Chocolate Chirk

Friday, 16 April 2010 19:01

You know about Cadbury and Bournville at Birmingham by the canal ....

But I bet you didn't know about this

Yet another Cadbury factory by a canal; that makes three in the last few months! The main one by the Worcester and Birmingham, the milk and crumb factory at Knighton on the Shropshire Union, and now this one by the Llangollen Canal.

Chirk has gone from coal mining and brick making industries to a "luxury" product industry! Some might say (and I am among them) that chocolate is not a luxury, it is a necessity! At the Chirk factory, the raw cocoa bean is processed then shipped to the appropriate Cadbury's factory. Cocoa powder and drinking chocolate is also manufactured here - no wonder we caught a whiff of chocolate when wandering down the towpath!

Welcome boards at Cadbury's entrance

Cadbury encompasses so many well know names - Trebor, Basset, Fry, Schweppes and all those products we remember from our "youth": Boost, Amazin Raisin, Old Jamaica, Aztec and, still around if you can find it, Fry's Chocolate Creme. Yum!

How many of those on narrowboats, passing by Chirk, realise that the factory belching out smoke is the origin of such yummyness? Hmm ... I am off to get my current favourite, a Crunchie - I have a supply aboard!

There is a wonderful animated website for Cadbury, but if you have a slow internet connection it will take time to download - clickety click. This is direct link to the page about Chirk - clickey click

So, back to the canal - via the station which although small, links Chirk to London. It is well looked after and the waiting room seen in the photo below has a welcoming mural. The Cadbury factory is very near too.

Station from road bridge over north portal of Chirk Tunnel and mural in waiting room:

The Chirk Castle entrance is about a five minute walk from here and then a mile long drive takes visitors through the grounds to the castle itself. This map by the bus stop on the corner shows the attractions of Chirk.

Map of Chirk

Station Road is over the tunnel, although the intrepid walker can walk through the tunnel on the towpath - it is wise to have a torch though if you do not have good night sight!

In Chirk Tunnel

At the south portal of the tunnel there are a number of seats to sit and watch the narrowboats as they negotiate the aqueduct and tunnel entrance. On a sunny day this is a very popular spot so narrowboaters need to be prepared for gongoozlers!

Temporary moorings between tunnel and aqueduct