Should you need a good excuse for a spending spree.
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We’ve other great excuses, too. The food hall at the Denbigh and Flint Show in August is just one of them. While you’re there you can see award-winning livestock, learn the correct way to handle an air-rifle, and watch proper jousting by the Knights of the Damned. Only in Denbigh.
If you want to learn a thing or two, head for the Library. Built in 1572. Restored in 1780. Today it houses a museum all about the history of Denbigh. As well as the keys to the Town Walls. Which can be borrowed. So you can explore the Countess Tower. And the Goblin Tower. They’ve a few books there, too. And that’s not Denbigh’s only literary connection. Novelist and poet, Rhoda Broughton was born in here in 1840. Her life work included 25 novels. Mr Stanley of “Dr Livingstone, I presume” fame was born here too. And you can visit the remains of the only large new church built during the reign of Elizabeth I. Built by Robert Dudley Earl of Leicester, Elizabeth’s favourite and alleged bit of stuff.
Out of town our favourites include six of the ‘Seven Wonders of Wales’. Pistyll Rhaeadr, near the village of Llanrhaeadr, the tallest waterfall in Wales is one. Another is Holywell’s St Winefriede’s Well, also known as ‘The Welsh Lourdes’. A place of pilgrimage since the 7th century. And golfers can make a pilgrimage to more than twenty 9- and 18-hole courses in the Borderlands. The par 72 championship course at Northop Park was designed by former Ryder Cup star John Jacobs. It’s set in 247 acres of mature woodland.
Or spend an afternoon fishing the fast flowing trout-filled River Dee. Catch the best view of it from Poncysyllte Aqueduct, a terrifying 126 feet up. Then there’s St Asaph’s ancient Cathedral dating back to 560 AD. It’s the smallest ancient cathedral in the UK and houses William Morgan’s first Welsh translation of the bible. Or Edward I’s other nearby castle at Rhuddlan.
And Mold’s notable establishment, Clwyd Theatre Cymru. Showing around 900 public performances each year. In five different venues including the Anthony Hopkins Theatre And the Emlyn Williams Theatre. A cinema, a restaurant and three art galleries. Definitely worth making a song and dance about.
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