#14.Cadair Bronwyn,Wayfarer's Memorial.14-2-11.

I have walked in this area quite a few time's so was delighted when my friend's asked me if i was available to lead a walk from Llandrillo up into the Berwyn's.My friend's,Howie,Clive,Sampo and his spaniel Molly met at  my house at 09.45 a.m. and we arrived at Llandrillo at 10.30 and parked in the village car park near the Ceidiog river.Llandrillo is named after St. Trillo who came to Wales from Brittany and built the church on a mound near the river.

It was a nice sunny morning but was quite cold,the forecast was for possible snow shower's on the higher ground in between sunny period's.
     We joined the Green lane that run's from Llandrillo to the village of Pentre in the Ceiriog Valley.It lead's steeply up into the Berwyn.

This lane is regularly used by off road vehicle's and is quite badly eroded and after the recent heavy rain was difficult to ascend and we had to walk slightly off piste on the grassy area.

It was quite warm whilst we were on the lane but when we had gained some height and hit the open ground and made for the stone circle,Moel Ty Uchaf,we realised how cold it was,from the car park we had gained 900 feet whilst walking 1.7 mile.After taking a few photo's near the stone circle we noticed that some poor weather was heading our way and we got our wet gear on.

The boy's ascending.

This is the view to Cadair Bronwyn before the snow hit us,Moel Pearce above the conifer tree's.

We had just crossed Moel Pearce when the first snow storm hit us.Howie and Sampo pictured here.

The snow persisted for the next hour,been driven by the high wind which hampered our progress.We reached the sleeper path at Bwlch Maen Gwynedd as the snow stopped.These sleeper's are layed down on a blanket bog to protect it.This pass between Cadair Bronwen and Cadair Berwyn is known as Ffordd Gam Elin (Helen's crooked road) and is said to be a Roman road and is named after Elen,a Welsh princess who married a Roman emperor.

After 5 mile of walking we hit the summit of Cadair Bronwyn which stand's 2,575 feet high,pictured here.It's summit beehive cairn is called Bwrdd Arthur,it is the highest point in the Unitary Authority of Wrexham (county top).

Dropping down to Cwm-llawenog we soon reached the summit of Cadair Bronwyn North East Top seen here with a height of 2,297.The area is boggy with cotton grass and heather.

Below is a view to the mountain Pen Bwlch Llandrillo and below it lies the Wayfarer's Memorial.There used to be a large shed here,it's only use appear's to be for shelter from the element's for visitor's.

From here we dropped down to the Wayfarer's Memorial,see link.

www.tracks.me.uk/wayfarer.html

It stand's at the highest point on the pass at an elevation of 1,950 feet.

We re-joined the green lane for the 4 mile walk back to the car.Being sheltered by the mountain it was quite warm in the sunshine.We could see all the way to Snowdonia and it's mountain's were covered in snow.

The weather was very changeable,one minute sunny the next snowing.

We stopped for a break by the Maureen Stone bench.

The nearby Afon Llynor which flow's from it's source high up in Hen Dwr.

Which flow's under the little stone bridge of Pont Rhyd-yr-Hydd.

Looking back up to the Wayfarer's ,Memorial.

Approaching Coed Gerynant and the ford and another snow shower on the way back to the car.                                                                                           

Nearing Llandrillo.

The walk was 10.5 mile's in length with 2,700 feet of ascent.

MILES     89.5

ASCENT    23.550

TOPS    29.

#13.Llantisilio Loop.8-2-11.

I set off early this morning hoping to catch the sun rising and after a frosty night hoping for a cloud inversion over the River Dee,and i wasn't disappointed.I left the house at 7.15 a.m. and took a detour up onto the Panorama and caught the sun rising in the east.

The view down the Panorama to Castell Dinas Bran (Crow Castle) on the left.

I dropped in to Llan. and headed for Rhewl and was delighted to see the cloud inversion over the River.

