Walking

Walkingworld

WEPRE PARK AND EWLOE CASTLE

Wepre Park is located to the south and above the built up areas of Connah’s Quay –a region not normally linked with outdoor country walking. However, Wepre Park is a real breath of fresh air and covers around 160 acres of parkland and ancient woodland. The park receives around 200,000 visitors a year and is much loved by dog walkers and families. There is a visitor centre, a children’s playground, an outdoor gym, football playing fields and various

other outdoor facilities including a very picturesque tree hung fishing lake which is very popular. A lot of visitors stay close to

the main car park which is where the majority of the facilities are

located but there is much more to Wepre Park than this. Todays walk rises through woodland on good tracks to eventually reach the atmospheric ruins of Ewloe Castle and then returns through trees to descend and circle the fishing lake before returning to the start.

Although a bit strenuous in places this walk will suit walkers of all ages and makes a delightful morning or afternoon outing where you will find it hard to believe you are so close to the town of Connah’s

Quay with its shops, pubs and buildings. ‘Wepre’ is an unusual name but is thought to be from the Welsh word ‘Gwybre’ which translates as Water Hill, but to be fair the name of Wepre Park has changed many times over the last eight centuries. Wepre woods and the original estate go back hundreds of years and are recorded in the Domesday book. The hall that once stood on the estate has been demolished but the original cellars from it still exist beneath the current visitor centre. Ewloe Castle is an impressive ruin despite the fact it was abandoned as long ago as 1277 and you should allow time to explore it on your visit. It was one of the very last Welsh castles to be built by the Sovereign Prince of Wales. The castle took many years to build from locally quarried sandstone and was probably never completely finished.

This is a walk to linger over and not rush, so choose a nice day and take a packed lunch with you and you will enjoy a wonderful outing

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

J Distance: 2.0 miles/3.21 kilometres J Time: Allow around 1.5–2 hours J Start: Use the large free carpark for Wepre

Park which is to the south of Connah’s Quay.

The car park is located off Wepre Park Road close to its junction with Richmond Road J Grid Ref: SJ 294684 J Nearest postcode: CH5 4HW J Ordnance Survey Map: Ordnance Survey

Explorer 266 – Wirral and Chester J What to expect: The walk uses a mixture of good tracks and paths in woodland and open ground and has some rough going in places.

There are sections of ascent and descent with one particularly steep set of steps on the return route. Care should be taken with children around the castle ruins as there are steep steps and big drops in places J Dogs: OK on leads J Suitable for: All walkers who don’t mind a few steep ups and downs J Refreshments: Connah’s Quay is nearby where you will find plenty of cafés,

restaurants, pubs and shops

5

4

3

START/ FINISH

2

WALK DETAILS

START

https://openstreetmap.org/copyright https://openstreetmap.org Exit the car park in the top right hand corner to go ahead Copyright OpenStreetMap and contributors, under an open licenceon a tarmac path signposted for the visitor centre. Pass a skate park and children’s play area. When you reach the black gates of the visitor centre bear right. In a short distance, just before a sign on a rock (‘Ranger/Ceidwad’) go left and stay left almost immediately to curve right of the visitor centre and then curve left behind it to join a large track.

Points of interest on this section

J Wepre Park covers around 160 acres of parkland and ancient woodland. The park receives around 200,000 visitors a year and is much loved by dog walkers and families

Go right on the track. Continue to a crossroad of tracks 2 and go straight ahead (signed for ‘Ewloe Castle’). Follow the tree hung track and when the Brook Walk joins from the left continue ahead with a brook below left. Soon the track starts to rise (still in trees) – at the next junction continue ahead for ‘Ewloe Castle’. Rise to a clearing with red rocks (Hollins rock) and an information board. From here descend the track into thicker woods and for a short distance you are very close to the brook. At the next crossroad of tracks and paths continue ahead (signposted ‘Ewloe Castle 5-minute walk). Cross a wooden bridge over a brook to follow a narrower rising path still in trees. Rise steeply to climb steps and at the top bear right to climb a second set of steps to emerge at the ruins of Ewloe Castle.

Points of interest on this section

J Red rocks are a regular feature of Wepre Park with their distinctive colour being due to the iron content of the sandstone in this region. Much of Ewloe Castle is built from this rock Continue left around the castle to reach a set of metal steps. 3 Use them to climb into the castle to have a look around – you can carefully climb quite high in the castle ruins using steps. After spending time in the castle re-trace your steps down the metal steps and the wooden steps to cross the bridge over the brook and reach the track and path crossroads with the sign for ‘Ewloe Castle 5-minute walk’. Here go left to climb steep steps into thicker woodland. At the top continue on a narrow path between bushes to reach a path junction right by a sign for ‘Wepre Country Park’ – there is a gate ahead at this point. 4 Go right and walk through open ground to stay ahead at a path junction. At the next path junction stay ahead and soon reach a better path – stay ahead on this. Follow the path to descend in trees to reach the fishing lake of Rosie’s Pool.

Points of interest on this section

J Rosie’s Pool is popular with anglers and contains a wide variety of coarse fish.

Go left to walk beside the lake and curve right around it 5 (houses left) to reach a notice board. Take the path to the left of this and follow the tarmac path around the lake to reach a gate. Take the path left of the gate which is rougher. Sty ahead at a junction left and continue by the lake. At a path junction reach a tarmac path and go left following it besides playing fields.

Re-join your outbound route at a path junction by the gates of the visitor centre and go left to walk back to the carpark and start point.

A WORD OF CAUTION

Walking in the outdoors can be a strenuous activity and it is up to you to ensure that you are fit and healthy enough to undertake the route described and to approach the venture with caution and care. You should wear appropriate footwear and suitable clothing, take along food and drink plus carry the relevant map and a compass and be able to use it. The details given here are believed to be correct at the time of going to press. However, neither North Wales Magazine nor the author can accept responsibility for inaccuracies encountered.

SUBSCRIBE

to the only monthly magazine for the region and never miss an issue again!

North Wales Magazine is the only monthly publication dedicated to this fabulous region. You can subscribe for £2.99 per month – or an annual subscription is just £29.90 for all 12 issues...

Visit www.northwalesmagazine.com/subscribe to sign up today or Email: subscribe@northwalesmagazine.co.uk for more information

MAGAZINE