Around Hawarden 31st August 2022

Getting ready for setting off from Tinkersdale.

The Fountain and our final destination.

The Hawarden War Memorial and the Gladstone Statue.

"Keep to the footpath."

Beeston Castle and Peckforton Hill on the skyline from Cherry Orchard Road.

Chester churches on the skyline above Airbus.

Walking through Bilberry Wood.

Approaching the "awkward" stile.

Will it be under or over?

Looking lost in Hawarden Park?

Walk stats: 

Distance: 4.7 miles (5 miles if you went on the 15 minute stroll into Hawarden Park). Climb: 453'.

Time 2 hours 18 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.3 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.0 m.p.h.

Temperature: 19.8 Celsius at the start.

Beaufort Wind Force:  0 - 1. Calm to light air, never enough to encourage me to stop and measure it!

Group: Martyn, Sue and Michel, Roger, Sue Pearson, Wendy, Nigel, Fran and David S.

A local walk and everyone left Chester by 09-00, so we were all ready to walk by 09-30.

Usually this would be a great start, but today we set off a little too early and arrived back at the start, before our chosen hostelry was open. To avoid being seen standing outside the Glynne Arms waiting for it to open, we went on a 15 minute extension to the walk by going into Hawarden Park and the castle grounds.

This was a good day for walking, mainly with intermittent cloud cover, but occasionally requiring us to wear sunhats, (especially those with little hair covering left on our heads).

You wouldn't describe the walk as being memorable, but at least it was quite varied and the paths were now well signposted (compared to the first time we did the walk a few years ago).

Although there were many stiles on the original walk description, most were avoided by using an adjacent gate or a gap in the fence. There were 14 stiles marked on the route description, but we probably needed to cross less than half of them.  Unfortunately the two most awkward stiles near the end of the walk had to be crossed.

Everyone managed to  cross both of them, although one young lady decided to go under the gap in the fence next to the stile!

Near the golf course we watched as wooden telephone poles were being renewed and possible the cables being replaced as the Beluga could be seen taking off in the distance.

As we went past an old barn ith Barn swallows flying in and out, we noticed an owl box i the barn as well. It would be nice to think a Barn owl was making good use of it.

We did stop brieflyon CHerry Orchard Lane for some of the group to have a drink.

Birds seen or heard on the walk and including the extension to Hawarden Park included: Barn swallow, Common blackbird, House spaow, Carrion crow, Wood nuthatch and Common buzzard.

After walk refreshments were had at the Glynne Arms in Harwarden.  Most decided to have food as well as drinks. The brews we sampled were from the Conwy Brewery and Salopian Brewery.  I wasn't convinced the Conwy brews were at their best, but everyone else thought they were OK.

 

Harris Hikers Walks and Dates August 2022

 

Change of walk for Wednesday 17th August 2022.

NEW Shorter Walk each month.

Some of group's regular walkers have suggested that it would be a good idea to include one walk each month that is shorter (5 - 6 miles) that might tempt anyone put off by a 10 mile walk, to joins us. 

I am happy to receive suggestions for suitable short walks, particularly if they free from stiles

These walks will where possible be on the last Wednesday each month.

The first of these walks is on Wednesday 31st August.

All Covid Restrictions in Wales have been lifted,  so it is no longer the law to wear face coverings in any situation, although you may feel more comfortable in some situations to do so.  I will still have my face covering with me, you may wish to do the same.

 Although it is no longer a law, you may also want to use them in places like as Public Conveniences (PCs), shops or on Public transort.

Remember to let me know that you plan to walk so that it becomes easier to arrange car sharing. in addition it helps me to know how many route maps I need to bring and on special occasions how many pieces of fruit cake will be needed.