I parked by the Capel in Rhewl and was walking by 8 o'clock,up past the 14th century Sun Inn,a nice frosty start,minus 2 degree's the car told me.

I took a different route into the hill's today going up to a house called Cymmo and taking the drover's path.

The drover's path is very steep and as the temperature was rising i started to sweat so my coat and glove's had to come off.This is the view back down the Dee Valley from the top of the drover's path.

And looking up to Moel Morfydd from the same spot,i was glad of the rest.

The colour's were amazing this morning and the wildlife was great,i saw pheasants,pigeons,magpies,all kinds of tits,nuthatches,chaffinch,crows,blackbirds,robins,rabbit and load's of sheep,no traffic noise just nature.
    I normally head up the path that skirt's under Moel Morfydd and then up the north flank but i decided on a little detour today heading south on a good track away from the mountain,this gave me some nice view's over to Moel Fferna in the Berwyn's.

The path eventually turn's north and takes you directly to Moel Morfydd.It is badly eroded by the illegal use of off road motorcyclist's.

A steep pull up the south flank to reach the trig point and the next hill's to walk.

Today the view's were fantastic,i colud see the Berwyn range,the Aran's Arenig Fawr,the Clwydian hill's and every mountain over 3,000 feet in Eryri,seen here.

I now walked across to the hillfort of  Moel y Gaer and then steeply up Moel y Gamelin,this is the view back from the summit.

Looking down to the River Dee,the cloud having dispersed.

I now headed off the mountain east toward's the Berwyn Slate Quarry.

The path now head's to a small copse of tree's and i take the path that is to the left of the tree's.

A gentle sloping path now descend's to Rhewl.On leaving the copse you get this lovely view back up to the mountain's i have just walked.

You pass some lovely house's on the descent.

Me think's that this Ford Fiesta and caravan haven't moved for a while.

You eventually reach a building called"The Conquering Hero",this was one of seven pub's in Rhewl (the Sun Inn is the only one left) and the last to shut in the 1980's.Apparently the other 6 pub's didn,t want another in the village and opposed it but the gentleman trying to open it as a pub fought them and won the right to open it and called it the Conquering Hero after himself,well done sir.

The walk took 3 hour's and was 6.5 mile's long with 2,500 feet of ascent.


MILES         79
ASCENT     20,850
TOPS          27

#12.Ellesmere lake and canal.6-2-11.

The weather in North Wales this weekend was very poor,continuous rain that produced 5 inches and very strong wind's,and it didn't look like we would get out but on looking at the forecast sunday morning it had been predicted to ease off for a few hour's in the North Shropshire,so we decided on a short walk in Ellesmere only 10 mile's from Wrexham.We parked by the side of the biggest lake on the A528,this is called "The Mere",and were immediately surrounded by the wildfowl of the lake looking for some food.

We walked clockwise around the Mere through Cremome Garden's to Paddock Wood.The wind was whipping up some big wave's on the Mere and the few people that were kayaking were having a great time.

On exiting the wood we took a path up to the large property of the Oteley Estate and walked through the ground's and passing close to it's terraced garden.

Close up of terrace.

The road through the estate eventually reaches the A528 and at the entrance we came across the old gatehouse now ruined,what a shame.

We crossed the A528 and dropped down onto the Shropshire Union Canal.This is the tunnel under the A528.

We followed the canal path back to Ellesmere,past lot's of sculpture's.

We eventually reached the marina.

A short walk up Love Lane in the town and past St. Mary's Church.

Back to the A528,turn right and the short walk back to the gaggling Greylag Geese.

Although a very windy walk it was quite mild,we only had a few spot's of rain.Due to the heavy rain recently the lake was higher then normal and we stopped at the Cross Foxes in Overton on the way home to take a few photo's of the swollen River Dee.

The walk was 3 mile's long with a leg hurting 100 feet of ascent.

MILES        72.5
ASCENT    18,350
TOPS          24