Wales

Erddig French meadow walk through Emes' pleasure park

Dog walkers nearing Erddig's Dovecote | © National Trust/Steve Rawlins

Erddig's French meadow trail is a 3.5-mile circular walk in Wrexham around a red waymarked route through a mix of riverside paths, a meadow and woodland.

Near to

Erddig Hall and Garden

Start point

Erddig car park, grid ref: SJ326481

Trail information

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Difficulty*

Accessibility**

Full trail

DistanceMiles: 3.5 (km: 5.6)

Duration1 hour 30 mins to 3 hours

Dog friendly***

*Fairly easy terrain with one short steep climb and uneven surfaces. For further details, please see section marked Terrain.
**The route is not fully wheelchair accessible. For further information, please see section marked Access.
***Please keep your dog on a lead throughout. For further information, please see section marked Facilities.

Discover the natural lake and wetland wildlife

With over 30 ponds on the estate, the lake in the French meadow was formed in the 1980s by subsidence caused by coal mining. Today it is an oasis for a wide variety of birds, mammals and invertebrates.

Address
Erddig car park, Wrexham, Wales, LL13 0YT.
Directions via Google Maps
By train
Wrexham Central station is 1.7 miles away; Wrexham General station is 1.9 miles away via Erddig Road and footpath.
By bus
Take the Arriva 2 from Oswestry, Route 4 from Penycae, or Route 5 from Llangollen. Stop at Felin Puleston, then a 1-mile walk through Erddig country park.
By road
Follow the brown signs on the A525 Whitchurch Road or the A483. Exit at junction 3.
Total stages: 17
Total stages: 17
Start point
Erddig car park, grid ref: SJ326481
Stage 1
Start by the dovecote and walk east through the coach park, continuing straight on to the stony track. On your right you'll see the dead oak tree (Quercus robur), which is home to barn owls and a myriad of invertebrates.
Stage 2
Follow the path round to the left and past the ha-ha.
Uninterrupted views
If you look westwards to your left past the ha-ha, you will see the back of the house, the canal water feature and a glimpse of the 18th-century formal gardens. The elaborate wrought iron gates from Stansty Hall, thought to be constructed by the Davis brothers, were installed at Erddig in 1977 when the house opened to the public. Ha-has are a quirky kind of wall built in the 17th and 18th century on country estates of the landed gentry. They typically formed a boundary between the estate's gardens and grounds and were built to be invisible from the house, ensuring a clear view across the estate.
Stage 3
Continue along the path and enter Big Wood.
Stage 4
Follow the path round to the left and take the right-hand path, following the waymarkers.
Stage 5
At the next set of waymarkers turn right and continue along Lime Walk, enjoying the views across the French meadow, following the course of the Clywedog River below you.
For over 300 years visitors have been welcomed to explore the parkland at Erddig | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor
Stage 6
At the end of Lime Walk go through the kissing gate onto the road. Take care when entering the road as there is a blind bend. Turn left and make your way down the steep road over the bridge and towards Sontley Road car park.
Stage 7
At the car park, turn left and go through the kissing gate into the French meadow and continue straight across the fields, passing through a wooden farm gate half way along. In winter this route is quite wet, so an alternative is to walk through Coed-Y-Glyn Wood beyond the car park and follow the footpath to the left.
Stage 8
Continue through the French meadow until reaching the stone footpath of Erddig Road, turning left over the stone bridge.
Stage 9
Continue straight along the footpath, following the course of Black Brook and over a second stone bridge.
Stage 10
A little further on, head over the wooden bridge on your right and towards the Cup and Saucer water feature.
Cup and Saucer waterfall
The Cup and Saucer waterfall was designed by William Emes in the 1770s along with many other features on the estate. The cylindrical waterfall drops about 10ft and was designed to lower the Black Brook quickly to prevent erosion. There is also a hydraulic ram from the late 18th-century, which used to pump 10,000 gallons of water 90ft uphill to supply the gardens and fountains. The thud of the ram was known as the 'Heartbeat of Erddig'.
Visitors at Erddig's Cup and Saucer water feature | © Natalie Overthrow
Stage 11
Staying on the left-hand side of the Cup and Saucer water feature, head through the wooden kissing gate, following the red waymarker sign. You'll follow the course of Black Brook through fields commonly used for grazing the trust's shire horses, particularly in the summer months.
Stage 12
After going through the second kissing gate, go straight across the field, to an opening in the woodland through another kissing gate and up a gentle slope.
Stage 13
Turn right and walk 100 metres along the main drive and then turn left, heading through a kissing gate onto Green Lane footpath.
Stage 14
Continue along the footpath, bearing left as you go through a wooden gate. There are many wooden structures just off the footpaths in this area. They were used for the cross-country element of the annual Welsh National Horse Carriage Trials that used to take place on the estate.
Stage 15
Passing Sontley Lodge Farm on the right, continue along the stoned drive and head through a kissing gate on your left into Forest Wood and head straight down the central track.
Stage 16
Turn left when reaching Forest Drive and go over the cattle grid at the bottom.
Stage 17
Turn right and follow the edge of Forest Wood back up to the dovecote.
End point
Erddig car park, grid ref: SJ326481
Trail map
Erddig French meadow walk through Emes' pleasure park trail map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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The 18th-century house at Erddig, viewed across the lake with the water in the foreground.

Place

Erddig Hall and Garden

Explore a much-loved home, garden and estate filled with the stories of a family and their servants

A father and son lean over the parapet of the stone bridge in the park at Erddig, Wrexham, Wales

Trail

Erddig riverside walk

A circular waymarked walk around Erddig's estate, along the River Clywedog, past an 18th-century water feature, castle remains and historic defensive earthworks.

A family walking their dogs in the park at Erddig, Wrexham, Wales

Trail

Erddig Big Wood trail

Explore a gentle stroll around the parkland at Erddig on this circular walk. Wander through woodland and discover the ancient remains of a Norman motte and bailey castle as you join the historic and mysterious Wat’s Dyke way.