Local Attractions

Vale of Llangollen

Tower Hill Barns is nestled in the scenic and outstandingly beautiful Vale of Llangollen. This broad rift valley is set around the winding River Dee and includes very many natural features and historical treasures, making the area a really special location for visitors and locals alike.

From certain spectacular vantage points, such as the Panorama, Castell Dinas Bran and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, you can see amazing views along the valley and the hills of the surrounding areas. But even back down to earth, there’s still a wealth of activities, landmarks and fascinating attractions to discover and explore while you’re here.The Shropshire Union Canal runs from Llangollen over the Welsh/English border through Shropshire into Cheshire. Ironically, the beginning of the steam age coincided with the completion of this canal network, ultimately rendering it redundant for the industrial use it was originally intended for. That meant that from the outset it was neglected and it fell into disrepair for decades, until a regeneration programme in the 1980s brought it back to life.

Nowadays visitors are free to walk or cycle along the restored footpaths that run beside the canal, as well as to travel along it by narrow boat (although some stretches of the canal are not navigable by motorized crafts because the waterway is too narrow for boats to turn around). There are even some horse drawn barges still operating – a fascinating taste of days gone by.

 

The Horseshoe Falls – an attractive feature for walkers

The Horseshoe Falls is an attractively curved artificial weir on the River Dee, constructed to help regulate water supply, helping to keep the water levels higher throughout the year. It was designed in 1806 by Thomas Telford, the engineer responsible for the Pontsycyllte Aqueduct. Many of the recommended local walking routes  around this area take in the Horseshoe Falls.

If you’re a keen golfer, then the Vale of Llangollen Golf Club is a major local golf club, attracting players from across the UK. Tower Hill Barns guests wanting to play a round of golf can contact the club as a visitor to arrange tee times. It could be the ideal accompanying activity for a corporate function at our Trevor venue.

Authentic victorian designed stations all along the Llangollen Railway

The Llangollen Railway runs through the Vale, having been reopened in 1975, with substantial help from volunteers. Every station along the track has an authentically Victorian design, complete with the 1950s colour scheme of the Great Western Railway. It holds regular themed open days, such as the annual Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends event in October, where families get to meet The Fat Controller face to face, and even have a ride on Thomas!

For commanding views of the Vale of Llangollen, the steep hill at Castell Dinas Bran is well worth a visit. The castle ruins also have a rich and legendary history of their own. Another vantage point is the Pontecysyllte Aqueduct – a Grade one listed building and the largest and highest aqueduct in Britain. You can either brave the heights and walk or ride along its 1007ft length, or gaze at it from the comfort of the coffee shop and visitors’ centre below.

An 800 year old Abbey ruins

The Valle Crucis Abbey in the Vale of Llangollen was founded in the 13th Century by Cistercian monks. Nowadays it’s a stunningly evocative and photogenic ruins and it’s in the care of CADW. Though around 800 years old, the abbey still retains many of its original features such as a 14th century inscription, an elaborately carved doorway, a chapter house with a rib-vaulted roof, and an original medieval fishpond.

These sights and attractions are just a few of the reasons people come to the Vale of Llangollen. Beyond this, the breathless unspoken beauty of the natural and remote Welsh wilderness all around is reason enough to visit. The Vale of Llangollen is packed full of attractions for your guests to explore when they come to Tower Hill Barns wedding and events venue.

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