Attractions

Dyffryn Clwyd FootGolf Centre is a family friendly course based in Ruthin, North Wales that can challenge any FootGolfer. The centre is run on a pay and play basis and is specially designed for footGolf only.

You can book a tee time by giving us a call, or simply turning up and we will fit you in.

FootGolf is a sport enjoyed by all abilities and levels.

We can cater for parties, groups or team building. Give us a call on 01824 702885.

The internationally renowned Ruthin Castle is set right in the heart of the town. The subtle entrance arch and lazy driveway cleverly hide the splendour of this wonderful building.

Ruthin Castle is built on a red sandstone ridge 100 feet above the Vale of Clwyd, overlooking a strategic river crossing. Judging by the curving moat to the west of the upper bailey, the earliest castle here may have been a motte and bailey. However, the first documented castle was given to Prince Dafydd ap Gruffydd by King Edward in 1277. It was known as Castell Coch yn yr Gwernfor – the red castle in the great marsh - and the redness of its sandstone walls can be seen to this day.

The castle of 1277 consisted of a pentagonal upper bailey that had revetment walls built up the quarried rock faces of the ridge and was therefore similar to Holt and Whittington castles. The bailey was around 350 feet long by 250 feet wide and the floor level of the buildings was much higher than the ground outside the walls. This was particularly true on the north west side where the land sloped away towards the river. The opposite side of the castle was defended by a deep and broad dry moat.

When you’re travelling round Ruthin, you can’t fail to miss Nantclwyd House. It’s north Wales’ oldest timber house dating back to around 1425, and its striking black and white design and stilts at the front make it a distinctive landmark in the town.

Over the years, it has had many different uses and owners with the earliest appearing to be a house owned by weavers, and the Victorian era saw it used as a girls’ school. In modern times it’s been a museum open to the public with many of the original features preserved, and you can even hire the building for special occasions or business meetings.

North Wales and Ruthin was the scene of many bloody battles centuries ago and Nantclwyd House was destroyed by Owain Glyndwr in 1435 before being rebuilt with money from the English. There’s even an interactive bat cam in the loft where you can spy on a colony of bats who have become the house’s latest inhabitants.

The building is one of north Wales’ finest Grade I listed buildings and the newly restored gardens at the back of it, known as the Lord’s Garden, are Grade II listed in their own right. Evidence that a former swimming pool existed there at some point has been uncovered as well as a possible civil war artillery positions.

If you have an interest in the history of north Wales, old buildings, architecture and gardens, take a look at Nantclwyd House. It’s a fascinating insight into Ruthin and the past.

Nantclwyd will be open:
April 2017
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, 10.30am - 5pm
May and September 2017
Saturday, 11am - 5pm, Sunday and Monday, 11am - 3pm
June / July / August 2017
Monday and Wednesday, 11am - 4pm, Tuesday and Sunday, 11am - 3pm, Saturday, 11am - 5pm
Last admission an hour before closing

Nantclwyd y Dre admission prices –
Adult £5
Concession £4
Children £4
Family £14.
Free entry for children under 5.

Visits during October to March can be arranged by calling 01824 708232.

Ruthin has it own Craft Centre known not only for its international art galleries but for its magnificent architecture too. The main gallery has the very best in national and international contemporary applied art, it also has a café and retail gallery too.
You can also visit the six studios occupied by craftsmen, where they can regularly be observed at work.
In 2008, £3.4million was spent demolishing the original centre and creating the new one we see today. As well as craft studios, the new development also includes an education space, larger galleries and a restaurant.
The new building, designed by architects Sergison Bates, is intended to reflect the surrounding landscape and won the 2009 Dewi-Prys Thomas Prize, was shortlisted for the 2009 Art Fund Prize and highlighted as a ‘Design Delight’ by the Design Commission for Wales.
• Open Tuesday - Sunday
• 10.00am - 5.30pm
• Admission free
• Free on-site parking

Ruthin Gaol is the one of the most popular places to visit in Ruthin, and is the only purpose-built Pentonville style prison open to the public as a heritage attraction.

