Marchwiel is a small village located 2 miles east of Wrexham. The settlement has developed in a linear pattern along the A525 Wrexham to Whitchurch Road. The village is situated on a small hillock and offers extensive views to the north over the flood plains of the River Dee and into Cheshire beyond.

The conservation area is centred on the area around the Church of St Deiniol & St Marcella and the historic, early 18th Century turnpike road from Chester to Shrewsbury. To the south of the conservation area, the surrounding area is rural in character, dominated by pasture fields and gently undulating hills. To the north, the character is distinctly urban comprising mainly 20th Century residential estates.

The Marchwiel Conservation Area was designated in 1975 and its boundary amended and reduced in April 2000. The Marchwiel Conservation Area Character Assessment and Management Plan was adopted in February 2011.