Discover Ellesmere: the canal, castle and The Mere

When planning a hotel stay in Ellesmere, several visitor themes offer practical starting points: canal history, the historic castle site, walks and activities at The Mere. You can consider whether you would like to devote your time mainly to historic sites, a named walking route, or the water and wildlife watching.

Canal history and craftsmanship

The Llangollen Canal was designed by Thomas Telford and was originally known as the Ellesmere Canal. At the canal junction in Ellesmere, you can visit historic canal buildings and an old forge. The forge is still used to produce traditional metalwork. This visitor theme brings together the history of the canal and a continuing craft.

The towpath near Ellesmere is open at all times. If you would like to include it in your plans, check the current guidance from the Canal & River Trust before travelling. This allows you to take the visitor information provided into account when planning your trip.

Ellesmere Castle and walks through Castlefields

Ellesmere Castle is a Scheduled Monument. The castle is thought to have been built shortly after 1086 by Roger de Montgomery. As for public access, the relevant part is the outer bailey: it is open to the public. Check local conditions before your visit. This keeps the historical attribution and information about visiting the outer bailey clearly distinct.

The Ellesmere Sculpture Trail passes through the old earthworks and meadows of Castlefields. These landscape features are the focus when considering the route, whereas Ellesmere Castle is notable for its historical status and cautiously attributed building history. The two themes therefore offer different starting points for your plans.

Circular walk and sculpture trail

Meres Meander Walk 1 is a one-mile circular route around Ellesmere. The details of its length and format give you two practical features to consider when planning: you know it is a circular walk, and can gauge the distance from the stated mile. No walking time is specified.

The Ellesmere Sculpture Trail, by contrast, is described as passing through the old earthworks and meadows of Castlefields. If a stated distance and circular route are important to your shortlist, Meres Meander Walk 1 provides those details. The Sculpture Trail’s defining feature is the places it passes through. This lets you distinguish between the two routes based on the features actually mentioned.

Water sports and gardens at The Mere

The Mere is one of the largest natural meres in the country. Canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and boating are permitted on the water all year round. To obtain an annual membership, you must complete a membership form and pay an annual fee; a day rate is also available for boating. Participation conditions and fees may change, so check the current guidance from Shropshire Council before making plans.

Cremorne Gardens at The Mere has a children’s playground and a small beach. These two specific facilities add a different focus to the water sports options. If you are planning your stay around activities, you can consider what the gardens offer separately from the conditions for boating.

Seasonal wildlife watching

Ellesmere Heronwatch provides video cameras and telescopes that visitors can use to observe the grey herons nesting on Moscow Island in The Mere. The viewing facility is seasonal; check its availability before your visit. This makes wildlife watching season-dependent, unlike the water sports permitted all year round, which have their own participation conditions.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Craven Arms, Easthope, Highley, Hope Bowdler, Clee Saint Margaret, Church Stretton, Culmington, Oswestry.

For the main travel overview: Shropshire.