B5102

The B5102 near New Farm

Running from Allt-y-Gegin / Gegin Hill on the A525 at Minera, just west of Coedpoeth, to Holt on the A534, the B5102 is a more important route than it would at first appear.

The road begins by heading northeast, passing to the north of Brymbo, before meeting the B5101 and descending into the Cegidog Valley, which it follows to Cefn-y-Bedd. There is a very brief multiplex along the A541 where it passes under the Bidston to Wrexham railway line.

Although relatively straight for quite a lot of its length, the B5102 now becomes much twister as it approaches the village of Llay, where we come across industry in the form of the Meritor automotive components company. From here, the road continues east along what's known as the 'Straight Mile' and down to the A483. It goes over the dumbbell junction and quickly meets the old road, which is now (as it has been for some years) the B5445; the B5102 originally ran slightly to the north along Station Road but that course was severed when the new road was built.

The B5102 from here takes up a little piece of the B5445 as it heads north (left) at the roundabout (signs say that the B5102 is the dominant partner in the multiplex – though many maps disagree) and then TOTSOs right at a road fork, splitting away from the B5445 as it passes through the small residential area of Rossett. The B5102 from this point provides an excellent and underused link between the 'old' A483 and the A534. Not only does it 'cut the corner' if you are heading from the north, but it also saves you having to go anywhere near Wrexham. As it's usually very quiet, it makes for a great Sunday drive out.

For the next mile or so, the B5102 isn't much more than a sparsely built-up country lane, before it heads around an 'S' bend and opens out to become a very long and very straight section of road, easily worthy of 'A' class status. The route carries on along the edge of the River Dee flood plain until it reaches a sudden 'T' junction where it turns east (left) and the road narrows on the approach to the pleasant village of Holt. Here, it TOTSOs sharp right at The Cross in the village centre, almost doubling back on itself before winding slowly down to its eastern terminus where it meets the A534. The road layout here (including what is now a short cul de sac) make it obvious that the B5102 from Holt Cross to this point is actually a former alignment of the A-road.