Wrexham
WREXHAM sits in north-east Wales where the Welsh hills slide into the Dee Valley and the English border. In 2022 it became Wales’s newest city, capping a story that blends proud industrial roots with lively contemporary culture.
The area’s profile has rocketed thanks to Wrexham AFC and the hit docuseries Welcome to Wrexham, while a new national visitor attraction – the ‘Museum of Two Halves’, combining an expanded Wrexham Museum with the Football Museum for Wales – is due to open in 2026.
History and architecture are everywhere. The skyline is dominated by St Giles’ – one of Wales’s finest late-medieval churches and a stop on many ‘Seven Wonders of Wales’ lists. Wander its churchyard to find the tomb of Elihu Yale, whose legacy links the city to Yale University.
Football pilgrims head to the Racecourse Ground (STōK Cae Ras), recognised as the world’s oldest international football stadium still hosting internationals.
For stately-home splendour, Erddig Hall – an 18th-century National Trust gem set in formal gardens – tells a rare, intimate story of a household through portraits of servants and family alike.
And just to the south, the soaring, cast-iron trough of the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct carries canal boats 38 metres above the River Dee – part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a masterpiece of Industrial Revolution engineering.
The city centre mixes independent shops and Victorian facades with creative spaces. Tŷ Pawb (Everybody’s House) is a modern hybrid of market, food court and art galleries that hums with exhibitions, events and street-food energy. Families love Xplore! Science Discovery Centre, packed with hands-on exhibits and regular live shows – ideal for a rainy-day burst of curiosity.
Outdoors, Wrexham County Borough is surprisingly green. Alyn Waters Country Park – its largest – offers riverside paths, woodland trails and a friendly café; it’s a great base for easy cycling or accessible walks.
For a deeper dive into the area’s industrial past, head to Minera Lead Mines & Country Park and pick up the waymarked Clywedog Valley Trail, a lovely, mostly level route that follows the river from the mines to King’s Mill.
Prefer life at canal pace? Join a boat from the World Heritage Site to drift across Pontcysyllte’s dizzying span and along the leafy Llangollen branch.
Why visit? Wrexham makes a perfect short break: big-city buzz with small-city friendliness, headline sights without the crowds, and easy access by rail and road to the rest of north Wales and Cheshire. Come for the football, the galleries and the markets; stay for canal-top views, historic houses, and a warm Welsh croeso that keeps people coming back.
HOLLYWOOD OR BUST: THE WREXHAM FOOTBALL STORY
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