Introduction
Our son, Adam, is spending 12 days walking the Offa’s Dyke. I joined him for about 3 miles today as he was walking from Llanferres to Llangollen.
It was a cold and cloudy day with mizzle in the air.
My staring point on the A494, west of Mold is about an hour and 5 minutes drive from Cheadle Hulme, and we were on our way from there by 1015.
The 6.5 mile walk took took 2 hours 45 minutes, plus 20 minutes for lunch. It was quicker than my normal speed, as I was trying not to slow Adam down. He had many more miles to walk and rain was forecast for later in the day.
There were lambs on the hills, so much of the walk was unsuitable for dogs today.
I parked at Moel Gyw Car Park on the A494, postcode LL15 1YG. It is the car park of the currently unused Clwyd Gate Restaurant. Adam had met me here so I had no choice but to pay for parking, which took a good 10 minutes by phone and cost me £7!
The walk is on OS Explorer Map 256 .
Moel Gyw And Moel Llanfair
The clouds were high as we set off, though the spectacular views west into the Vale of Clwyd were already quite murky.
The gorse was in full bloom, to add a dash of colour to the hills.
And it’s an excellent grassy track around the hills, so plenty of time to watch the views, rather than where you’re putting your feet.
We had a short break along the way to consult the map.
Many of the lambs had brown splodgy colour patches, though their mothers didn’t.
At Ty’n-y-mynydd, we had done 2 miles, and prepared for a short steep ascent ahead up Moel y Plas.
Moel y Plas and Llyn Gweryd
Over the top of the hill, the fishing lake came into view.
A quick descent to the level of the lake, and then Adam continued his journey to the south, anticipating tea and cake at the cafe in Llandegla.
I had turned sharp left to make my way past the end of the lake.
For the first time, I had access to the views to the east from here.
Ty’n-y-mynydd
Rising away from the lake, and around the hillside, the farmhouse at the head of the valley came into view in the distance.
The farm is surrounded by a copse; a mix of ancient trees and more recent conifers. I stopped here for lunch, and listened to the unmistakable call of a cuckoo – a first for this year. Why do these birds come from their wintering grounds in the central African rain forests to breed in these cold islands?
After crossing the valley, I looked back to the copse and hillside, a typical upland cuckoo environment.
Back Over The Hills
Rounding Moel Llanfair, the weather was closing in, cold, windy, and a bit wet, so I ignored my drawn route and stayed up on the track.
At Garreg Llwyd, I could have taken a path to the summit of Moel Gyw. In good weather, I would have done, but not today.
So, I retraced my steps along the Offa’s Dyke Path, and could still enjoy the view despite the deteriorating weather.
The penultimate field had been full of cattle on the way up. Alone, I was glad they’d been moved as I returned.
Looking across to the car park, I could see two things –
- The cattle had been moved to the lower field, sheltered from the incoming weather.
- I was the only person to pay £7 to park there! Surely they could fill the car park if it was, say, £2, and make more money.
It was great to share this walk with Adam for a little while, but the weather felt more February than late April.
And if you try this walk on a summer’s day the views will be spectacular. Just find somewhere else to park!
And Finally….
Ian Hunter (of Mott The Hoople fame) has a new album out, Defiance Part 1. There’s some good old-style rock guitar songs, such as this one, Pavlov’s Dog.