GPS Cycle and Walking Routes

Gwrych Castle Woods Walks

1 miles (2 km)

This Grade I listed castle is located near Abergele in Conwy, Wales.
The 19th century house is surrounded by an expansive estate with miles of peaceful woodland trails for walkers. The area also includes some beautiful gardens and the viewpoint at Cefn yr Ogof, which stands at a height of 204 metres. There are excellent views towards the coast from this elevated spot. Near here there's also an old stone folly where you can poke your head through the window and enjoy another fine view down to the beach below.
The castle became famous in 2020 when it was used as the setting for the 20th series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! 

Postcode

LL22 8ET - Please note: Postcode may be approximate for some rural locations

Please click here for more information

Gwrych Castle OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Gwrych Castle Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Dog Walking

The woods and viewpoint are a great place for dog walking. You are asked to keep them on leads at all times though.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Just north of the site you can pick up the epic North Wales Path. Follow the trail east and it will take you to Abergele and Rhyl.
To continue your historical walking you could visit the nearby Bodelwyddan Castle.
On the western side of the castle there's the small village of Rhyd y Foel where you can enjoy a climb to the Pen y Corddyn Mawr hill fort. There's more fine views over the River Dulas valley from this interesting ancient site.

Photos

Castell Gwrych - Gwrych Castle - geograph.org.uk - 2710050

Castell Gwrych

Woodland margin - geograph.org.uk - 841389

Woodland margin. The estate of Gwrych Castle is enclosed on all sides by a wall. The seaward side of the hill named Cefn yr Ogof is extensively planted with conifers and the edge of the forest makes a ruler-straight feature in the landscape.

Cefn yr Ogof trig pillar - geograph.org.uk - 841396

Cefn yr Ogof trig pillar. A particularly well preserved pillar adjacent to an enigmatic, ruined structure at the summit of the hill. Cefn yr Ogof relates to the nearby cave in the precipitous seaward edge of the carboniferous limestone outcrop.

Cotoneaster a phinwydd - Cotoneaster and pines - geograph.org.uk - 2710041

Cotoneaster a phinwydd - Cotoneaster and pines

Folly - geograph.org.uk - 841402

Folly. Given that the whole estate of Gwrych Castle is an extravagant folly, the construction of a tower at the top of the steep seaward cliff is a predictable extravagance. The folly is a substantial construction with a fireplace and a chimney, and once had an internal, pitched roof. Under what circumstances it was occupied are obscure. Over the doorway there is a curious inscription, taken from Psalm 95: THE SEA IS HIS AND HE MADE IT: AND HIS HANDS PREPARED THE DRY LAND.

Window with a view - geograph.org.uk - 841435

Window with a view. The view from the single window in the folly is well worth the walk. The tower is perched upon the brink of a high cliff, possibly once approached by the sea when it stood relatively higher than today. The steep lower slopes are densely wooded and give way to the fields of Tan yr Ogof Farm and the beach.

Footpath - geograph.org.uk - 841378

Footpath. The vegetation is encroaching upon the open hillside above the woodland fringing the road to Rhyd-y-Foel. Self-seeded pine and cotoneaster are prominent.

Gwrych Castle - geograph.org.uk - 2919294

Gwrych Castle

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Gwrych Castle.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>'Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Share>Save to Files')