St Asaph

Small as it is, St Asaph packs in a genuinely significant slice of Welsh history alongside some pleasant walking country. Highlights include:

• St Asaph Cathedral — reputedly the smallest ancient cathedral in Britain, with parts dating back to the 13th century after earlier buildings were destroyed by English forces and later by Owain Glyndŵr's rebels. It houses a copy of the William Morgan Bible of 1588, the first translation of the scriptures into Welsh, a work that helped secure the survival of the language.
• Bishop William Morgan memorial and cathedral grounds — a quiet corner of the city that tells the story of one of the most important figures in Welsh literary history, commemorated with a monument near the cathedral close.
• Bodelwyddan Castle and Park — a short drive away, this restored Victorian castle holds National Portrait Gallery paintings and sits within around 200 acres of parkland, with formal gardens, woodland trails and surviving First World War practice trenches used for training troops.
• The Marble Church, Bodelwyddan — officially St Margaret's Church, an elaborately decorated Victorian Gothic Revival building with a striking white limestone spire visible for miles across the Vale of Clwyd.
• Elwy Valley Walk and St Asaph Common — waymarked riverside paths follow the Elwy through the city, popular for spotting herons and kingfishers, while the open common on the edge of town gives wide views over the vale.
• North Wales International Music Festival — held each September, largely centred on the cathedral, drawing choirs and orchestras to a city that has long punched above its weight musically.
• Denbigh Castle — a ruined 13th-century fortress a few miles up the valley, well worth combining with a visit to St Asaph for a fuller picture of the area's turbulent medieval history.

St Asaph's dining scene is small but characterful. The Plough Inn combines a bar, restaurant and even a wine shop under one roof, and is a popular spot for both locals and visitors passing through. The Talardy's pub serves hearty, informal food ranging from classic pub dishes to homemade specialities. For something quieter, the tearoom attached to the cathedral serves homemade cakes and light lunches in one of the city's most historic settings. Further afield in Rhyl and Denbigh there is a wider spread of cafes, takeaways and restaurants for those exploring the vale and coast together.

The Vale of Clwyd around St Asaph offers a gentler alternative to the mountains of Snowdonia further west, with rolling farmland, wooded river valleys and the Clwydian Range hills providing varied terrain for campers and glamping guests. As in the rest of Wales, wild camping remains illegal without the landowner's explicit permission, so it is worth sticking to established campsites and caravan parks in and around the vale, several of which make a good base for visiting both St Asaph and the nearby coast at Rhyl and Prestatyn. Sites along the Elwy and Clwyd valleys tend to offer easy access to waymarked riverside walks, while those higher up towards Denbigh and the Clwydian Range AONB suit visitors keen on hillwalking and wider views over the vale. Late spring to early autumn is the most comfortable season for camping here, when the meadows are dry underfoot and evenings are long enough for a walk along the Elwy or an evening at the cathedral's music festival in September; the shoulder months of April, May and September often bring quieter sites and lower prices before and after the summer peak. Glamping options in the surrounding area, from shepherd's huts to pre-pitched bell tents, offer a comfortable way to experience the vale's countryside without the need for full camping kit, and can be a useful option for families or those visiting for a special occasion such as the music festival. Whichever type of pitch you choose, the compact scale of St Asaph means most campsites within a few miles put the cathedral, Bodelwyddan Castle and Denbigh Castle all within easy day-trip range, alongside the beaches of the North Wales coast for those wanting to combine a countryside stay with time by the sea.