Wednesday 3rd August 2022.
Gop Hill, Golden Grove and Sea Views.
Distance: 7- 8 miles. Climb: 1000'.
Start:  Llanasa Car park opposite the pub and church. Grid ref SJ106815
Leave Chester at 09-00 a.m.
Those planning to walk: Martyn, .
(Those not walking: Nigel)
This walk combines one walks from Dave Berry's book "More Walks in the Clwydian Hills" with a walk from Bob Harris's book "Walks in Ancient Wales". One walk is described as an exhilarating walk with breathtaking contrasting views and the other visits the ancient sites, including the cairn on Gop Hill. 
Saturday 6th August 2022.
To be arranged if a suitable walk can be agreed.
Wednesday 10th August 2022.
Denbigh Castle, Goblin Fields and St Dyfnog's Well.
Postponed - too hot to walk today. 
Now on 17th August 2022
Distance: 8-9 miles. Climb: 600'
Start: Roadside parking by the weir, West of Brookhouse Mill and Pottery. Take the A525 from Denbigh. Just before the Brookhouse Mill Tavern on the A525, at a signpost for "Pottery", turn right (West), go past the marked parking bays for the pottery   and park on the left side of the road by the weir. Grid ref: SJ069656.
Leave Chester at 9-00 a.m.
Those planning to walk:. 
(Those not walking: )
These two walks are taken from Dave Berry's book "Walks in the Vale of Clwyd". One walk explores the attractive and varied countryside between Llanrhaeadr and Brookhouse and gives us the opportunity to see again the famous Tree of Jesse medieval stained glass window (1533) and Ann Parry's gravestone with its inscription"God kept His word".  The walk also includes two mile of riverside  alongside the Afon Ystrad and Afon Clwyd
The second walk is described as interesting and takes a "green"approach to a little known castle in Wales.
Saturday 13th August 2022.
To be arranged if a suitable walk can be agreed.
Wednesday 17th August 2022.
St Dyfnog's Well,Llwyn Wood, Coed Mawr and More .Distance: 7.4 miles. Climb: 400'
Start: Roadside parking by the weir, West of Brookhouse Mill and Pottery. Take the A525 from Denbigh. Just before the Brookhouse Mill Tavern on the A525, at a signpost for "Pottery", turn right (West), go past the marked parking bays for the pottery  and park on the left side of the road by the weir. Grid ref: SJ069656.
Leave Chester at 9-00 a.m.
Those planning to walk:. Martyn, Nigel, David S, Fran, Ed
(Those not walking: Mike, Sue and Michel)
These walk is taken from Dave Berry's book "Walks in the Vale of Clwyd". One walk explores the attractive and varied countryside between Llanrhaeadr and Brookhouse and gives us the opportunity to see again the famous Tree of Jesse medieval stained glass window (1533) and Ann Parry's gravestone with its inscription"God kept His word".  The walk also includes two miles of riverside  alongside the Afon Ystrad and Afon Clwyd
There is a possible extension that is described as interesting and takes a "green"approach to a little known castle (Denbigh) in Wales.
However on the last two occasions we have decided not to do the extension, and had to be satisfied with good views of the castle from the south west.
Saturday 20th August 2022.
Exloring the Environs of Buckley.
Distance: (8-9 miles. Climb: 500'
Start: Buckley Town Centre Car Park on The Precinct Way. Grid ref SJ279638.
Leave Chester 9-00 a.m.  Catch the 08-30 Arriva Mold Bus (4) from Chester Bus Interchange arriving in Buckley at about 09-22.
Those planning to walk: Martyn, Ed.
(Those not walking: Mike )
This walk combines parts of the Buckley Town and Heritage Trails and Buckley Mountain on the north side of the town. On the south side of the town a short section the Wat's Dyke Way is used before returning to the start via Nant Wawr,
The exact route will be decided during the walk.
Wednesday 24th August 2022.
Deborah's Well, Moel Findeg and Big Covert
Distance:7-8 miles. Climb: 1300'.
Start: Lay-by on the  Cadole to the Pantymwyn road. Grid ref: SJ205627. after passing the former Rainbow Inn (now a building site), take the next road on the right just before the newsagent. The lay-by is almost immediately on the right by the telephone kiosk.
Leave Chester 9-00 a.m.
Those planning to walk: Martyn, Ed, Nigel, David S and Fran.
(Those not walking: Mike )
This walk combines two walks from Dave Berry's book "More Walks in the Clwydian Hills".  This is another chance to visit the summit of Moel Findeg with its fine views of the Northern Clwydians  and across the Cheshire plain to Peckforton and Beeston.  Hopefully we will make it as far as the ancient Deborah's well this time. We may even do it first this time, if we park in the Cadole lay-by.
Saturday 27th August 2022.
To be arranged if a suitable walk can be agreed.
Wednesday 31st August 2022.
Hawarden, Hawarden Park and More.
Distance: 4-5 miles. Climb: 440'.
Start: Tinkersdale Car Park, Hawarden. Grid ref: SJ315656. 
At the fountain, take the A550 southward. The car park is on the left.
Those planning to walk: Martyn,Wendy,Nigel, Fran, David S. Roger, Sue and Michel, Sue Pearson, Dave Pearson?
(Those not walking: Mike,Ed,Celia)
This walk is taken from the Flintshire Council booklet "Rural Walks in Flintshire".
It is described aas an easy walk exploring the historic village of Hawarden and Hawarden Park.
You are prabably aware that the woodland in the park was a location used in filming the BBC 
production "Sherwood".
Last time we did this walk in March 2018, we did an extension to the north of the village, 
but this time, the only optional extension on offer will be a short exploration of the 
castle grounds.
As it is such a short walk, we will probably be finishing the walk by the time we would usually 
be stopping for lunch and it has been suggested that some of the group might like to have 
a light bite at the Glynne Arms afterwards.
DS reccomends the "Fish finger sandwich" and when I visited on the 11th August 2022 they
 had a good selection of beers including Purple Moose's Snowdonia Ale!

