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Erw Gerrig Country Cottages sit in the heart of The World Famous Ceiriog Valley which was described by Lloyd George as 'a little bit of heaven on earth'. The Valley is also know as 'Little Switzerland'. From outside the cottages there are numerous walks heading in all directions, including The National Trail The Upper Ceiriog Way which passes in front of the cottages next to The River Ceiriog. Another National Trail, The Llwybr Ceiriog Trail, passes within a mile of the cottages, with the famous Offa's Dyke Path National Trail a couple of miles away.

Just a couple of minutes walk away is Pandy Mill, which was a fulling mill dating from 1365 and is now an independent art gallery specialising in glass art, paintings, textiles, and sculptures in wood, together with a comfortable tea room overlooking the Rivers Ceiriog and Teirw.

There are numerous walks right from the doorstep leading in virtually all directions. If you wish to travel further afield and leave the car behind, there is a bus stop outside the farm just down the lane and also a very reasonable taxi service in the valley.

You can bring your bike and cycle the Ceiriog Valley 25 mile cycle route which passes within a hundred yards of the cottages.

All three of the cottages have their own OS maps of the area, showing all the local walks.

The views of stunning landscapes start right at your front door with the dramatic cliffs opposite (which have a safe footpath to climb them from behind).

(© 2007 ~ All images on this website are copyrighted by Erw Gerrig Country Cottages and cannot be used without permission)

...and the view from the top, with the cottages below.

The Ceiriog Valley gives you Wild Wales at its best, beautiful in Summer.......

....and Winter.

The area is one of the best kept secrets in The UK, offering miles of peaceful walks and views, peaceful in the Summer.....

...and dramatic in the Winter.

Beyond is The Tanat Valley, on the back route to Bala (with The Bala Steam Railway), offering stunning views.

North of the cottages, over the hills yet only five miles by the back roads, lies the ancient market town of Llangollen in the Dee Valley, and with over 3000 years of history is a very interesting place to visit. The stone Llangollen bridge was originally built across the River Dee in 1345 by John Trevor 1, the Bishop of St Asaph. The Bridge is one of the Seven Wonders of Wales.

Also in and around Llangollen is:

St Collen's church - the town takes its name from this church. It is situated in the centre of the town and is famous for its beautifully carved Oak roof and stained glass window of St Collen. The walls of the church date back to Norman period.

Plas Newydd was the Gothic home of Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby, from 1780 - 1829, they are often referred to as the Ladies of Llangollen. They became famous throughout the country and entertained many including William Wordsworth, Sir Walter Scott and The Duke of Wellington. The house still retains many of the Gothic features the ladies introduced.  The gardens surrounding the house are worth visiting. (Seasonal opening).

The Royal International Pavilion is host to the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod. Thousands of people visit Llangollen in July each year for the colourful collection of music, costume and dance. The Pavilion also plays host to a variety of entertainment with concerts, festivals, conferences, meetings, events, exhibitions, craft showcase and cinema showings all year round. There is free on-site car parking and full disabled access to the site.

Llangollen Motor Museum - The museum is situated one mile outside Llangollen, alongside the Llangollen canal heading out towards horseshoe pass. They have a collection of more than 60 vehicles - cars, motorcycles, memorabilia and toys from the early part of the 20th century right through to the 1970's. (Seasonal opening).

The Medieval Castle and hill fort Castell Dinas Bran (Dinas Bran Castle) can be seen high above Llangollen. The castle (1062ft) can be reached by a steep climb, the views of Llangollen and the Dee Valley are stunning. This was said to be the possible burial site of the Holy Grail of the Arthurian legends. The Medieval Castle was built in the later part of the 13th Century by the Princes of Powys Fadog. During the wars, it was burnt by the Welsh before it was captured by Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln in 1277. The Castle has never been repaired and ceased to be used from the 1280s.

Valle Crucis Abbey dates from the c.12th century built by a local Welshman, Madoc ap Gruffydd, Prince of Powys who lived at Dinas Bran Castle. The building was partly destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII, the spectacular remains of this Cistercian Abbey are worth a visit.

Elisegs Pillar is one of the most important Dark Age artefacts, it can be found not far from Valle Crucis Abbey. It was erected by Concenn, ruler of Powys in the 9th Century, to commemorate his Great Grand Father Eliseg (from whom the whole valley is named) who saved Powys from falling into the hands of the Saxons. Although the inscriptions are no longer visible they were copied by antiquerian Elfyn Llwyd on his tour of the area in the late 17th century. This inscription included many names which today are associated with the Arthurian legends. The Pillar's present position is not the original one as it was moved during restoration.

Worlds End offers beautiful, peaceful, wooded mountain walks. Located on an ancient road which takes you over Ruabon Mountain, one of the most sacred spots from Bronze Age times, it is strongly linked to the Arthurian Legends. Graig Arthur (Arthur's Seat) to where it is claimed Guinevere was taken after being kidnapped.

