Around Wrexham (and Wales in general)

[gordonmac]

Hi folks, this is appeal for info

The g/f and I are taking a trip to Wales at the end of the month and are looking for decent campsites near Wrexham. Your recommendations would be most helpful!

I'd also be interested in your advice about what to do or see in Wales - we have 2 weeks to do stuff - so bring on the suggestions!

Thanks in advance!

[John Fenna]

Ignore the rest of Wales - Pembrokeshire has held my interest for over 30 years...and I have yet to see all of it
OK I have visitted other bits of Wales ...but I always come back to Pembs!

[Harvestman]

Personal recommendation (as they all are) - go to Rhayader in Powys, and visit the Elan Valley, especially if you can do it on a weekday when it is less busy.

[gordonmac]

Haha, thanks John! I'll definitely take your sage advice onboard mate! Having just had a quick look at Google pics I see what you mean - it does look rather beautiful!

Harvestman, thank you! I don't like busy (I live in the N E Highlands ) so your advice is excellent too! I have friends who live in Rhayader and haven't seen them for a good few years!

[Harvestman]

Whilst I think of it, for north Wales, go and have a look at Aber falls, between Llanfairfechan and Bangor.

[Dougster]

Firstly, avoid Wrexham. I had the misfortune to be born there and have to visit my family regularly.

Luckily my parents live in the Ceiriog Valley (http://www.ceiriog.com/) where there are great pubs, superb walks and a lovely lot of views.

20 mins south of Wrexham. Llangollen has some great shops - including Pro Adventure (http://www.proadventure.co.uk/) which carries every GB axe (and my wife now insists on accompanying me in), for courses or info.

The Berwyn Hills are quiet walking in the extreme, I bump into more people in the Cairngorms in winter than there and you can work west to Snowdonia as the fancy takes you including Lake Vyrnwy (the scene for last years Autumn watch) and many many beautiful places to boot.

Have a great time. It seems you will be in my neck of the woods when I am in yours......

[treadlightly]

Firstly, avoid Wrexham. I had the misfortune to be born there and have to visit my family regularly.

Luckily my parents live in the Ceiriog Valley (http://www.ceiriog.com/) where there are great pubs, superb walks and a lovely lot of views.

20 mins south of Wrexham. Llangollen has some great shops - including Pro Adventure (http://www.proadventure.co.uk/) which carries every GB axe (and my wife now insists on accompanying me in), for courses or info.

The Berwyn Hills are quiet walking in the extreme, I bump into more people in the Cairngorms in winter than there and you can work west to Snowdonia as the fancy takes you including Lake Vyrnwy (the scene for last years Autumn watch) and many many beautiful places to boot.

Have a great time. It seems you will be in my neck of the woods when I am in yours......

Also born near Wrexham (Brymbo to be precise) Dougster, and my Mum still lives there so I visit often..

Anyway, as Dougster said, the Ceiriog Valley and the Berwyns are great, much quieter than Snowdonia or the N Wales coast and really beautiful. I recommend the Tanat Valley where there are a couple of campsites that are decent (UK Camspite and search Llangynog, where there is also a couple of good pubs) Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant is well worth a visit, lovely little town with the famous waterfall four miles up a windy road from where you can walk onto the Berwyns.

If you do go to the coast, I recommend Conwy, a walled fishing town.

John, there is life in North Wales! Come up and visit the gogs sometime.

[Landy_Dom]

I live 20 mins North of wrexham. As others have said, avoid Wrexham itself, but the Llangollen area is fantastic, as are the Clwydian and Berwyn hill ranges. Snowdonia is my stamping ground though, and I'd thoroughly recommmend it

[gordonmac]

Thanks for all the info guys, I'm gonna write up an itinerary based on this and post it up so that you can tell me if I've made the correct choices

Much appreciated y'all taking the time to respond!

[Opal]

Agree with the Llangollen area, I also have fished Llandegla, beautiful area but haven't camped there yet.

This appears to be a nice site.

http://www.llynrhyscampsite.co.uk/

[gordonmac]

This appears to be a nice site.

http://www.llynrhyscampsite.co.uk/

You know what mate, I was looking at that very site the other day and thought the exact same thing! Thank you!

[John Fenna]

John, there is life in North Wales! Come up and visit the gogs sometime.

Yes - I guess there is realy ... I lived and worked as an outdoor skills instructor up there for a year (the Wirral Borough Council centre between Llanwrst and Capel) - couldn't understand a word the locals (or the clients from Merseyside) were saying....
As for Gogs - watch some of the Gogs animations on YouTube (actually done by the sister of a mate of mine down here in West Wales)
I have been known to visit Gogland for the walking, climbing and canoeing...but prefer the civilised surroundings of Pembrokeshire where men are men and sheep are not quite so worried...

Mind you - better a Gog than a Sais eh?

My family can be traced back to Flinshire in the 1600s ...but I choose the SW

Seriously though - if you want to play in the North then the Berwyns, the Arans and the Carneddau all beat the main bits of Snowdonia - fewer people, less eroded paths, more wildlife - the main bits of Snowdonia have been "loved to death" and are truely not what they were.
Less accessible and less publicised areas are much better for a visit these days
Have fun!

[Ogri the trog]

Agreeing with all that has been said - avoid the population centres, and take a trip or two out into the sticks. Wales doesn't really do "attractions" but it excells at "attractive" - you just have to get your head in the right place. The Cambrian Mountains might not be as wild as the Highlands, but damn they are old!

There are tiny campsites dotted all around here - and if they're full up, they'll know a farmer with a spare corner of a field.

Hope you have a great time.

Ogri the trog

[gordonmac]

Hope you have a great time.

Ogri the trog

Thanks mate!

The g/f's family live in Wrexham, so we'll be staying around there for the first few days of the hol, then moving off to the nicer bits

I'm really looking forward to it. I've never been to Wales, and all my outdoor activities have taken place in the Highlands because it's accessible, I live there I ain't really into attractions either, scenery does it for me, as I'm sure it does for everyone else here

[Wallenstein]

My missus is also from that part of the world, so we get up there lots.

If you want a chilled day out have a look at Chirk Castle... my father-in-law is the head gardener there, and it's a nice place to spend a few hours wandering about. Not too far from Llangollen and there are some nice pubs in Chirk.

There's also a couple of great walks over the aqueducts - great for a stroll with the family.

The waterfalls at Pistyll Rhaeadr are nice - great little walk up to Llyn Luncaws from the falls, or take a longer route for some decent ridge walks. The Berwyns are very under-rated.

Don't rule out a trip over the border into Shropshire too - some nice rural villages to check out if that's your thing.