NORTH WALES COAST PATH

CHESTER TO THE MENAI BRIDGE

DAY TWO FLINT TO FFYONNONGROYW

 

 

We left Chester in two cars and left one at the north end of Ffyonnongroyw and then went to Flint Castle to start this second days walk. The mist had rolled in overnight and it was overcast as we started.

First we had a look around Flint Castle which was free to access. Not much of it left but it was atmospheric with the sea covered in fog and the land dark and overcast. Dave explored every part of it while the rest of us talked and took photos.

 We passed to the south of the castle and picked up this path which went around a wooded headland.

The water was coming in the creek that ends up near the Castle and there was a sand bar off shore.

The path then went inland again right around a creek that was Flint Harbour now devoid of boats and full of mud. http://www.cpat.org.uk/projects/longer/ports/ports.htm

We then followed the coast path along a wild shoreline .

After which came a stretch on a sea wall.

There were fields to the left sandwiched between the railway and the sea.

 We passed around this creek near Bagillt.

After Bagillt  the path goes around a headland which is higher than most of the rest of the coast line.

On the other side of the headland Bagillt harbour is reached with fishing boats still operating from it.

This is the view as one rounds the end of the creek via abridge.  

After another section of sea wall and passing an industrial estate Greenfield Dock is reached. Here we crossed the railway into Greenfield for a pie and drinks at the Packet Public House after 6 miles.

We then went to the nearby Basingwerk Abbey ruins again free to go in. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basingwerk_Abbey

The ruins

After looking at the fish in a nearby pond we returned to the coast and continued on a path next to large stones piled up along the shore. Periodically there were stiles with this unusual conversion for pedestrians so it could be kept locked to keep the sheep in the right fields.

The volume of stones deposited to protect this coast must have been enormous as it went on for over a mile.

The next creek Llannerch-y-môr contained the rusting remains of the Duke of Lancaster.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TSS_Duke_of_Lancaster_(1956)

To get around this creek we had to go under the railway to the coast road where there was a café where we had tea and coffee before returning up the other side of the creek.

We continued along the coast on this rough vehicular track and the Duke of Lancaster was soon lost in the mist behind.

Mostyn was the next village and here the coast is not an option. One has to choose between following the main road or taking an inland route through Mostyn and up through some woods. We took the inland route into the sunshine http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mostyn

Once up on to the plateau the route follows a road under this unusual house built across the road.

After the road walking fields have to be crossed some laid out with numerous horse jumps.

The descent to Ffyonnongroyw was down a beautiful valley with a steep gorge and waterfalls below, one could almost forget the tired limbs as at the bottom on reaching our car the walk had been 13.70 miles. Then it was back to Chester having had a good and interesting day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ffynnongroew