The A542 takes you to Horseshoe Pass. At 1362ft, the top of this dramatic pass is a car park and a cafe called The Ponderosa Cafe is open daily and has some seating outside. At weekends, usually during the warmer, drier months you can see a spectacular display of hundreds of motorbikes who visit the area. Large car park, cafe, toilets and a well stocked gift shop. The pass is a great for moorland walks and walks to the summit of Llantysilio Mountain. During the winter months, the road is sometimes blocked by snow.

The Llangollen Steam Railway originally opened in 1862, at one time you were able to board the train in Llangollen and travel to London without a single change! In the mid to late 60s it closed. The Llangollen Railway Society renovated and reopened part of the line in 1975 which is now 7½ miles long from Llangollen along the Dee Valley to Carrog. The trains operate during the weekends virtually all year around, daily from June to October. Generally in the summer months the steam trains are used and during the school holidays Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends are around for train rides to Carrog.

The Llangollen Canal and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct from Llangollen Wharf, where you can embark on a 45-minute horse drawn trip or a two hour trip on the traditional Canal narrow boat, which takes you through the Vale of Llangollen and across the world's biggest aqueduct at Trevor. Towering 126 feet above the river and built by Thomas Telford between 1795 and 1805. It is 1,007 feet long, spanning The Dee Valley on 18 stone piers of constructed using local Cefn sandstone. There are a total of 19 arches, spanning 45 feet each and the water is carried in a cast iron trough whose sections were bolted together and sealed using lead and Welsh flannel. The total cost of the Aqueduct was £47,000 18s 0d. You can either walk over the aqueduct along the path constructed for the working horses or hire a canal barge.

Llangollen Fishing - In and around Llangollen most the fishing is owned by Llangollen Angling Association. Permits can be purchased Newsagents/Fishing Tackle shop at 12 Chapel St, Llangollen. Tel: 01978 860155. No permit holder may fish with out being in possession of a valid Environment Agency rod licence which can be purchased from any Post Office in England and Wales.  There is also plenty of fishing in The Ceiriog Valley and Chirk Fishery is ten minutes from the cottages

The Association has 14 miles (22.53km) of fishing in and around the town with all waters above the Chain Bridge Hotel being strictly fly only for Trout, but spinning and bait fishing is allowed for Salmon. Worm fishing is allowed below the Chain Bridge Hotel for Trout, Grayling and Coarse fish between the 16th of June and the 3rd of March. No spinning, maggots, or any other baits are allowed and keep nets are banned. A bag limit of 4 fish per day applies which can be made up from either Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, or Grayling. All Salmon fishing to Environment Agency byelaws on the use of baits etc.

Llangollen Golf Course - The Vale of Llangollen Golf Club is situated outside the town towards Chirk on the A5. The Vale of Llangollen Golf Club has an 18 hole golf course. The course has been the venue for a number of top Welsh golf tournaments over the years. The course has ample car parking space and welcomes visitors without reservation should you wish to take a round in.

Llangollen is an interesting town with much to see, a selection of shops including Butchers, Bakers, Candle Shop, Art & Craft shop, Iron Mongers, Health shop, China shop, Estate Agent, Florist, Newsagent, a wide selection of Gift shops, Traditional Confectionary & Chocolate Shop, Chemist, Antiques, Book Shops, Clothes shops and Boutique, Outdoor Shop, Canoeing and Rafting, traditional crafts and wood craving, Jewellery Shops and a Deli. Llangollen's library also offers internet access.  We can recommend The Corn Mill for great food and drink with a view, together with a number of small tea shops.

We also like The Grouse Inn. It has excellent views down The River Dee and is west of Llangollen in the village of Carrog. The Carrog Bridge was built in 1660 and the traditional Carrog Railway station is also worth a visit or stop for a cup of tea at their cafe.

East of the cottages is Chirk, home of Chirk Castle, a magnificent Marcher fortress which has been continuously occupied for the last 700 years and is now owned by The National Trust (seasonal).

Another fifteen minutes brings you to Erddig, a completely furnished 18th-century large country house also owned by The National Trust (seasonal).

South-West of the cottages is the famous Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall, the highest waterfall in England and Wales and sixty foot higher than the Niagara Falls.

The are many miles of Greenlanes for the more adventurous 4x4 driver, plus lots of other activities in the area such as rock climbing, canoeing, abseiling, quad bikes, horse riding and fishing to name a few (some may be seasonal).

It is a truly fantastic area to drive!

Above all else, you will find beautiful, unspoilt countryside in almost every direction.

Here are some more photos taken around Erw Gerrig Country Cottages.

We're only approximately one hour from The West Coast line of Wales, the scenery on the way to the coast is stunning, mountains and valleys, beautiful rivers. The beaches at Barmouth and Tywyn are worth a visit to.

Ruthin Gaol is a very interesting place to visit, about 45 minutes from Erw Gerrig Country Cottages

There is just about something for everyone around The Ceiriog Valley which is miles from modern life, yet only 90 minutes from either Birmingham and Manchester.

It is easy to see why so many visitors to Erw Gerrig Country Cottages come back, time after time, year after year.