Red Arrows over Saltney Ferry 28th August 2022

Red Arrows in formation.

The Red Arrow plane that came closest to my house.

First Fly past.

Second Fly past.

Final fly past.

Trying to take a photograph or film the Red Arrows as they fly overhead isn't easy if you are holding the camera in your hand!

 

Flint Castle to Holywell 27th August 2022

Flint Castle - the start of the walk.

Flint Castle.

 Leaving the Flint Dock Beacon - running repairs done.

The Jubilee Beacon at Bettisfield.

A few roosting waders (mainly Oystercatchers)

Greenfield Dock.

Joining a friend (but who does it remind you of sitting on top of the pole? for lunch overlooking Greenfield Dock.

The view from our lunch spot.

Basenwerk Abbey.

One of the Courtalds's information boards at the exhibition house in the Greenfield Valley.

A Little grebe on the main pool in Greenfield Valley.

The steel sculpture in the centr of Holywell.

Walk stats: Distance: 9.2 miles. Climb: 551'.

Time: 4 hours 11 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.7 m.p.h. Overall waLK AVERAGE: 2.2 m.p.h.

Temperature: 19.2 Celsiu (as we walked along the Coastal Path). 22.7 Celsius at lunch near the Greenfield Dock.

Beaufort Wind Force: 0 - 2. Calm / light air, but along the coast it was a very pleasant cooling light breeze.

Group: Martyn and Ed.

This was another of my Wainwright style walks (using public transport to get to the start of the walk and home afterwards.

This was a superb day for walking and the light breeze in our faces made it feel even better.

Lots of people out along the Coastal Path between Flint Castle and Greenfield Dock, most with dogs. Finding a "happy bush" wasn't easy!

The surprise of the day was seeing thousands of roosting Oystercatcher, Common redshanks and at least 50 Little egrets on the bank as we approached Bettisfield.

Lunch was taken at Greenfield Dock, where we were able to take advantage of a bench overlooking the estuary.

Walking through the Greenfield Valley, the Courtauld's Exhibition was open and as it was free we decided to take a look.

the star bird of the day was a Little Grebe o the main pool (fishing lake) in the Greenfield Valley.

Our final destination was The Market Place inHolywell, where we both enjoye samoning the Sambrok's Porter.

Birds seen or heard today included: house sparrow, Wooedpigeon, Oystercatcher, Great cormorant, Shelduck, Cmmon redshank, Oystercatcher, Wheatear, Little egret, Mllard, Pied wagtail. Eurasian curlew. Pied wagtal, European robin, Carion crow, Grey heron, Herring gull and Barn swallow.

The Rhyl Air Show made our bus from Holywell to Flint / home 20 minutes late, but at least it got me home in time to see he Red arrows on their return to their base at Harwarden Aifield.

Hopefully I will see them again tomorrow.

 

Deborah's Well Monument.

There ia always at least one mandatory view of Moel Famau on most of our walks.

Landscaping seems to be in progress on the Gwernymynydd Quarry.

Moel Findeg from the Bryngwyn track.

What are they debatinng now?

Perhaps they are just glad of a rest!

On the top of Moel Findeg.

On the path on the east side of Burley Quarry.

Our lunch spot on the south side of Big Covert.

Strolling throgh Big Covert.

Reminders of the memories of evacuees who vame to Cholomendy from Liverpool during war time.

The Loggerheads Monument, but it needs an information boardto tell the strory.

It didn't matter for us, we had David S!

Walk stats: Distance: 8.8 miles. Climb: 1178'.

Time: 4 hours 40 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.1 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.8 m.p.h.

Temperature: 18.8 Celsius as we approached Moel Findeg.  Humidity at times made it fee much warmer.

Beaufort Wind Force: 0 - 1 . Mainly no wind at all and the occasional 5 m.p.h. breeze was very welcome.

Group: Martyn, Nigel, Fran and David S.

On Tuesday the weather forecasts were not very promising with Meteo suggesting heavy rain all day and in contrast the Met Office just >50% chance of rain. 

Thankfully the Chester Group agreed to wait until 07-30 on Wednesday before making the final decision.  The forecast improved and the Chester Group (+me) decided to go anyway, expecting to experience a shower or two. Most had a change of gear, anticipating the worst!

Ed decided it was too much of a risk to travel so far just to get wet!

In the end we had no rain at all, no real sunshine and in the main very pleasant walking conditions despite at times it feeling somewhat humid.

Views were pretty good, especially from the top of Moel Findeg where we had a 360 degree panaorama.

Lunch was taken on the south side of Big Covert, where we all took advantage of being able to sit on the old stone wall.

After lunch we initially had a short climb on the path on the west side of Big Cover before reaching the delightful wider forest track that led us towards Maeshafn.

