It’s off to Llanferres near Mold for this month’s circular walk. You’ll find all sorts of surprises await you, from deserted old cart tracks to quiet leafy woodlands. You’ll walk along the River Alyn and cross rolling meadows.
The walk is just over four miles long, mostly along well-defined tracks and paths. Everything’s pretty well-maintained, so overgrown areas are few and far between. There’s even a stretch with some brand-new fencing to keep you on the straight and narrow.
You’ll also need ankle-high boots, as a couple of stretches have rocky outcrops that may not be suitable for trainers or sandals. The total ascent is about 811 feet or about 245 metres, with the highest point being 1009 feet or just over 305 metres.
Starting Point
I started off opposite The Druid Inn in Llanferres (postcode: CH7 5SN; https://what3words.com/called.hound.wipes).
Take the A494 out of Mold towards Ruthin, and you’ll arrive at Llanferres after about 3. miles. You’ll know you’re getting close when you pass the We Three Loggerheads pub on the left-hand side. Stay on the main road and stop by the Druid Inn. There are plenty of places to park on either side of the road.
The route is reasonably dog friendly, although you do pass through several fields that contain cattle and sheep. Area exits were mainly gates, but there were also stiles you might have to lift a dog over. There are stretches along country lanes, so you need to keep your dog on the lead.
Important: Your safety is our top priority. Before attempting any of our walks, you must read and understand the disclaimer at lovewrexham.com/walk-disclaimer.
Walk Directions
The Druid Inn Look for the wooden signpost on the other side of the A494, opposite the Druid Inn. Head down the narrowish old cart track between the hedgerows. After about four minutes, you’ll cross the River Alyn for the first time.
After the river crossing, the track slopes uphill. You’ll reach a gate for Pentre Cerrig Country House after about seven minutes (1). Turn right over the stile, noting the stile on your left.
Walk along the mown swathe and turn left after a few yards. Climb over the stile to the right of the metal gate and make your way up the stone steps, which become a smooth concrete path after a few yards.
The White Famhouse
Turn right off the concrete path at the wooden yellow arrow waymarker post and walk up the lane. Turn right through the metal walkers’ gate after a few minutes and follow the track towards the white farmhouse in the distance.
Peel off left as the track bears down to the right before the farm and go through the old metal gate with the yellow arrow waymarker on the right-hand wooden gatepost (2). Walk along the woodland path with the wall and fence line on your right and the wooded bank sloping upwards to your left.
After about a quarter of a mile, you’ll exit the woodland by going through the metal walkers’ gate next to the corrugated iron sheet (3). Walk past the dilapidated buildings on your right and head slightly left down the slope to the left of the bracken and to the right of the dry stone wall bordering the wood.
Continue down the path until you reach the solitary old stone gatepost. Turn left onto the path running across you. Go through a cattle gate and walk to the left of another one. The path bears right with the dry stone wall to your left.
Armon Cottage
You’ll pass some white buildings on your right, the first of which is Armon Cottage. Shortly afterwards, you’ll come to a wooden post with three directional yellow arrows on it (4). We want to turn left and follow the arrow towards Maeshafn. You’re now entering Coed Carrig, and the path through it goes on for about 1.1/4 miles.
The path slopes steeply upwards for about eight minutes so take care with your footing on the rocks. Keep following the path straight on as it levels out. You’ll pass another multidirectional wooden signpost on your right. Pass the seats made from tree trunks on your left and walk under the archway made by two trees (5).
You’ll also pass the twisted tree on your right with the Coed Carrig sign on it. Carry straight on when you come to the convergence of the four paths, following the yellow directional arrow on the slightly leaning short wooden post.
Shortly afterwards, you’ll reach a padlocked metal gate with a gap between three wooden poles to the right. Pass through the gap and onto a road. Walk along the road for about five minutes until you exit the wood (6).
Hafan Deg B&B
Turn left at the footpath signs and walk down the lane past the sign on your left for the Hafan Deg B&B. Ignore the road to the right and walk to the left of the Llanferres sign. After about five minutes, pass a yellow grit bin and the holiday cottages on your left. Turn right through the wooden gate just after the drive for the house on the right and the second yellow grit bin on the left (7).
Walk diagonally right across the field and between the small fenced-off area in the middle of the field and the corrugated metal shed on the left. Take the path between the left-hand barbed wire fence and the nettles on the right and go through the gate beyond. Walk along the short overgrown path, past the abandoned outbuilding on the right and hop over the stile to the right of the gate.
River Alyn
Turn right and walk past the garage with the black door. Turn left through the metal kissing gate with the wooden “Loggerheads” sign just past the house on the right. Walk down the path and to the left of the stile with the yellow waymarker arrow (8).
You’ll reach a wooden walkers’ gate. Go through and take the left fork. Cross the stone bridge over the River Alyn and follow the path to the wooden gate. Turn left and through the old metal kissing gate where the river pools beyond. Turn right and follow the path for about a quarter of a mile until you reach a lane.
The first bit of the path is lined by fallen tree trunks until the path re-joins the river. Go through another old metal kissing gate, past a well-manicured hedge on your left and a low fence of wooden posts on your right. Go through another metal gate. Walk along the high wooden garden fence on your right.
Turn left at the end of the path onto a lane and cross the bridge. Turn right immediately afterwards and walk to the right of the new fencing, which was being installed when I scouted the walk a few weeks ago (9).
Two Tall Oak Trees
You’ll find yourself in an open field with some farm machinery on your right. Walk across the bottom of the field following the righthand tree, bush and river line.
Go through a wooden gateway with a yellow arrow waymarker on it. Aim for the left-hand corner of the field ahead of you, to the left of the cattle gate between the two tall oak trees (10).
As you approach the corner, you’ll see a gap and a path up the gentle slope out of the field. Go through the gap around the left end of the barbed-wire fence ahead of you and follow the lefthand hedge and bush line.
Hop over the wooden stile in the fence on your left and then turn right. As you get closer to the far edge of the field, you’ll see a stile in the hedge and fence ahead of you just to the left of the telegraph pole.
You’re now back on the path you took from the main road. Turn right and head back to where you parked.
Congratulations! You have finished the walk!
Thank you for reading ‘In Meol Famau’s Shadow: Llanferres Circular Walk‘, If you’d like to see some more of our walks, click here.
