Llangollen Sights

  1. Castell Dinas Brân

    A spectacular hill-top site, 229m above the Dee Valley and to the north of Llangollen, Castell Dinas Brân marks the remnants of an Iron Age fort and the tumbledown ruins of a castle whose history is shrouded in mystery. It may have been built in the late 12th century by Madog ap Gruffydd, the Welsh chieftain credited with the building of nearby Valle Crucis Abbey. The castle fell to the forces of Edward I in 1277 and remained in English hands for two centuries, after which it went to ruin.

    Read more about Castell Dinas Brân

  2. Llangollen Canal

    In the 18th century canals and the horse-drawn barge were the most efficient way of hauling goods over long distances but, with the advent of the railway, most of them fell into disrepair.

    Read more about Llangollen Canal

  3. Llangollen Motor Museum

    About a mile out of town on the A542 at Pentrefelin is the Llangollen Motor Museum, featuring over 30 classic vehicles from the 1920s to the 1970s, a 1950s garage with pumps, and the owner's living room.

    Read more about Llangollen Motor Museum

  4. Llangollen Museum

    The Llangollen Museum has a small collection for fans of local history.

    Read more about Llangollen Museum

  5. Llangollen Wharf

    Llangollen Wharf arranges two options: a short excursion on the Llangollen Canal by horse-drawn narrow boat, and motorised narrow-boat trips. Trip options include travelling one-way from Llangollen to Froncysllte, a return from Froncysllte to Bryn Howel crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, or a single to Llangollen Wharf - you can combine any of these trips to travel by boat there and back.

    Read more about Llangollen Wharf

  6. Plas Newydd

    The Ladies of Llangollen lived at Plas Newydd for almost half a century. Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby transformed the house into their own private romantic hybrid of Gothic and Tudor styles, complete with stained-glass windows, carved-oak panels and formal gardens. Audio guides in English and Welsh are now included in the ticket price and a new educational centre with an artist-in-residence is now based in the grounds. The house is 0.25 miles southeast of the tourist office.

    Read more about Plas Newydd

  7. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

    The real masterpiece of civil engineer Thomas Telford (1757-1834) is the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, completed in 1805 to carry the Llangollen Canal over the Dee River. At 316m long and 38m high, it is perhaps the most spectacular piece of engineering on the entire UK canal system and the highest canal aqueduct ever built. The first stone of the aqueduct, which connected the rivers Severn, Mersey and Dee at the height of the Industrial Revolution, was laid in 1795.

    Read more about Pontcysyllte Aqueduct

  8. Valle Crucis Abbey

    Located at the foot of the Horseshoe Pass, the dignified ruins of Valle Crucis Abbey represent one of Wales' last Cistercian monasteries. Founded in 1201 by Madog ap Gruffydd, who ruled Northern Powys, its serene setting and present, largely Gothic form (including a huge rose window) predates its grander, more famous sibling at Tintern.

    Read more about Valle Crucis Abbey

  9. Advertisement