It was disappointing to see that no-one was using the Cholomendy Outdoor Activity Centre during the school holidays. I nits early days under the control of Liverpool Council, needy children came here at this time for a holiday.

Birds seen or heard today were very few.  We saw a Common blackbird, Woodpigeon, Common buzzard and heard a couple of Wood nuthatches.

After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Glasfryn where Purple Moose's Snowdonia Ale went down well with at least two memembers o the group!

 

Buckley Town and Heritage Trails and More 20th August 2022

Quite an unusual Centitaph at the Coranation Gardens, Buckley, 

The first heritage sculpture (no 7) that we encountered on the veast side of Knowl Hill Gravel Pits, now an SSCI (access restrictedas a site with Great crested newts known to be breeding.

Knowl Hill Gravel Pits, now an SSCI - the nearest we could get thanks to a local who allowed us to view it from his garden.

The start of the Heritage trail

The start of the Heritage trail.

Globe Pool.

No 2 o the Sculpture on the trail.

The vtrack along the old railway track towardss the Brick Lane Works.

St., Matthew's Church, Bistre, Buckley.

Distant views of the Clwydian Hills including Moel Famau.

A view of Moel Famau is a mst on any Flintshire walk!

A delightful path on the way back to Buckley.

Happy memories of swimming here with HGS and later with my father.

Distance: 10.0 miles Climb: 827' (wind vassisted GPS reading.

Time: 4 hours 49 minutes. On the moe walking average: 2.6 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 2.0m.p.h.

Temperature 20.1 - 24.0 Cesius.

Beaufort Wind Force: 1 - 3 (max gusting to 11.1 m.p.h.

Group: Martyn and Ed.

This walk was in some doubt.Ed had n electricity outage that was only resolved with calling out an elsctrician yesterday evening, and I had a power cut this morning (05-00) thankfully restored about an hour later.

Not a walk we would normally expect to do, but one I could get to the start on a bus from home.

I arrived pretty well on time, but would have been earlier had I got off the bus at The Tiv, raher than the Black Lion in Buckley.

The walk was quite challenging in terms of route finding, but with continual reference to the trail guides (not that good) and OS maps and our GPS mapping it worked quite well.

It was disappointing that the nature reserves we were hoping to walk around had no acces, so we followeed too many tracks along green metal fences. Most pools we were expecting to see, we didn't!

Birds seen or heard today included: Grey heron, Cot, Common blackbird, Herring gull and Black headed gull.

Lunch was taken near Buckley Mountain, where large stones gave us a suitable place to sit, at least off road, but notwith a particularly good views.

The surprise of the day was the number of green spaces around Buckley that we encountered - a real bonus for the Buckley area.

Very little of the walk was in open countryside, but we did get a short section around istre Cottage Farm that gave us good views towards Llandega, the Clocaenog Wind Farm and eventually Moel Famau.

We arrived back at the car, having had a good and "interesting" walk and looking forward to a decent pint of beer.

Buckle is not kown for pubs having real ale, so I was only to happy to agree with Ed's suggestion to drive to the Central Hotel (a Wetherspoons) for refreshment. Not the best selection on, but it stop me trying one or two!

 

Moel Hebog 30th August 2008

Moel Hebog - the main objective for the day. The star bird of the day - the Raven.

Lunch at the trig point on Moel Hebog.

Mike on the summit of Moel Lefn - not too impressed by the close attention of a plague of flies.

Walk stats: Distance: 8.9 miles;Climb:3084'.

Time:7hours 6 minutes; Walking average:1.8 m.p.h.;Overall walk average:1.3 m.p.h.

Group:Martyn, Richard, Roger, Mike, Celia and Laurence.

This turned out to be a more challenging walk than I had remembered, the steep scrambling ascent of Moel Hebog followed by the unremitting grassy descent before the pleasant traverse of the two minor peaks of Moel Yr Ogof and Moel Lefn. Worse was to come on this walk, there is always the horrendous trek through the forest and now the reinstated railway track to negotiate as uses the routes we had used in the past as paths! Apart from that this was, for most of us, an enjoyable walk rewarded by some excellent views of the Nantlle Ridge from Moel Lefn at a time when we were at last bathed in sunshine.

Early on we lost Richard for over an hour as he did his usual mountain goat act, then Roger as he forged ahead to help a couple negotiate the scramble/loose scree section up Moel Hebog. Finally Laurence disappeared for a while before he without a GPS and armed with map and compass guided us all through the difficult forest descent to the camp site and back to Beddgelert.

Birds seen or heard today were few and far between but included:Meadow pipit, Chaffinch, Swallow, Stonechat, Buzzard and Raven.

After a longer than usual walk, several pints of J.W.Lees were very welcome when we did finally arrive back at the Britannia Inn at Pentre Halkyn. One or two chose other beverages to slake their thirst!