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Gobowen Boundary Walk

Difficulty Leisurely

Walking time 2 hours

Length 6.9km / 4.3mi

Route developer: Peter Carr

Route checker: Chris Jenkins

Start location All Saints Parish Church, Chirk Road, Gobowen
Route Summary The walk takes you away from the main built up area into the surrounding lanes and fields.
*move mouse over graph to see points on route
Getting there

By car: The church is 350m from the roundabout in the middle of the village. Car parking available in the side two roads surrounding the church.

By train: Gobowen is on the Chester to Shrewsbury Railway line and the station is just a couple of minutes from the village center.From the station turn right, cross road by zebra crossing, pass co-op and war memorial and go ahead into footpath leading to Old Chirk Road. & join the walk route at the path on the left to the railway bridge.

By bus: Buses run every half hour from Oswestry to the village center. From bus stop in Old Whittington Road walk  North to village center, cross road at zebra crossing and as above

Description

[1] Starting from the entrance of the church on Old Chirk Road, walk south, towards the village centre. After 180 metres take a narrow passage on the right. Follow this and cross footbridge over the railway (Shrewsbury to Chester),leaving fenced path turn half left, cross the field to a gate onto the A5 road (GR 299337). Cross the A5 (very busy – please take care) After crossing A5 there are 2 gates ahead - the right hand one leads into a green lane parallel to the road and you then turn left (west) through the kissing gate and across the field to a gate on the opposite side (GR 298336).

[2] Turn left, going southeast then south, through/over two gates and with old farm buildings in between  to enter a field. Bear slightly right to the stile just left of power lines  and cross into the next field. Continue  following hedge on right over a double stile crossing the fields in a generally southerly direction until you encounter a tarmac road (GR 298329). Turn right and after about 45 metres climb up left into and go through a narrow strip of wood. Continue in a generally southerly direction across two more grass fields to a stile just left of the corner of second field  (3 stiles and a plank bridge over a steam) to a lone house (GR 298327).

[3] Just after the house there is an access lane and just at the start of this is a stile on the left hand side; cross the stile into the field and continue straight across to the far right hand corner of the field. Do not go through either of 2 pedestrian gates. This is the line of Wat’s Dyke (A). The line of Wat’s Dyke 8th Century (although the date is disputed), earth works similar to Offa’s Dyke but probably older is encountered twice on this walk, here and in The Meadows where it forms the western boundary. It extends from Basinwerk Abbey, Holywell, Flintshire to Oswestry and then follows the River Morda and ends somewhere near Maesbury. 

Turn left along the hedge until you reach a field corner with two galvanised gates and a pedestrian gate on the right. Go through the this gate and the go a few metres to the stile you can see ahead in the boundary hedge of the A5 road (GR300327).

[4] Cross the stile onto the A5 and then cross straight over the A5 (as before – please take care). Cross stile again on the easterly side of the A5 and continue east until you meet the Oswestry – Gobowen road; you will see a blacksmiths/ metal workshop opposite. Take the stile at the southerly side of the workshop to enter a field and continue east keeping to the side of the hedge and stream. Cross the obsolete Cambrian Gobowen – Oswestry railway track (B). There are plans to restore this line as a heritage railway. Continue on the footpath (this is now hemmed in between the stream and the Leylande Hedge at the back of the Meadowbrook retirement bungalows) until the main Shrewsbury to Chester railway line (GR 307327).

[5] Take great care and cross the railway track using the steps on either side of the track. You now enter the Derwen College Arboretum (C). The village is home to Derwen college for disabled students. The Derwen College Arboretum was created out of former farmland several years ago. There is a bird hide that is open to the public – acknowledgement of entrance would be appreciated.

Follow waymarks through wood. The footpath passes by a games field, horticultural section with its retail shop and on to Betty’s Tea Shop (GR312327). 

[6] From the tea shop, make your way round the bowling green to the boundary corner through a metal gate and onto the Whittington to Gobowen road; cross road and turn left along the pavement towards Gobowen center. After about 0.8 Kilometres, just before the road divides, there is a finger post pointing to the right up a passage way (GR 306333).

[7] Take the passage way and then enter a field straight ahead. Cross the field and enter a green lane and turn right. Continue along the lane to the end. On the right is a farm that has been converted to a rural business (Traditional Products – Joinery) (GR 310336

[8] At the end of the track enter the field via the stile and, ignoring the gate on your left, head ahead and then left down to a gate in the left hand corner. Cross over the River Perry (stream) via the brick culvert bridge and over a stile into the next field (this field has a distinct saucer shaped topography). The path runs slightly above the river then on to the high ground between the river and the dip in the field. then slightly right to a stile leading into a stile into an enclosed path leading to the Rhewl ‘suburb’ (GR 308341) .

[9] Once on the tarmac road, turn right up the slope to the end and go [through a] left via a short pedestrian way into Rhewl lane. Continue along Rhewl lane to the Gobowen – St Martins road. Turn left and then almost immediately right into Preeshenlle Lane. At a right hand turn in this lane enter ‘The Meadows’ via a kissing gate. Cross the Meadows tangentially (don't turn left or right)  via the footpath, down to a corner  and then left and up, until you descend sharply to the  River Perry which is crossed by a wooden footbridge. The path continues through a kissing gate and upwards via a rather muddy passage entrance that leads into School Lane. The red brick early twentieth Century primary school is directly in front of you. Turn right and you are on Chirk Road and almost immediately back at the church where you started.

POI information

Gobowen is a large but peaceful village bypassed by the busy A5. However before the road improvements the main London to Holyhead
road passed through the village.

Open Cast mining was recorded in the area of Gobowen as early as the 12th Century

Notes No details available.
Acknowledgements

This walk was developed by the Miles Ambridge for the Oswestry group of the Ramblers book of walks "Favourite Walks around Oswestry and the Borders" and is reproduced here by permission from the Oswestry Group. This book is now out of print but similar walks can be found in the second book of walks published by the Oswestry Group - "More Favourite Walks around Oswestry and the Borders - ISBN 9780-9569021-0-8 available from local retail outlets.

  • All Saints Parish Church - Gobowen
    All Saints Parish Church - Gobowen
    By - Peter Carr
  • Abandoned Cambrian railway at Gobowen - there are plans to restore this as a heritage railway
    Abandoned Cambrian railway at Gobowen - there are plans to restore this as a heritage railway
    By - Peter Carr
  • The Meadows
    The Meadows
    By - Peter Carr
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