Tŷ Mawr Country Park

The park's picnic area with the railway viaduct in the distance.

The country park lies on the banks of the River Dee and its SSSI, within the Vale of Llangollen in the Dee Valley.[2][3][4] It is situated next to and underneath the stone-built Cefn Viaduct carrying the Shrewsbury to Chester railway line.[2][3][4] It is situated 5 miles (8.0 km) south of Wrexham.[5] The park is downstream from Pontcysyllte Aqueduct has been within the boundaries of the buffer zone of the aqueduct's World Heritage Site since 2009,[6] and within the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty since 2011.[2]

The country park has been accredited with the Green Flag Award annually since 2006.[2][7][8]

The park is connected to the Cefn Mawr Heritage Trail,[9] a longer circular walk,[10] and the Viaduct - Aqueduct Walk.[2][11] It is also located near the Offa's Dyke National Trail[12] and parts of Offa's Dyke on the otherside of the River Dee.

Wooden sculpture of the Cefn Viaduct from a tree trunk in the park.

There is a picnic area with some wooden sculptures which overlooks the viaduct.[13]

In 2016, the park had 47,000 visitors.[14]

Farm park

The country park hosts a "farm park"[6] (a petting zoo situated in an organic working farm),[10][15] home to various farm animals, such as donkeys, sheep, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks and the two llamas in the park, named Carlos and Pedro who guard the sheep from foxes.[2][4][16] The park also contains organic wildflower meadows, various wild birds, insects and other wild animals which thrive on the park's land due to the absence of any use of chemicals and pesticides.[4][9]

River Dee next to the park.

The park hosts Visitor centre and a Barn Centre which serves as the community centre for the park, used for education, park events, children's birthday parties, or various community or private events.[12]

Front of the Dovecote

The country park contains a 1 mile (1.6 km) circular trail on tarmac surfaced footpaths. Starting at the visitor centre and going anti-clockwise, the trail passes a goat field, the River Dee and Aqueduct Path, a riverside beach, then parallels the Cefn Viaduct until it reaches a Dovecote and the "Mini Beast Woods".[10]

Logo of the park

On 5 February 2009, "Larry the Llama" (full name Lawrence) who was based at the country park since 2003 was transferred out of the park due to his attacks on the park's sheep.[17] Llamas are housed at the country park to guard the sheep on site from wild foxes. By 2009, the llama was discovered to be biting and chasing the park's sheep, inflicting serious injuries on some.[17] Senior ranger Liz Carding theorised that the events could have been a power struggle over food, with Carding stating that Larry may have realised that if he had scared sheep away there would be more food for himself.[17] Staff at the park initially separated Larry from the sheep, but his behaviour failed to improve, and Larry the Llama was moved to a farm in Powys.[17] Two new Llamas were bought as replacements and delivered to the park in March 2009, the llama half-brothers Carlos and Pedro from Cheshire.[18]

• Parks and open spaces in Wrexham
• Wynnstay
• Shrewsbury and Chester Railway