Moel Famau and Foel Fenlli

A reasonably challenging and steep route lay before us through woodland and moorland to Moel Famau, in the heart of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley. The route to the summit was along a clearly defined forest track from Coed Moel Famau car park. Passing through Forestry Commission conifers, the area is reputedly home to Willow Warblers, Chaffinches, Goldcrests, Wrens, Robins, Great Tits, Blue-tits, Whinchats and a few Redpolls. Sparrow Hawks and Tawny Owls have also been sighted.

Emerging into moorland, wildlife purportedly seen here include Kestrels, Buzzards (we saw one), insects,voles, Red Grouse, Meadow Pipits, Skylarks and Ring Ouzels. From there it was a short, sharp ascent to the summit (though there was the option of an alternative longer, but easier route).

At the summit, the highest point of the Clwydian Range at 554m/1818ft, are the remains of the Jubilee Tower, built to commemorate George III's (mad King George) 50 years reign. The foundation stone was laid with great ceremony on Thursday 25^th October 1810 when 3000 people climbed the summit.

The tower, designed in Egyptian style, with a rectangular base and four bastions topped by a simple obelisk, was intended to reach a height of 115ft. Instead, the work was never fully completed. In 1846 the tower was already crumbling and a guidebook to North Wales warned that “in all probability it will tumble down”. It was another 16 years before the tower collapsed, suddenly on 28^th October 1862, in the aftermath of storms lasting a couple of days and narrowly missing two people.

There are exceptional views from the summit and this is reported to be one of the finest viewpoints in Wales: Snowdon, Cader Idris, North Wales Coast, Isle of Man and parts of Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria and the Pennines included.

There was a steady descent following the Offa's Dyke trail down the the Bwlch Pen Barras car park, passing Corsican Pines en-route. The trail was very well marked until the car park was reached. From there, we continued following the Offa's Dyke path for an ascent up to Moel Fenlli, one of a string of hill forts along the range.

The walk takes you round the western perimeter of the Hillfort crowning the summit, but we briefly left the Offa's Dyke path to climb to the top (511m). The earthworks rise to 35ft above the outer ditch in places and completely enclose the hilltop. Two entrances originally gave access to the fort and a wooden palisade would have topped the ramparts. There was such a cold wind that we didn't stay long but reportedly within the defences, remains of over 30 hut circles, along with fragments of 5^th Century Romano-British pottery and coins have been found.

We re-joined the Offa's Dyke path and followed the contouring path past a belt of conifers, woods and fields before leaving it be a large stone-built farmhouse, following a track (and a short section of lane) back to the car park.