| set along river dee, this unassuming hotel is a 3-minute walk from llangollen railway station and a mile from the ruins of 13th-century castell dinas bran. there's also a warm bar/restaurant with a billiard table. straightforward rooms offer tvs, and tea and coffeemaking facilities. breakfast is complimentary. upgraded rooms add 4-poster beds, whirlpool baths and/or balconies with river views. check-in time: 2:00 pmcheck-out time: 11:00 am
Manchester Airport 1 hr 7
Llangollen Motor Museums (5 min)
Small, quirky showcase of vintage autos, motorcycles & memorabilia, plus a gift shop. Llangollen Railway Station (3 min)
Standard-gauge railway following the River Dee through an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Pontcysyllte Aqueduct (8 min)
19 arch feat of engineering by Thomas Telford, with water from Horseshoe Falls and boat rides. Valle Crucis Abbey (7 min)
Remains of a circa-1201 home to Cistercian monks, with picnic tables, a pond & a cafe. Plas Newydd Historic House & Gardens (10 min)
A 14th-century country house rebuilt in Victorian times and remodelled in the 1930s. National Trust - Erddig (24 min)
Massive 18th-century manor offering tours of the family house & its ornate 12,000-acre garden. Pistyll Rhaeadr (58 min)
240-ft. mountain waterfall accessed by a footpath, with a tearoom, B&B & campsite at its base. Castell Dinas Brân (6 min)
Hilltop ruins of a 13th century castle built on the site of an earlier Iron Age hillfort. Alyn Waters (24 min)
Expansive green space offering wooded & riverside trails, a playground, visitor centre & cafe. Tŷ Mawr Country Park (12 min) Horseshoe Falls (7 min)
Horseshoe-shaped waterfall artfully created by a low dam, with lush surrounds & picnic spots. National Trust - Chirk Castle (14 min)
Medieval bulwark with grand 18th-century state apartments, suits of armour and manicured gardens. Horseshoe Pass (10 min)
Horseshoe-shaped mountain pass with scenic mountain views, plus a cafe at the road's highest point. Chirk Aqueduct (15 min) | 
