Chirk Castle was begun around 1295 for Edward I to subdue the last princes of Wales, and it is the last castle of that campaign still lived in, bought in 1595 by sugar trader and privateer Sir Thomas Myddelton, whose family held it for over 400 years. Inside are a 17th-century Long Gallery, three 18th-century State Rooms full of tapestries, a servants' hall, and a Chapel Music Room evoking the 1920s. The 5.5-acre garden of clipped yews and herbaceous borders ends at a terrace looking across the Cheshire and Shropshire plains, and 480 acres of parkland hold veteran trees, wildflower meadows and a stretch of Offa's Dyke; dogs on short leads may use the formal garden but not the kitchen garden or play area. Reviewers praise the knowledgeable room guides. Tips from visitors: there is no step-free access inside the castle, the walk up from the Home Farm car park is a steep 200 yards with a volunteer-run shuttle bus, and the castle closes when high winds are forecast.
