Chirk Castle - National Trust

A stark symbol of power, the construction of Chirk Castle began around 1295 during the reign of the conquering Edward I in order to subdue the last princes of Wales. Built on an outcrop above the meeting point of the Rivers Dee and Ceiriog, the castle, with its imposing silhouette, was a brooding statement of English intent in these disputed lands.

Chirk Castle was purchased by grocer, sugar trader and privateer Sir Thomas Myddelton in 1595, and was inherited through the Myddelton family line. With over 700 years of history, and as the last castle from this period still lived in today, Chirk Castle has lavish interiors and a beautiful and eclectic collection.

The interior includes a 17th-century Long Gallery, grand parade of three 18th-century State Rooms with rich furniture, paintings and tapestries, the unique servants’ hall, and the Chapel Music room furnished to display Chirk Castle’s connections to high society in the 1920s and 1930s.

The award-winning gardens cover 5.5 acres of manicured lawns, clipped yews, herbaceous borders, beautiful rose, shrub and rock gardens, and the wooded pleasure ground – perfect for a stroll. Don’t miss the terrace overlooking the 18th-century ha-ha at the bottom of the garden, with stunning views over the Cheshire and Salop plains.

Chirk Castle has over 480 acres of estate parkland for you to explore, with sheep, cattle, veteran trees, wildflower meadows and a beautifully preserved section of Offa’s Dyke. The estate is located within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has also been designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest as an important habitat for rare invertebrates, bats, fungi, and wild flowers.