People can spend time exploring its nooks and crannies and learn about life in the Victorian prison system. See how the prisoners lived their daily lives: what they ate, how they worked, and the punishments they suffered. Explore the cells including the punishment, ‘dark’ and condemned cell.

Find out about the Welsh Houdini and William Hughes who was the last man to be hanged there.

Visitors can really get a feel for what life was like for both prisoners and guards in a Victorian prison system. You can hire this venue for weddings, parties and events.

Visitor Info:
Main season - Open from 1 April 2017 to 30 September 2017.
Open Wednesday to Monday, (closed Tuesdays) 10am to 5pm. (last entry 4pm)
Halloween Week 2017 - open 30 October to 4 November, 10am to 5pm.

Ruthin Gaol admission prices –
Adult £5
Concession £4
Children £4
Family £14.
Free entry for children under 5.

Visits outside public opening days can be arranged by calling 01824 708281.

Ruthin Castle is a great place to experience the food, drink and music of the Middle Ages and step back in time to medieval times. The castle has been around since the 13th century and has seen lots of action in its life. It was owned by the de Grey family and during the English Civil War it was destroyed by Cromwell’s army. What’s left of the original castle has now been incorporated into a hotel.

It’s said the Earl of Warwick – one of the sons of Henry V111 – held legendary feasts that went on for days when he visited Ruthin castle. And it’s on these that the medieval banquets at Ruthin are based. You’ll be given the traditional bread and salt upon arrival before moving onto the main feast in the medieval banqueting hall.

Ladies of the court and the jester will entertain you and your fellow diners while you eat as they would have done in the Earl of Warwick’s time. On the menu are hearty dishes such as vegetable soup with bread, braised lamb shank and chicken thighs in honey and orange, which must all be eaten with a dagger and your fingers. No forks or spoons allowed! Mead for toasting and wine is included with each course, as these are what would have been drunk during the middle ages in north Wales. The banquet will last about three to four hours in total.

To really make the most of the weekend, have a go at dressing up in medieval costume. A fair proportion of the guests at the banquet will turn up in typical medieval garb, which can be hired in Ruthin. It’s not compulsory but it will add to the overall experience if you do.

An overnight stay and breakfast the next morning is included in the package so you can explore the rest of medieval Ruthin and its delights before going home and make a great weekend of it.

St Peter’s Square is a landmark in the town. All roads in the town lead uphill to St Peter’s Square, and all places of importance within the town can be reached from the Square, including St. Peter's Church, Ruthin Castle and Ruthin Gaol. It is said that an ancient stone within the square was the spot where King Arthur beheaded Huail his rival in love and war. More recent executions took place from the gibbet of the Old Court House in the square with the last taking place in 12 August 1679.

The church itself is late 13th/early 14th century with a double nave and camberbeam roofs. Alterations occurred in the 14th century and a 19th century steeple was added. The church is tucked away on one side of the old market square of Ruthin, behind a set of marvellous gilded wrought iron gates. The gates were made in 1727 by Robert and John Davies brothers of Bersham, who also built the main gates at Chirk Castle.

The glory of Ruthin, the wooden roof, was added in the 16th century. Tradition says that the roof was brought from Basingwerk Abbey when the abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII, but there is no proof to support the tradition. The roof is decorated with painted bosses with floral designs, heraldic symbols, and carved heads, and the overall effect is quite stunning. If the roof was indeed originally installed at Basingwerk, the monks at Basingwerk certainly lived in style!
Near the organ is a 17th century oak chest used by the church warden. Behind the organ is a 14th century piscina set into the wall. There are several interesting wall monuments, but one of the most striking is that of Gabriel Goodman, Dean of Westminster Abbey (1561-1601).

It was Goodman who refounded the college, as well as establishing Ruthin School. His painted bust sits within a simple, arched opening. Another interesting memorial is a scrolled plaque to John (d. 1655) and Martha Wynne, who outlived him by 39 years! There are also two very nice 16th century memorial brasses. These are all interesting features, but the real treasure here is the marvellous roof.

Take a stroll around the house garden with its Japanese influence, enjoy a woodland walk to see the fernery and bog garden, the ravine has cascading waterfalls. Pen-y-ffrith is set in 45 acres of outstanding natural beauty, a dream location for photographers and bird watchers.