4 miles, l00ft. of height gain. Allow 1 hour 45 minutes

Leave the town car park beside the toilets, turning left at the Post office and left again at the main road. Cross to the war memorial and continue along Station Avenue for 7 or 8 minutes to the Rail Station. Just before you cross the railway bridge, on your left, is a Community Rail Information Board. This includes a map showing all the places of interest in the Chirk area, and a carved frame showing the aqueduct and castle. The woodwork and carvings are the work of a local man.

Cross the rail and canal bridges and in 2 minutes take a footpath on the right into a wood. (If you have not yet seen the superb main gates to Chirk Castle you may keep ahead on the road instead of the wood, turning right at the gates along the lane to rejoin our route.) In the wood, follow the clear path and at a junction fork left up wooden steps, then almost immediately left again to a kissing gate. Cross the field ahead, keeping below the electric cables, to another kissing gate and right onto a lane. (Almost at once, see the sign of a permissive walk to Chirk Castle which is open in spring and summer. If the path is open, this makes a pleasant alternative walk.)

Continue along the lane, roughly north, for about 9 minutes and see a mighty oak tree on the right, its branches arching across the lane. One minute ahead are two more large oaks, then immediately a footpath on the right leading into a field which borders the golf course. Cross the field close to a fence on your right, to a corner stile, then ahead again across a second field to cross a stile onto the lane. Go ahead on the lane, roughly north-east, ignoring all side roads and footpaths, for about 20 minutes to a T -junction with the A5 trunk road. Along the lane you will have fine views and pass the main entrance to the Marina and Golf Course.

Cross the A5, turn right and walk just 30 yards to a footpath on the left, marked "to the towpath" and at the canal, turn sharp left to enter the tunnel. It has a handrail and a good surface, so no torch is necessary! Tall folk need to tilt their heads to the right but its less than 200 yards! Continue on the towpath in all for about 30 to 40 minutes Some 7 minutes after joining the canal you will pass the narrow entrance to the marina and in another 6 minutes there are excellent views of the golfers. A couple of minutes further you begin to enter the deepening cutting and here, if the towpath is very wet, you do have the option of using one of the unofficial paths on the left, which pass through the wooded bank which forms the left side of the cutting. It should be noted that neither these side paths, nor the towpath itself, are public rights of way, but they are almost always open for public use.

Just before reaching another tunnel take the ramped track forking left up to the road. Turn left onto the road, re-cross the railway bridge, and keep ahead for about 8 minutes back into the town and car park.