Liverpool Shore Excursion

We then head up the River Dee valley and over the ‘Panorama’ to the picturesque town of Llangollen. There is enough to fill a brochure in Llangollen with a myriad of colourful shops and a strong café and foodie culture. Plas Newydd is a stone house converted into a gothic fantasy by its famous inhabitants the ‘’Ladies of Llangollen’. At Valle Crucis Abbey, founded by Cistercian monks in 1201, you would expect to find a life of religious austerity – but, it was better known for its lavish hospitality of silver service and ale ‘flowing like a river’. The ancient hill fort of Castell Dinas Bran, with its links to the legends of King Arthur, is perched atop a steep hill overlooking the town. Travel by steam up the Dee valley on the Llangollen Heritage Steam railway or take life at a slower pace aboard a horse-drawn barge along the Llangollen Canal. Thrill-seekers can take a white-water rafting trip down the tumbling waters of the River Dee, go rock climbing on the local limestone escarpments or mountain biking at the 2 local purpose-built centres.

After lunch, its time to head back over the border and to explore the ancient roman city of Chester. Founded as a Roman garrison town in the 1st century it later became immensely wealthy as one of the main trading ports in Britain. The Roman walls are still in fine repair and form a 2-mile ring circling the city. Nowadays they offer a fine walk offering panoramic views of the bustling city centre and linking many places of interest like the Roman Amphitheatre, the 1000-year-old cathedral and the ‘Rows’. The 700-year old half-timbered ‘Rows’ are the focal point of shopping in Chester. The two-tiered galleries built in Tudor style are packed with modern shops, galleries, and restaurants.