Festive Fun on the Llangollen Pre-Xmas Weekend (December 2025)

On 12 December 2025 19 Ibexers gathered at the picturesque North Wales town of Llangollen for festive cheer and a spot of walking.  Our base was the central and comfy Llangollen Hostel.

All participants had supper at the Corn Mill pub overlooking the River Dee which offered a range of seasonal specialities and well-presented pub fare.

Saturday dawned clear and dry and as usual a range of walks was offered.  David (Wa) led Heather and Mags up onto the rather windy Berwyns to the summit of Cadair Bronwyn and down through varied and at times boggy and hummocky terrain.  Unfortunately the planned pub stop at the end of the walk didn’t happen as the pub concerned had shut.

George led Susan, James, Ann, Judith, Janette and Cathy on a walk east along the Llangollen canal towpath.  They crossed the vertiginous aqueduct and, luckier than David’s group, they found the Aqueduct Arms pub open and duly fortified themselves before returning via the hills to the south of the A5 to the hostel.

Chris took Karen, Catriona, Viv and Jim along the North Berwyn Way to what they thought were the dizzy heights of Vivod Mountain.  After an initial error the hill was duly located and summitted and all returned safely.

Dave (Wi) led Phinella and David (L) south from the A5 towards the Berwyns.  After the bleak and exposed cairn of Moel Fferna the path gave out and a phase of bog-trotting and heather-bashing followed.  Fortunately we eventually reached some forestry paths. A minor road leading along a steep-sided valley back to the A5 meant we didn’t have to use a potentially tricky path.  The walk ended by the seasonally renamed Lapland station of the tourist railway.

Damaris did her own walk and explored Llangollen.

Back at the hostel prosecco and varied snacks were served courtesy of Susan.  A delicious rum-infused fruit cake baked by Janette was also well received.  Those participating in Secret Santa were duly rewarded. Tasty chicken curry with rice prepared by Catriona followed. Although we were pretty full by now we made space for Mags’s rich and scrumptious sticky toffee pudding.

Sunday proved grey and drizzly. George, not daunted, led everyone remaining (except Jim and Viv and Damaris who did their own walks) west along the canal towpath.  We passed the atmospheric ruins of Valle Crucis Abbey (and the less atmospheric caravan park alongside it), joined Offa’s Dyke Path and climbed up to the ruins of Castell Dinas Bran overlooking Llangollen. The jagged stonework bears witness to the struggle in the early Middle Ages between Welsh and English forces for control of the area. After a chilly lunch in the ruins we descended to the town and having said our farewells made our separate ways back home.

Many thanks are due to Cathy and Karen for meticulously organising the weekend and to all participants for making it such an enjoyable event.

Author: Phinella