Tour of the town

What better way to get to know a town than to take a guided tour with a knowledgeable local? Guided tours are held every weekend between Easter and Autumn, and at other times by arrangement. What’s more – they’re free!

The main highlights we’ll show you include:

The Library – dating back to 1572, and formerly the County Hall, now a state-of-the-art library, information centre and art gallery;

Burgess Gate – part of the town’s Medieval defences and originally standing at 60 feet (18.3 metres) high, a free exhibition on historic Denbigh is housed here today;

St Hilary’s Tower – the remains of the garrison chapel, dating back to the 14th century;

Denbigh Castle – one of the largest and strongest castles in Wales, with seven towers defending its thick perimeter walls and a mighty gatehouse guarding the entrance. This was an important link in Edward I’s chain of fortresses around Wales. Today, the castle is in the care of Cadw – for more information see their excellent guidebook covering the castle and the town walls. (Please note that the guided tour does not enter the castle itself, for which a separate entry fee is payable).

Leicester’s Church – begun by the Earl of Leicester in 1578, this church was never finished. There was resistance to the idea of a protestant building replacing the existing St Asaph Cathedral, and in addition, the Earl was deeply unpopular with the locals, who frequently demolished completed building work as it was being carried out.

The Town Walls – our town walls provide us with our own special version of offering visitors the ‘keys to the town’. Accessed via a lockable gate, using a key obtained from the Library or from the Castle, the walls provide a splendid walk, with some fantastic views.

Along the way, we’ll also point out many other places of interest, such as the Twm o’r Nant Theatre, named in honour of our ‘Welsh Shakespeare’; the childhood home of H M Stanley – and the statue erected in his honour in 2011; and the Back Row, part of Denbigh’s medieval street pattern where 15th century buildings give a real flavour of its original ambience.