Four Great Highways 

Project background

This new project aims to promote and enhance the four great highways of Llangollen, by providing landscape and engineering improvements works to enhance access, biodiversity and visibility to and interpretation of the Llangollen Canal and World Heritage Site, the former Ruabon to Barmouth railway line, the River Dee and Thomas Telford’s Historic Route: the London to Holyhead Road (A5). The aim is to improve the resident and visitor experience and encourage people to spend more time here. To achieve this, four key areas have been identified:

1. Wharf
2. Access points to the Wharf, Railway and Lower Dee Mill Park
3. Lower Dee Mill Park
4. Signage and Wayfinding

The works proposed in each of these key areas are likely to include:

• Implement improvements adjacent to the Wharf including seating, access and signage
• Improved signage to the Railway
• Improved accessibility and signage to Lower Dee Mill Park
• Enhancement, repair and reimagining Lower Dee Mill Park
• Improved visitor signage at key locations

Key points

• This is a new project to deliver enhancements to Llangollen's Four Great Highways
• This project is separate from the recent Castle Street extension works project and other on-going developments in Llangollen, but the design and delivery of this project is being considered, as relevant to other schemes being delivered in or near the town. The project is based on an initial concept design completed in 2019. This included lots of ideas, some of which have already been completed as part of the recent highways works. This project is now focusing on the 4 areas identified, which are the Wharf, access points to the Wharf, Railway and Lower Dee Mill Park, Lower Dee Mill Park, and Signage and Wayfinding
• The construction contract has now been awarded to OBR Construction
• Work is due to commence week beginning 5 February 2024
• The project is due to complete by the end of June 2024, weather permitting

Current position

• January 2024: The Project Team is pleased to announce that a contractor has been appointed to complete improvement works at Llangollen’s Four Great Highways. The contract for the work has been awarded to OBR Construction, who recently completed work for another Levelling Up funded project at Wenffrwd Nature Reserve. Work is due to start on site w/c 5th February 2024, with the aim of being completed by the end of June 2024, weather permitting so please note this may be subject to change.
• Designs for the project have been modified slightly following feedback from stakeholders and members of the public and to ensure that the project can be completed within the allocated budget. Please see Gallery for the final general arrangement drawings for the scheme.
• News: 20 January 2024 - Temporary partial car park closure in Llangollen

Four Great Highways site compound layout plan (PDF, 245KB)

Gallery

What is happening?

Following a successful Levelling Up Fund (LUF) application, we are enhancing the public spaces that connect Llangollen’s Four Great Highways (Llangollen Canal, the old Ruabon to Barmouth Railway line, River Dee and A5 Holyhead Road). Some of the key priorities are improved accessibility, signage and better materials.

Four Great Highways: General Arrangement Plans - November 2023 (PDF, 1.71MB)

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Llangollen Wharf

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Lower Dee Mill Park Ramp

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Lower Dee Mill Park

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Interpretation and wayfinding designs feedback

Integrated interpretation and wayfinding: Small and narrow version

These are the designs for wayfinding posts. Wayfinding posts are used to help people navigate around an area.

This design shows a small, narrow post*. These could be put up in more places than bigger, wider signs. They could be used to show the history of an area, or to help people find their way around. We would make sure that the signs use colours which fit in with the area in which they are being put up.

* For illustrative purposes only.

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Integrated interpretation and wayfinding: Large and wide version

This design shows a large, wide post*. They could be used to show the history of an area, help people find their way around and show how long it will take to walk to another location.

We would make sure that the signs use colours which fit in with the area in which they are being put up.

* For illustrative purposes only.

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Interpretation with wayfinding fingerposts

We can also keep the direction content separate from the history information, but keep one post so there are not too many signs in the area.

This design shows the fingerposts to help people find their way with the history of the area attached to the bottom of the post*.

* For illustrative purposes only.

Consultation

Information gathered from January and April’s consultations have been collated and presented in our Stakeholder and Community Engagement Summary Reports which can be viewed here:

Four Great Highways Stakeholder and Community Engagement Summary Report

The feedback received late last year on the wayfinding and interpretation designs has now been reviewed by the Project Board with a total of 37 responses received. The Project Team will now make a start on designing the signage to be installed within this scheme based on the clear views and preferences expressed within the feedback gathered.

Four Great Highways - wayfinding and interpretation feedback summary report February 2024 (PDF, 1.73MB)