In Search of the Ward's - Part 2. More from David & Ruth's travels, this time to North Wales in May.

Off we went again, this time to North Wales commencing Sunday 20th May, for a weeks exploring, based near Wrexham for five nights. At long last the sun shone, and all week at that. Plenty of sights to see and a few surprises thrown in for good measure.

Chirk Castle (NT), built by Roger Mortimer in the late 13th century, sold to the Myddelton's in the late 16th century and extensively altered by Pugin in the 19th century.

Chirk Castle: the Drawing Room, neo-classical late 18th century.

Chirk Castle, shrub garden and pool. The topiary is another major feature to be found at Chirk.

Erddig (NT) near Wrexham, built for Joshua Edisbury by Thomas Webb in 1684.

All of the outbuildings and servants quarters at Erddig survive to the present day.

The saloon at Erddig which dates from around 1770.

Bodelwyddan Castle near Rhyl houses a fine collection of portraits by the Victorian artist G.F.Watts and is well worth a look, though the garden was a disappointment when we visited.

Just across the busy A55 road from the castle at Bodelwyddan is the church of St. Margaret, "the Marble Church", whose 200ft tall spire is a prominent ladmark in the district.

The graves of many Canadian soldiers can be found at Bodelwyddan; they fell prey to a serious outbreak of influenza just after the first world war.

Styles of architecture at Bangor-on-Dee viewed from the churchyard.

Lying just within Wales is the village of Worthenbury. The finest Georgian church in Wales is dedicated to St Deiniol and still contains its original three-decker pulpit and box pews. An unexpected gem discovered quite by accident.

This is "The Bolling", a large town house in Malpas, Cheshire. It was once owned by Sir John Hubert Ward, a younger brother of the second Earl of Dudley.

Hendwr house on the Welsh estate near Croggen in the Dee valley.

The River Dee flowing through the Croggen estate between Corwen and Bala. The Dudley's once owned vast tracts of land in this area which was maintained for agriculture, quarrying and as a sporting estate.

The Dudley Arms Hotel at Landrillo in the valley of the River Dee.