Clwyd: Denbighshire and Flintshire

Clwyd, covering the former counties of Denbighshire and Flintshire, is exceptionally rewarding in architecture. the medieval period has left a fine legacy, including castles of the time of Edward I as sophisticated as any in Europe, the monastic ruins of Basingwerk and Valle Crucis, and the distinctive local 'double-nave' type of Perpendicular church. Country houses range in size and ambition from Erddig, Kinmel and Chirk Castle to a host of lesser buildings, humbler but still of quality. Towns such as Denbigh and Ruthin, village groups and Victorian seaside resorts all add to the pattern of styles and materials, a pattern further enriched by relics of the Industrial revolution and the striking diversity of vernacular styles.