The walk is about 7½ miles long and is relatively flat for the most part. You will walk along the River Dee, across meadows and along country lanes all with magnificent views of the hills to the west.
Please note some stiles are not dog-friendly.
Caution! Temporary Fences
There are three points on the walk where temporary fences cross the footpath (marked by asterisks). Wrexham Council have advised they will advise the relevant landowners to modify the fences for walkers. The single-wire fences are passable, but we leave it to your discretion as to whether to attempt the walk at this time.
Castle Gate
We started in Holt, but you can begin anywhere along the circular route of course. Standing on the A5102 or Wrexham Road with your back to Bellis Brothers Garden Centre, turn left and walk towards the centre of Holt. Take the second right onto Castle Gate. Follow the path on the left by the green metal bench (1) and go through the tubular metal barriers.
Turn left onto Francis Lane and then second right onto Dee Lane. Follow the road down to the river Dee and the bridge over the A534. Keep following the road which becomes a gravel track. Follow this and go through the metal kissing gate by the metal waymarker post on the left. Walk along the left-hand edge of a field with the river on your left.
Crewe Hill
Follow the meanders of the river for 1¼ miles until you walk past the large white property on the other side of the river called Crewe Hill. Walk through the gap in the hedge ahead. There is an oak tree to the left and two more slightly to the right.
In this next field, follow the river until you reach the hedge running across in front of you. You’ll see an oak tree to your left with a white sign saying “Private Land. No Shooting”. Turn left here and then right over the stile into the next field.
Head for the gap in the hedge line more or less due south. The gap is just to the right of a dead tree. Once through, head for the solitary oak tree next to some posts. Go past the left of the tree and continue straight on so the fence is parallel to you on your right. You’ll come to a gateway with a yellow way marker on the left post and the metal gate lying on the ground. You’ll see three large trees (2). Pass the first two on the right and the third one on the left (the third one has two trunks!).
Eroded River Banks
You’ll be walking along the river again now. You can see that the bank is rather eroded here. Go through the gap between the end of the hedgerow in front of you and the river bank (3).
Follow the river path again for about 150 yards until it starts to rise a little. Stop here and turn to look at the field to your right. You’ll see the hedgerow only goes across about two-thirds of the field. Looking towards the open part, head for the two posts standing on their own (due south).
Turn right just before the posts and follow the hedge line and very large oak tree. Go through the gap in the hedge on your left. You’ll see a yellow arrow way marker. Turn right along the path. After a couple of minutes, you’ll come to a break in the hedge on your right. There’ll be an old metal gate ahead of you. Turn right through the gap into a field. Turn left immediately (4) and head for the gateway in the fence/hedge ahead of you and slightly to your right.
Park Farm
Once through the gateway, turn left and follow the winding vehicle track through the next field. The track bends to the right into another field and then left. When the track starts bending around to the right a second time (5), carry straight on.
You’ll see a large red-brick farm (Park Farm) ahead of you. Go through the gap in the hedge and climb over the metal-barred gate to the left of the white house onto Lower Road. Turn right and walk along the lane for a few minutes until you reach the abandoned trailer on your left just before Park Farm (6). Follow the green metal waymarker to the left.
Go through the metal kissing gate. Head straight on with the hedge and the farm your right. After passing a telegraph pole in the hedge, go through the metal kissing gate also in the hedge. Turn left. The exit to the field is ahead of you (due west). You’ll go over a bridge, with a metal gate at either end.
Ridleywood Road
Carry straight on parallel to the hedgerow on your right. Go through the metal gate at the far end of the field. Head for the telegraph pole in the next field (*) and go through another metal gate beyond. Walk past the solitary oak tree and to the right of the hedgerow in front of you (7). Follow the line of this hedgerow and walk past another oak tree. Exit the field through the metal kissing gate.
You’re now on the B5130. Please take care with the traffic here. Turn right and walk along the road for a short while. Go past the junction for Ridleywood Road and turn left onto the marked footpath just before the farm. Walk a short distance and go through the double metal gate on your right. Turn left and walk across the two fields following the hedgerow on your left.
At the end of the second field, go through the double metal gate. Turn left and then right immediately after the hedge (*). Walk along to the left of the hedgeline (north) until you draw level with the patch of bullrushes in the middle of the field. You’ll see a double metal gate ahead. Keep following the right hedgeline as far as Aldersea Farm in front of you.
Hop over the stile to the left of the farm. Walk to the left of the greenhouse and along the Staffordshire gravel path. Take the narrow path between the henhouse and the bushes.
Cornish Hall
Climb over the stile and cross the short wooden bridge. Once on the lane, turn left and then right, following the waymarker for “Commonwood ¾ mile”. Hop over the stile and walk parallel to the hedgerow and oak trees on your right. You’ll see Cornish Hall ahead of you. Climb the stile you see as the hedge starts to bend in front of you. You’ll see a path through the trees and, beyond that, another stile. Step over the wooden bars and across the wonky bridge (2) into the next field. Keeping northwest, walk in the direction of the second telegraph pole. You’ll see a stile beyond it.
Cross the A534, go over the two stiles and walk straight on with the farm buildings on your left (3). Go through the gate and continue straight on (the farmer has removed the electric fence that was here when I scouted the walk). Climb over the stile. Continue with the hedge immediately to your right and go through the gap in the hedgeline ahead of you.
Commonwood Road
Hop over the stile ahead of you onto Commonwood Road. Turn right and walk along the lane for about half a mile.
When the lane bends sharply to the left, go straight on down the wooden steps and through the metal gate. Walk along the hedge on your right, ignoring the metal gate in the hedge. Carry straight on and go through the metal gate in front of you. Once in the next field, walk along the hedge to your right. Cross the bridge in front of you and hop over the stile into the
next field. Walk past the line of three oak trees and then past the row of two oak trees. Go through the metal gate into the next field. Walk straight across and over the next stile.
Walk along the hedgerow to your left, through the gap ahead of you and straight up the track by the white-topped post. Follow the track past the field on your left with the raised metal planters and follow the track around to the right. Carry on along the track about 50 yards and follow it to the left just past the metal barred gate and telegraph pole. You’ll see Bellis Brothers Garden Centre ahead of you. Follow the track to the left of the hedge with the car park on the other side. Walk for a couple of minutes until you come to some buildings. Turn right and you’re back at the garden centre!
Check our love-wrexham.com/walk-disclaimer before undertaking any of our walks.
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