Levelling Up Fund: Wenffrwd Nature Reserve

Project background

Wenffrwd is a former brownfield site taken over by Denbighshire Countryside Services in 2018. Since then, Countryside Services have worked to develop the site into a nature reserve while also providing additional parking to access the local countryside and Llangollen Canal World Heritage Site. The elements that are incorporated within this project activity support the further development of this local and tourism amenity.

This project activity will improve the town links to and from Wenffrwd Nature Reserve through the creation of additional walking / cycling paths, including a new route along the disused railway line between the Nature Reserve and Llangollen Health Centre, and the creation of a link path to the Llangollen Canal towpath, part of the World Heritage Site. It will also make enhancements to the existing industrial compound on site, turning it into a practical work and community space.

Key points

This project activity has been included within the Clwyd South Levelling Up Fund application with the intention of delivering user / visitor movement connectivity improvements within the 11-mile Llangollen Canal World Heritage Site. This in turn is intended to increase visitor dwell time in Llangollen with associated economic and social benefits for the local area.

In addition, improvements to Wenffrwd will support the following benefits:

• Improved visitor offer.
• Improved connection links, including to Llangollen via the Health Centre and to the Llangollen Canal towpath and World Heritage Site.
• Growth in visitor numbers and increased likelihood of visitor return.
• Increase in time spent on site by visitors.
• Improved access to key attractions.
• Community benefits, including potential for volunteer activities and well-being benefits.

This project will also contribute to the outcomes noted in the Clwyd South Levelling Up Fund application for the area. These include:

• The improvement of access in and around the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct & Llangollen Canal World Heritage Site and the associated visitor locations in Denbighshire, such as Wenffrwd Nature Reserve.
• Investment in these sites to make them premier, family-friendly, visitor attractions and safeguard and enhance their amenity value for local communities.
• More opportunities for walking and cycling.
• Better opportunities for Nature for Health activities (external website).
• Increased opportunities for Exercise on Referral (external website).
• Increased volunteering opportunities.
• Safe cycling provision.

Current position

So far, this project has:

• Constructed a link path between the nature reserve and the health centre. This path now hosts a regular park run!
• Constructed a path between the canal tow path and the nature reserve to allow access to Horseshoe Falls and the wider World Heritage Site.

Next steps:

• Improvement works to take place for the compound area.
• Introduction of additional family friendly cycle paths.

Gallery

Link from Nature Reserve to Health Centre:

Site of Llangollen canal link path: