This month’s walk revolves around the Bangor-on-Dee disused railway.
It’s all about a river, levees and a disused railway on this month’s walk. Bangor-On-Dee is one of our most charismatic villages with its distinctive bridge and famous racecourse. It also has several noteworthy geographical features and a rare example of railway bridge architecture, which hides a remarkable past.
The walk is 5.35 miles long and is of easy to moderate difficulty. The walk is pretty level throughout but does have some occasional inclines. It should take you around 2½ to 3 hours.
The total ascent is only about 211 feet or just over 64 metres, with the highest point being 132 feet or just over 40 metres.
| Walk length | 5 miles |
| Difficulty | Moderate – steady climb for the first half of the walk |
| Approximate walk duration | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Total ascent | 876 feet or about 267 metres |
| Highest point | 1,433 feet or just over 435 metres |
“Pre-Amble”
The first part of the walk follows the winding river Dee before you start crossing grassy meadows and walking along quiet country lanes. You’ll also walk along a levee and, in the second part of the walk, a disused railway track.
You’ll definitely need ankle-high boots, as much of the terrain is pretty muddy. A couple of the stiles are a bit the worse for wear and require care when crossing.
The route seemed reasonably dog-friendly as I only walked through one field containing livestock. There are stretches along country lanes and, at one point, a main road, so you will need to keep your dog on a lead.
Starting Point
I parked up on High Street (B5069), opposite St Dunawd’s Church (LL13 0BU; what3words.com/reframe.relief.weeknight).
Bangor-on-Dee is reachable via the A525, the main road between Wrexham and Whitchurch. You can also take the A483, coming off at junction 2.
Disclaimer
Important: Your safety is our top priority. Before attempting any of our walks, you must read and understand the disclaimer at love-wrexham.com/walk-disclaimer.
Always remember to read ahead of your current position in the walk directions in case we mention an upcoming potential hazard.
Walk Directions
High Street, Bangor-on-Dee
Stand with your back to the church and cross the road. Walk to the left of the Royal Oak and up the path to the right of the boat house (1).
Go through the gate and walk along the gravel path. Continue through two wooden gates (the second is a kissing gate) after passing a large house on the right. Follow the pass along the river bank to your left. A few minutes later, go through another wooden kissing gate to the left of a wider cattle gate.
Walk between two oak trees in a gap between the river and the end of the hedgeline in front of you.
There are a couple of options now. You can turn slightly diagonally right and go through the gap with an open metal gate in the hedgeline on the left, or you can just follow the path after the oak trees as it bends round to the right. Take the left fork and hop over a stile into a small field enclosure. Exit this small enclosure through the gap in the fence.
Water Pumping Station
You’ll see a water pumping station (2) over the river to your left and beyond it, on top of the hill, a large agricultural-looking warehouse that is part of the Maelor Foods complex.
Follow the path along the river bank and go through the gaps between the two sets of wooden fence poles. Follow the river path around to the right and either go through the stile on the left or the wooden kissing gate a little to the right of the stile in the hedgeline ahead of you.
The two paths converge anyway after a few yards. Keep following the course of the river. Walk through another wooden kissing gate in the middle of the line of conifers (3).
You’ll see a raised line of ground to your right and Bangor-on-Dee beyond. The raised line of ground is apparently a levee built to protect the village if the river Dee breaks its banks.
The Bangor-on-Dee disused railway walk is just one of the dozens of local walks available on our website – click here to see more of them.
A Levee And An Apiary
The path bends away from the river as you go through a metal kissing gate. Use the steps to walk over the levee and down the other side. Go through another metal kissing gate and turn left. Climb the steps on the left (4) and walk along the levee.
You’ll pass an apiary and two cottages on your right. The raised section gives you a great view of the river. Go through two metal gates and down some concrete flag steps. You’re back following the river bank now.
The path bends to the right, and you’ll find yourself in a field. There’s an archway under a bridge dead ahead of you. However, you follow the river bank path to the left corner of the field, hop over the stile and then take the earth track in front of the end of the disused railway track. Be careful of the metal piling step.
You’ll see quite clearly where the metal span traversed the river before it was removed, and engineers left the dramatic brick ends of the railway on either side of the water (5).
According to a report online, the metal bridge was blown up in 1963 (any further information about the bridge would be very welcome). You can see exactly how the original bridge looked in the feature image (courtesy of Andrew Dyke)
An Unexpected Drop
Turn right after the bridge end and walk towards the stile in the far hedge and fence line next to the metal gate. Turn left and walk along the lane for a few minutes. Cross a bridge over a tributary of the River Dee (I can’t find the name) and climb the stile to the right just before the metal cattle gate.
Please note the stile is in poor condition, and the opening is quite narrow. The gate, however, is very sturdy and probably fairly easy to climb over.
