Again, I'm not sure why I have been so fascinated with canals lately, but I went back to the Llangollen Canal WHS on the 4th week of January to see one of the main components of this site, that is the Horseshoe Falls.

In order to do so, I decided to stay overnight in the town of Llangollen, which surprised me as soon as my bus from Wrexham entered the town.

The whole area around Llangollen constitutes "one huge outdoor adventure playground" with hiking trails, one of which leads to the Horseshoe Falls. I took the trail along the Llangollen Canal and the River Dee to the Falls. In fact I'd have to say it is the River Dee that makes the natural setting of the whole area so dynamic and beautiful.

You can also kayak on the river, take a narrow boat, even one drawn by a horse, on the canal, or take a Steam Locomotive (not in winter) between Llangollen and the Horseshoe Falls.

At the artificial Horseshoe Falls some water from the River Dee is diverted to feed the Llangollen Canal, the system designed by pioneering engineers William Jessop and Thomas Telford.

Later I also hiked up to the hill-top ruin of Castle Dinas Bran, where you get the 360-degree, sweeping view of the whole area all the way to the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct.

I am so glad that I went back to the area to see the Falls because, who knows, one day I might choose Llangollen for my nature fix or my recuperation need.

Added in May 2022: 

I just found out that this area around Llandollen is one of the five AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) in Wales, called "Clwydian Range and Dee Valley," and the Welsh government is proposing it to the UK government as the 4th National Park in Wales. Yes, the area deserved to be a NP IMHO.