If i went and parked up say around the cafe up on the horseshoe pass, are there any xc types of routes around there?

Loads! Take a look at OS maps on Bing.com. Cracking route over the hills opposite the cafe. Big climbs and very very steep decents. Also loads of good routes behind the cafe, can also go down the Offas Dyke by here and link up with the trails at Llandegla.

From the cafe, look across the road, and then slightly left, you will see a huge rock ahead, head towards this and the path /track goes easier, up to a plateu and then down and then up and down some steep bits, have walked it and met a 4 x 4 oop there so its easily rideable.

Also from the cafe, go back towards llandegla village, just a few yards throught the gate with multiple locks, and oop the hill to cyrn y brain,(steep) then either down the right hand side of the transmitters to worlds end and back up the sleeper trail to llandegla, or straight down with transmitters on right to the gate, LLandegla trails on lhs.

There are plans affoot to link llandegla with langollen using offas dyke path, should be like skittles with the walkerists if they dont widen it first, or just ban walkerists.