Walk along the raised part of the field in front of the stile (another levee?) for a few yards and climb over the stile (6) you’ll see in the hedgerow.
Again, this stile looks a little worse for wear and has an unexpected drop. Be careful stepping onto the log on the other side as my foot slid right off.
Dongrey Farm
The raised section continues in this next field, so follow it for a short distance and then go through the gap with the yellow waymarker arrow in the hedgerow on your right. Walk along the continuation of the raised section for a few yards. Turn left as the ground flattens out, and head for the metal power line post.
Walk to the left of the supporting cables of the power lines and head for the wooden post with the yellow arrow waymarker post. You’ll see a high, red brick wall beyond it.
Turn right and walk a few yards past Dongrey Farm on your left. Turn left at the T-junction onto Dongrey Lane and pass the red-brick house called The Dongrey.
The Bangor-on-Dee disused railway walk is just one of the dozens of local walks available on our website – click here to see more of them.
Station Road
Turn right when you reach Station Road (B5069). This road is fairly busy but does have grass verges you can walk along. However, the bridge you come to fairly quickly does not have a pedestrian walkway, so please take care when crossing.
Turn left at the green metal bridal path sign about three minutes after you cross the bridge and just before the red-brick cottages on the left (7).
Go through the horse gate and walk across the field following the left-hand hedge line. Go through the gate ahead to reach the following field after a few minutes.
Turn diagonally right and head for the hedgeline opposite (southwest) – you’ll see Bangor-on-Dee more or less in front of you. Go through the gate in the hedgerow and walk around the right-hand perimeter of Highgate House.
As you come to the end of the house fence, exit the field through the wide horse gate and turn right. Turn left when you reach the tarmacked track. You’ll find yourself on a raised road parallel to the A525 Bangor-on-Dee to Whitchurch road.
Walk past Bank Farm Caravan Park and Bank Farm on your left and a footpath sign on your right. Cross the road (looking both ways) when you reach the end of the buildings. Hop over the stile in the hedge in front of you (be careful of the wobbly step). Go through the gap in the hedgeline ahead of you to the left of the tall oak.
Twin Metal Gates
Once through the gap, follow the right-hand hedgeline and exit through the gap in the hedge ahead of you.
Head for the right-hand corner of this field and use the stile towards the end of the hedgerow on your right. It is pretty sturdy, but one of the steps is at an angle, meaning you have to negotiate it carefully. Turn left once you’re over the stile and go through the twin metal gates with the bridge in between (8).
Turn left and follow the perimeter of the field until you reach the path going upwards to the left after a few yards. Take this path up to the disused railway line and turn right.
I thought it was curious they’d used artificial grass to line the track underfoot. Anyway, you walk under a bridge after a few minutes and then about five minutes further on, you’ll come to a wooden post with a white piece of rectangular plastic on it on your right and a metal walkers’ gate standing alone on the left (9).
Turn right here and skirt around the right-hand edge of the field. Walk past the metal walker’s gate on your right as you reach the bottom of the slope. Go through the metal walker’s gate onto the lane and turn right.
Walk a short way, crossing Millbrook Bridge. Walk past Millbrook Farm on your right and go through the pretty wooden gate just after it on the same side.
The Bangor-on-Dee disused railway walk is just one of the dozens of local walks available on our website – click here to see more of them.
Bangor Rough Coppice
Walk around the farm perimeter to the right and follow the wooden fence down the slope past the metal barn. Cross the field, go down the dip, through the double gates with a boarded bridge over Millbrook. Walk up the hill between the group of trees known as Bangor Rough Coppice and the solitary dead oak and stagnant pool.
The stile in the hedgerow ahead is so dilapidated it is almost impossible to get over. I just undid the orange plastic rope on the metal gate to the right and went through that to get to the next field.
Head for the green barn more or less in front of you and hop over the stile at the right-hand end of the wooden fence (10).
There’s barbed wire on either side of the top of the stile, so be careful when climbing over it. Walk along the fence and then trees on your right, maybe past some hens, but definitely over the branches and apples strewn on the ground.
Millbrook Lane
Hop over the stile and turn right on Millbrook Lane. Walk for about a minute, passing the impressive Cloy Heights and Cloy Farm House. Take the stile just after the double metal gates on the left.
Walk down the slope in the direction of the church at Bangor-on-Dee. Go through the metal kissing gate in the right-hand part of the hedgerow running in front of you and cross the boarded bridge. Cross the small field and exit using the green metal walker’s gate in the wooden fence. Walk up the drive, past the white houses and turn right when you reach the B5069. Take care as you walk along the road.
Walk under the A525 road bridge and keep following the road. After about five minutes, you’ll reach the church where you started the walk.
Congratulations! You have finished the walk!
We hope you enjoyed the Bangor-on-Dee Disused Railway Walk. Click here to see more of our walk articles.
