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Please note: Numbers after station names between Wrexham and Shrewsbury
are approximate journey times from Wrexham, with journey times from Shrewsbury in brackets.
Those between Wrexham and Bidston are journey times from Wrexham, with journey times from
Bidston in brackets.
Shrewsbury 38 mins
Shrewsbury is, perhaps, the best-preserved medieval town in England, but has a history
which dates back to the 6th century. Set on rising ground in an almost-complete loop of
the River Severn, two reminders of its role as a border town between England and Wales are
the Welsh Bridge and the English Bridge across the western and eastern loops,
respectively, of the river. The castle - located close to the station - has Norman,
Edwardian and Civil War connections, with a tower added by Telford, the 18th century
engineer and architect better known for his work with roads, canals and railways. Many old
half-timbered buildings remain. The site of the Battle of Shrewsbury - between Henry IV
and the rebellious Sir Henry Percy (the Harry Hotspur of Shakespeare's play) - lies three
miles to the north.
From Shrewsbury, trains connect with services to Machynlleth and
Aberystwyth/Pwllheli or trains on the Marches Line between South
Wales and Liverpool/Manchester.
Gobowen 18 mins (20 mins)
Particularly noteworthy is the station building itself, designed by TK Penson and dating
from 1848.
Most of the village lies to the west of the railway, and is largely residential, however,
less than three miles to the south is
Oswestry, the unofficial hot air ballooning capital of the world.
Oswestry is named after St Oswald, the king of Northumbria who was slain by Pendra King of
Mercia in AD643. An earlier
historical pedigree for the town can be found a mile north of Oswestry, in the remarkable
iron age fort standing on top of a
100ft earthwork which offers splendid views of the surrounding countryside.
Also in the area is the world-famous orthopaedic hospital.
Chirk 12 mins (26 mins)
Surrounded by ornamental gardens, Chirk Castle is half-a-mile west of the town. Begun in
the 13th century, wrought iron gates and a 1½ mile arcade of trees guard the building
which was restored in the 1840s. From the Marina, boats may be hired for cruises along the
Llangollen Canal.
Ruabon 7 mins (31 mins)
Once the seat of the Williams Wynn family whose influence in this part of North Wales was
total from the beginning of the 18th century. Their manor house of Wynnstay has been
redesigned several times, most famously in French Renaissance style by Robert Adam with
the gardens laid out by Capability Brown, and was last occupied by Lindisfarne College.
Ruabon Church contains an effigy of the first Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, and a font also
designed by Robert Adam. Near the church is the Round House, formerly the
eighteenth-century lock-up, used for prisoners being taken to Shrewsbury jail.
Wrexham is served by two stations - the Central (57 mins) and the General 4 mins
(54 mins) - a ½-mile apart.
The town is dominated by the 140-ft pinnacled and decorated tower of St Giles' Church -
once considered one of the seven wonders of Wales. In the churchyard is the grave of Elihu
Yale who gave his name to the famous Connecticut University. In the Clywedog Valley, south
of the town, are reminders of the area's industrial past: A heritage trail through the
valley includes the Minera Lead Mines, the Bersham Ironworks and Heritage Centre - where
cannon for the American War of Independence were cast - and the wildlife centre at Nant
Mill. Two miles south is Erddig Hall, a restored mansion house. Bangor-on-Dee National
Hunt racecourse is three miles south east of the town.
Gwersyllt 7 mins (49 mins) is noted for its church dating from the early
1850s, which has a broach spire, and stained glass windows commemorating its
architect, Thomas Penson. Aerobics and a range of other activities may be found at the Gwyn Evans Sports Centre.
Cefn-y-bedd 11 mins (45 mins)
A quiet village on the River Alyn surrounded by fields and wooded valleys. There is an
industrial estate a mile to the east.
Caergwrle 13 mins (43 mins) briefly was a spa town at the end of the 19th century,
but its well now lies in ruins. So, too, is its former castle, built some six centuries
earlier.
Hope 15 mins (41 mins) stands on the River Alun, and is noted for its church which
has a double nave and contains some stained glass from the 15th century.
Penyffordd 19 mins (37 mins)
Located some distance west of the village, the station also serves the communities of
Rhosybrwyner and Penmynydd. Mostly residential, there is some light industry to the north.
Buckley 23 mins (34 mins) owes its existence to the clay used to produce bricks and
pottery. The chancel of St Emmauel's church is dedicated to 19th century British prime
minister William Gladstone.
Hawarden 27 mins (29 mins) (pronounced harden) has many reminders of William Ewart
Gladstone, four-times Prime Minister of England, who moved into Hawarden Castle (built in
1752 on the site of a 12th century Marcher fortress) after his marriage. There is a statue
of him in front of St Deinol's Library which he built and to which he donated over 30,000
books from his own collection; and he is also commemorated by a stained-glass window in
Hawarden Church by celebrated pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones. Also in the Castle
is the Black Sheep Gallery, specialising in Fine Arts.
Shotton 31 mins (24 mins)
The extensive steel works has closed, and only a tin-plate works remains. Light industry
occupies the Deeside Industrial Park, built on the remainder of the site. The Deeside Ice
Rink is in nearby Queensferry. 13th century Ewloe Castle and Wepre Park are close by,
where ranger activities and nature trails through the woodland are among the attractions
on offer. A short walk to the Low Level station gives access to trains on the Chester - Holyhead line.
Hawarden Bridge 34 mins (22 mins) station is on the north bank of the River Dee,
and now serves the light industry which has replaced Shotton Steel works. The 520ft bridge
from which the station takes its name and which took the train across the river, crosses
the Dee in three spans, the middle of which was swung on a central pier.
Neston 42 mins (15 mins) is part of the Wirral Country Park. Ness Botanical Gardens
are open all-year round, while Hadlow Road station, just over a mile to the east on the
Wirral County Path, is preserved in a timewarp as it looked when it closed in 1956.
Heswall 47 mins (10 mins) and Upton 53 mins (4 mins) stations serve various
communities on the Wirral.
Bidston 58 mins
This is the interchange station for MerseyRail services to Liverpool.
Copyright © 1997/8/9/2000/1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8 by Deryck Lewis. All
rights reserved.
Page created December 5 1997; Redesigned March 29 1999; Updated May 21 2008
If you have any suggestions, comments, or glitches to report, please contact the author at
WalesRails
