4.9
Wildland
1–2 hours
Time
Check
Cost
Peaceful
Feel
Why it's Wildland
4.9A small pool with an industrial past: Brymbo Pool was enlarged to supply water to the steelworks, and its changing levels later prompted repairs to its clay bed.
Brymbo Pool has more to it than a quiet waterside view: its outline was shaped by the needs of the local steelworks, and a documented countryside walk passes the pool alongside other traces of the area’s industrial history. Access is limited, so treat it as a view along a walk rather than an open-access pool.
Peaceful
Find your way
Open mapBrymbo, Wrexham, North Wales
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The experience
Best approached as one feature on a longer countryside walk, rather than as a confirmed open-access destination. The documented Brymbo and Bwlchgwyn circuit passes the pool and combines wooded valleys, farmland, panoramic views and industrial landmarks.
Things to do
View Brymbo Pool from the footpath
The local walk account places the pool across a field from the route and notes that it is visible in winter. The pool is described elsewhere as private, so do not assume access to its banks or permission to fish.
Walk the Brymbo and Bwlchgwyn route
A 5-mile, 3.5-hour circuit through wooded valleys and open farmland, with panoramic views and features from the area’s industrial past.
3.5 hours
Look for the bottle chimney
The walk account identifies a surviving section of a bottle chimney built between 1792 and 1794 for John Wilkinson’s lead-smelting works. It says the chimney was partly demolished in 1962.
Trace the former Minera Mineral Railway
On the same route, look for the parallel hedgerows marking the track of a mineral railway that served Brymbo’s ironworks with lime, ore and coal, according to the walk account.
Make a day of it
Quick escape · About 1–2 hours; exact duration not specified
A pool-side glimpse on the walk
- 01
Use a suitable public route in the Brymbo area and check access and parking before setting out.
- 02
View Brymbo Pool from the documented footpath across the field; do not enter the private fishing pool.
- 03
Return by your chosen route.
Half day · 5 miles / 3.5 hours
Follow the Brymbo and Bwlchgwyn circuit
- 01
Start at the George and Dragon in Brymbo; the council describes a small car park opposite the school nearby.
- 02
Follow the documented route through wooded valleys and open farmland, with panoramic views over Wrexham and the Cheshire Plain.
- 03
Look for Brymbo Pool from the path and notice the route’s industrial landmarks, including the bottle chimney and former mineral railway track.
- 04
Allow extra time for muddy or slippery sections; the council says the walk is unsuitable for wheelchairs and buggies.
Verified history
Brymbo Pool supplied water to the steelworks. A local walk account says it was a natural lake of three acres, enlarged to five acres in 1892 and eight acres in 1958. After the steelworks closed, pumps were decommissioned and leaks lowered the water level; repairs in 1996 used clay to seal the bed, and the account gives its area as around three acres. The same route passes a bottle chimney built between 1792 and 1794 as part of John Wilkinson’s nearby lead-smelting works.
Hidden details
The pool’s changing footprint — The walk account records several changes in the pool’s size, linking its enlargement to the steelworks’ water needs and later repairs to leaks in its bed.
When to go
May · June · July · August · September · No specific time of day is documented; check access and conditions before visiting.
The source row recommends late spring to early autumn for milder weather and seasonal flora. A local walk account notes that the pool is visible across the field in winter.
The council warns that the Brymbo and Bwlchgwyn walk may be muddy and slippery in places and advises suitable footwear and extra care.
The route
- stiles
- The walk account describes multiple stiles.
- surface
- Includes paths and tracks through wooded valleys and open farmland; may be muddy and slippery in places.
- distance
- 5 miles
- duration
- 3.5 hours
- waymarking
- The walk account mentions a yellow arrow waymarker; full waymarking information is not confirmed.
- route shape
- Circuit: Brymbo – Mount Pleasant – Bwlchgwyn – Mount Sion – Brymbo
- start point
- George and Dragon pub, Brymbo (grid reference SJ 294541), according to the council.
- parking start
- The council lists a small car park opposite the school on the road to the pub. Check availability before travelling.
- Views over Wrexham and the Cheshire Plain
- Wooded valleys and open farmland
- A view of Brymbo Pool across a field
- Bottle chimney associated with John Wilkinson’s lead-smelting works
- Route of the former Minera Mineral Railway
Worth pairing with
Brymbo and Bwlchgwyn walk
A documented 5-mile, 3.5-hour circuit passing the pool and combining wooded valleys, farmland, panoramic views and industrial remains.
Stori Brymbo
A visitor attraction at the former Brymbo Steelworks site, interpreting the area’s geology, industry and people. Check current visitor information before travelling.
What to look for
From the public walking route, look across the field for the pool. The walk account describes it as once covering three acres, enlarged to five acres in 1892 and eight acres in 1958, before later repairs returned it to around three acres.
The story
Industry
Best time to go
Late spring to early autumn is suggested for milder weather and seasonal colour; the local walk account notes that the pool can be seen across the field in winter.
Late spring to early autumn for milder walking conditions; winter may offer a clearer view of the pool from the route. Check access and current conditions before setting out.
How long to spend
1–2 hours
Perfect for
Walkers · Photographers · History lovers
Practical information
Opening & access
The pool is described as a private fishing pool with limited access. A local walking route passes it and offers a view across the field; do not assume access to the water or permission to fish. Check before visiting. Access arrangements are unconfirmed. Check before visiting; do not enter private land or restricted structures.
Check before visiting
Parking
The pool source describes a car park, but its precise access and availability are unclear. A separate council walk lists a small car park opposite the school in Brymbo as the start point for its 5-mile route. Check before visiting.
Check before visiting
Toilets
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Food & drink
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Dogs
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Accessibility
Access to the pool is described as limited. The council’s 5-mile Brymbo and Bwlchgwyn walk is not suitable for wheelchairs or buggies and may be muddy or slippery.
Cost
Check before visiting
Check before visiting
Water
Lake
Gallery
Place photographs
Keep exploring
Around Brymbo Pool
Within 50 km · approximate straight-line distances
