A short visitor's guide to Overton, Wrexham: things to do, places to eat and drink, and what's on through the year.
Overton, also known as Overton-on-Dee (Welsh: Owrtyn), is a village and community in Wrexham County Borough, set right on the Welsh-English border in the south-east corner of the county. It sits on the edge of an escarpment that follows the looping course of the River Dee, the river that gives the village the second half of its name and that defines the surrounding countryside.
Overton is a former borough and market town, and that history is still legible in the shape of the village: a wide high street, a fine parish church and a small clutch of independent shops and pubs. Visitors come for the riverside walks along the Dee, the easy access to neighbouring Erbistock and the quietly historic feel of the village itself, with the cathedral city of Chester and the wider Wrexham countryside both within easy reach for day trips.
Overton has a small handful of indoor spots that are useful on a wet afternoon, both within a couple of minutes' walk of the village centre.
Peel Chapel on Wrexham Road is a small village museum housed at Orchard House, a low-key but well-rated stop for a quiet hour with the local history. Overton Library is in the old Cocoa Rooms on Pen-y-Llan Street, part of the Wrexham county library service: a useful drop-in for a free wifi connection or a quiet spot to sit out a shower.
Overton has two pubs in the heart of the village, both within a couple of minutes' walk of each other.
The headline village pub is the White Horse Inn on the High Street, a long-standing local with a strong reputation: the sort of village pub that fills up at the weekend and works well for an unfussy supper after a riverside walk. The Overton Recreational Club on Pen-y-Llan is the village's sports and social pub, with a friendly mix of regulars, draught beer, dart boards, pool, snooker, weekly bingo and bi-weekly quizzes, and televised sport on for the bigger fixtures. Travelling with the dog? The dog-friendly holiday cottages in Overton put you within easy walking distance of both.
Eating-out in Overton itself is on the simple side: the village's go-to is Overton Fish & Chip Shop on Bangor Road, a long-running takeaway popular with locals and walkers coming back off the river path.
For a sit-down meal, it's worth driving the short distance to neighbouring Bangor-is-y-coed on the Dee, where the village pubs do food, or further afield to Wrexham town and the city of Chester for a wider choice.
For its size, Overton has a strong daytime offer: a well-loved bakery and an independent cafe and gift shop, both right on the village's main streets.
Ma Baker at 18 High Street is the village bakery, much-loved locally and the natural stop for a morning loaf or pastry. A short walk along Pen-y-Llan Street, Two Doves Cafe & Gift Shop is the village's all-day cafe and gift shop, useful for a coffee, a slice of cake or a small souvenir to take home.