Discover the Stunning Beauty Spots on Our Doorstep
It’s Discover National Parks Fortnight between the 4th-18th April. Did you know that Wrexham Glyndŵr University is just a short drive, train or bus ride from some of Snowdonia National Park’s most popular spots?
Snowdonia National Park is 823 square miles of beautiful and diverse countryside. A living working area, it is home to 26,000 people – more than half of whom speak Welsh. It includes Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa in Welsh), the highest mountain in England and Wales at 1,085 metres, and the largest natural lake in Wales, Llyn Tegid, which is 6 km by 0.8 km.
Its picturesque towns and villages include Betws y Coed, Beddgelert, Dolgellau, Y Bala and Harlech. It’s a 1.5 hour drive from Wrexham to Llanberis where the Snowdon ascent begins, and there are regular trains from Wrexham to Betws y Coed (40 miles away) and buses to Y Bala (30 miles away).
Naturally, climbing Snowdon is on many people’s bucket lists, but like many national parks across the world, Snowdonia National Park often sees too many visitors descending on Snowdon at peak times. This causes issues with crowding, irresponsible parking, path erosion and rubbish. It’s a good idea to consider helping the sustainable tourism cause by walking one of Snowdonia National Park’s many other beautiful mountain paths instead, or visiting Snowdon during a quiet time.
Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal
Nearer to campus we have a World Heritage Site just eight miles away – the stunning Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and Canal, built between 1795 and 1808 by two famous figures in the development of civil engineering: Thomas Telford and William Jessop.
The aqueduct is situated in the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Beauty, one of only five AONBs in Wales. Wrexham Glyndŵr University is nearest to the South side which, as well as the aqueduct, includes the Berwyn Mountains, Llandegla Moors, Ruabon Mountain and the spectacular limestone cliffs of the Eglwyseg Escarpment. Places to visit include the remains of Castell Dinas Bran, Eliseg’s Pillar and Valle Crucis Abbey, as well as Chirk Castle.
Chirk Castle
We have no shortage of stunning places to explore, so safely get outdoors, enjoy Discover National Parks Fortnight and tag @glyndwruni in those selfies!
Covid-19 restrictions: At the time of writing, the Welsh Government has allowed travel within Wales from March 27. The roadmap for England indicates travel will not resume until at least April 12. Click for the latest guidance for: