Halkyn Walking Festival 14th July

These walking festivals are getting better and better! Halkyn Walking Group, part of the Troedio Clwyd Walks, are to celebrate their 10th Anniversary this year is style with a week-long walking festival, taking in the best of this special area’s rich heritage, history, wildlife and stunning views. Surely there is no other walking festival that includes lead mines, hillforts, secrete chemical warfare plants, limestone kilns, castles and not forgetting buffalos all in one!

The festival starts on Monday the 14th of July with a gentle evening stroll leaving from the Upper Ship Inn in Bagillt at 7pm (3 miles, 90 minutes) featuring the Coast Path and Milwr Tunnel.
Tuesday the 15th brings the delights of the Wepre Park and Castle (meet at Wepre 11am), followed by an evening walk at 7pm through woodland and the Ruby Brick Works, starting at the Red Lion Rhosesmor (3 miles, 90minutes).

Visit Flint Castle and the Wales Coast Path on Wednesday (16th) (starting from the Jade Jones Leisure Centre 3 miles, 90 minutes) and discover Old Caerwys in the afternoon (meeting 2pm at Caerwys Golf Club, 3 miles, 90 minutes).

Wednesday Evening (16th) brings a choice of either stepping back in time to the Iron Age with a walk to a Hillfort (2-3 miles 60 minutes) or a longer walk to discover Moel Fagnallt (4-5 miles 90 minutes), both walks starting from the Blue Bell Inn at 7pm.

Two walks with quite different destinations again leave from the Blue Bell Inn on Thursday (17th) in the afternoon (2pm), walkers have the option of visiting an Industrial Landscape (4-5 miles, 90 minutes) or to meet the owners of the local buffalo farm (2-3 miles). A more strenuous evening walk will follow at 7pm to discover Nant y Fflint (4 miles 120 minutes).

Friday starts with a choice of a 2 or 3 mile walk through Rhydymwyn Valley Works (60 and 90 minutes) starting at 10am. In the afternoon, there is an opportunity to practise your Welsh while you walk, starting again from the Blue Bell in Halkyn (2/3 miles, 60 minutes). Limestone pavements and kilns will feature in the evening walk starting from the Crooked Horn Brynford (3-4 miles 90 minutes)

And still there is more, with a Saturday woodland walk (6 miles, 2-3 hours),a Quarries and Lead Mines walk (4-5 miles, 90 minutes) or a Halkyn Church Walk all starting at 10:30 am from the Blue Bell Inn on the Saturday. If you have ever thought you’d like to give Nordic walking a go, now is your chance with some tuition at 1pm with a 2 mile walk to the Trig Point leaving at 2pm.

To finish off, a hillfort and 3 peak walk, leaving  the Blue Bell Inn at 10:30 on Sunday (20th), 5 miles, 90 minutes, followed by a treasure hunt for children at 2pm again starting from the award winning Blue Bell Inn . What is even better it is all for free, no need to book just turn up and have a good time. For more information, or a copy of the programme, visit www.walkaboutflintshire.com, email loggerheads.countrypark@denbighshire.gov.uk, or ring 01352810614.