Rock Stadium

The Rock Stadium which was opened in 2010 is situated in the village of Rhosymedre, not far off the A5 near Llangollen. It was built near a disused quarry and this has given it a unique and memorable look. Although there is only one stand at the ground, the pitch sits in the shadow of a sizeable rock face which is located just beyond the ground perimeter on the West Side. With a number of trees surrounding the rock face then you have quite a picturesque setting for a football match to be played in. The Main Stand on the East side of the stadium, is a small all seated stand, that is covered and has a capacity of 500 seats. It does not run the full length of the pitch being around a quarter of the length, sitting astride the half way line. Disappointingly for a new stand it has a couple of supporting pillars. On one side of this stand there is a separate large building which houses the Club house, dressing rooms etc.., whilst the other side is empty. The other three sides of the stadium do not have facilities for spectators as such, just a flat pathway around the perimeter of the playing area. Oddly the team dugouts are located on the other side the pitch to the Main Stand and dressing rooms. They are situated to either side of a covered elevated platform which is used as a television gantry. The stadium has a set of eight floodlights, four of which are spaced down each side of the ground. In 2016 a 3G artificial playing surface was installed at the stadium.

As a point of interest Cefn Druids came about in 1992 after the amalgamation of two clubs; Cefn Albion and Druids United. Druids United were formed in a previous amalgamation in 1923 of Druids FC and another club. Druids FC are thought to be one of the oldest surviving Clubs in Wales, being originally formed as Plasmadoc FC in 1869, before changing their name to Druids in 1872.

Although the Rock Stadium is a small ground in terms of spectator facilities, it more than makes up for this in the warm and friendly welcome that visitors receive and the unique setting that the stadium is set in. You don’t see many grounds like this! Although the ground is open the Main Stand can normally accommodate most fans if the weather takes a turn for the worse.

There is a good sized club house bar at the ground that welcomes all fans. The nearest pub is the Jolly Masons on Rock Road, which is only a five minute walk away from the stadium; as you come out of the stadium entrance turn right and the pub is down on the left. If you are arriving by train, then only a few minutes walk from Ruabon Railway Station is the Bridge End Inn. A regular in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide (it was even voted the CAMRA National Pub of the Year in 2011), thus traditional pub offers seven real ales, including at least one  from its own McGivern Brewery which is located at the back of the premises.

From the South
Leave the M6 at Junction 10A and take M54 towards Telford. Continue to the end of the M54 and then follow A5 towards Shrewsbury and Oswestry. From Oswestry take the A5 northbound towards Wrexham. On reaching a roundabout that is the junction with the A483, take the first exit, continuing on the A5 towards Llangollen. Continue straight across at the next roundabout and then take the next available right hand turn (that is not a dead end) onto the B5605 (Signposted Newbridge, Cefn Mawr). After passing through Newbridge, passing the Newbridge Arms and the Bakery on your left, take a left hand turn onto B5096 towards Cefn Mawr) and then take the second right into Rock Road. After passing the Jolly Masons Arms pub on the right, you will reach the entrance to the ground further up on the left.

From the North
Take the A55 North Wales Expressway and then take the A483 towards Wrexham. After passing Wrexham then after around a further seven miles take the left hand filter onto the A539 towards Llangollen. At the roundabout at the bottom of the slip road take the third exit towards Llnagollen and then straight on at the next roundabout and then at the next take the first exit onto the B5605 towards Rhosymedre/Cefn Mawr. After a mile turn right onto the B5096 towards Cefn Mawr and then take the second right into Rock Road and after passing the Jolly Masons Arms pub on the right, you will reach the entrance to the ground further up on the left.

From the West
From Llangollen take the A539 towards Ruabon. After around four miles you will see just after pedestrian crossing with traffic lights, the Eagles pub on the right. Turn right just after the pub onto King Street. Continue on this road (passing along the way through Cefn Mawr) and after one mile, you will go by a small Somerfield store on your right. Take the next left into Rock Road. After passing the Jolly Masons Arms pub on the right, you will reach the entrance to the ground further up on the left.

Car Parking
There is a free car park at the ground that has space for 100 cars.

The nearest railway station is Ruabon, which is located around a mile and a half away from the Rock Stadium. It is served by trains from Cardiff Central, Chester and Birmingham New Street.

The stadium is around a 25 minute walk away; ‘As you exit the station building, turn left and walk up the station approach road. At the top of this road turn right (or turn left for the Bridge End Inn pub!) onto Bridge Street. You will then reach a roundabout, which you go straight across onto the B5096 towards Rhosymedre. After another 3/4’s of a mile turn right onto the B5096 towards Cefn Mawr and then turn immediately right into Chapel Street. At the top of Chapel Street you will reach a T-junction where you turn right into Rock Road. The stadium entrance is up on the left.

Booking train tickets in advance will normally save you money! Find train times, prices and book tickets with Trainline. Visit the website below to see how much you can save on the price of your tickets:

Adults £7
OAP’s/Students £4
Under 16’s £1

Official Programme £2

The nearest Premier League team are the New Saints.

Cefn Druids AFC fixture list (takes you to the BBC Sports Website).

If you require hotel accommodation in Wrexham or the Ruabon area then first try a hotel booking service provided by Booking.com. They offer all types of accommodation to suit all tastes and pockets from; Budget Hotels, Traditional Bed & Breakfast establishments to Five Star Hotels and Serviced Apartments. Plus their booking system is straightforward and easy to use.Yes this site will earn a small commission if you book through them, but it will help towards the running costs of keeping this Guide going.

Official website: www.cefndruidsafc.co.uk

If anything is incorrect or you have something to add, then please e-mail me at: [email protected] and I’ll update the guide.