Navigating Through Time Weekend

The Navigating Through Time event weekend was a large-scale, multi-site heritage and cultural event delivered across Trevor, Froncysyllte, Cefn Mawr and Chirk. It brought together a wide programme of activities including heritage trails, storytelling, live performances, exhibitions, workshops and canal-based experiences, all designed to encourage people to explore the wider World Heritage Site.

At its core, the weekend tested how the canal corridor could be activated as a connected cultural landscape rather than a single destination. Visitors were encouraged to move between communities using self-guided trails, maps and programmed activity, with spaces such as Trevor Basin and Bryn Seion Field acting as key hubs. Activities ranged from artist-led installations and storytelling sessions to guided walks, music and family-friendly creative workshops.

The event also integrated learning from the schools programme, showcasing young people’s work and connecting education with public engagement. By combining heritage interpretation with live experiences, the weekend demonstrated how the stories of the canal, its communities and landscapes could be brought to life in accessible and engaging ways.

Overall, Navigating Through Time was both a public celebration and a live test of heritage-led placemaking, exploring visitor behaviour, community participation and the potential to create a more connected and sustainable World Heritage Site experience.