Llandegla Forest Paths Circular – we’re off to the beautiful forest trails of Llandegla for this month’s walk. The majority of the route is along tree-lined paths, but you’ll also walk around a picturesque reservoir towards the end.
“Pre-Amble”
The walk is approximately 5¼ miles long and of easy to moderate difficulty, with no particularly steep inclines. It should take you around 2¾ to 3 hours. The total ascent is about 437 feet or 133 metres, with the highest point being 1,602 feet or nearly 490 metres.
You’ll be walking along easy-to-follow gravel trails for most of the time. However, please be aware of cyclists, especially along the early parts of the trail. There are no stiles to cross, but if you bring a dog, you’ll need to keep it on a lead at the beginning.
Starting Point
I parked in the car park at Llandegla. It is quite expensive at £7 per car plus £2 per extra passenger. The postcode is LL11 3BT or what3words.com//discrepancy.kickbacks.mass.
Head out of Wrexham towards Ruthin on the A525. Just after you go through Bwlchgwyn, you’ll come to a crossroads with the Moors Inn on your left. Keep straight on along the A525, and the turning up to the Llandegla Forest car park is on the left after about a mile and a half. You pass the turning for Llandegla Fisheries on your right just before you turn left. I started the walk from car park 2. If you’re early enough to snag a parking spot in car park 1, simply walk the short distance up the twisting road to car park 2.
Disclaimer
Important: Your safety is our top priority. Before attempting any of our walks, you must read and understand the disclaimer at love-wrexham.com/walk-disclaimer.
Always remember to read ahead of your current position in the walk directions in case we mention an upcoming potential hazard.
Walk Directions
Llandegla Forest Car Park
The beginning of this walk does coincide with bicycle tracks, so be sure to stay right along these. Start the walk at the metal gate at the far (south) end of car park 2. It has an “Overflow Parking” sign on it (1).
Go through the wooden kissing gate to the right of the large metal gate and walk up the track past the blue cone on your right. Pass the Slow Down sign and then the short wooden post on your right with a green waymarker arrow and the number 9 on it. Carry straight on, following the track as it twists left. Go through the metal gate with the wooden posts and bear round to the right. After about 12 minutes, a stretch of forest replaces the open land to your left.
Turn left down a path with a broad grassy central swathe a couple of minutes later with the two wooden posts to your left. Walk past the short wooden post with the three small circular signs on it – a bike, a bootprint and a black grouse – and continue for a few minutes until you reach a four-way junction.
Wooden Dragon Heads
Check for cyclists coming from your left before you cross over to look at the four wooden dragon heads in front of you (2).
Go straight on onto the heath. You’ll have to step carefully over the fallen fence, which had the stile in it. Follow the path in the heather and take the right-hand fork after a minute or so. Carry on for about 7-8 minutes until you pass a group of small conifers on your right. You’ll see a marshy section ahead of you with a stream to the left of the marshy bit.
** The footpath you have followed peters out here, unfortunately. According to the OS map, the path would take you straight over the boggy patch ahead of you. I tried to carry on, but the lack of a visible path and the treacherous nature of the terrain underfoot meant it was too risky to go any further. **
Bird Hide
Anyway, admire the incredible views of the moorland around you (3) and make your way back to the dragon heads.
Again, checking for cyclists, turn left and walk along the stony track. Keep right to avoid the cyclists. Pass the path to the bird hide on your left after a few minutes, and then continue for about 10 minutes or just over half a mile until you reach another four-way junction (4).
Turn right and walk along the track for a few minutes until you reach a T-junction. Go left and take the broad forest road. You’ve got a fantastic view ahead of the road you’re on, the dip ahead, and the thousands of trees on either side. It’s noticeable how you walk past an area of shorter trees to your right while the taller ones are further up the slope (5).
Cyclists Slow Down
About half a mile after joining this wide forest road, you’ll climb out of the dip and see a path on your right just after a Cyclists Slow Down sign. You’re now on a short stretch of the Offa’s Dyke Path.
Walk down the sloping path, stooping slightly to avoid the overhanging trees. You’ll reach a T-junction after about five minutes. Turn right onto another wide forest road (6).
This road twists and turns for the next mile or so, with amazing views to the left over the valley after about 15 minutes. You’ll pass a couple of small quarry-like sites on your right. Check the pool just after the second one – it was full of frogspawn when I passed it.
Turn left when you reach the junction (7) and walk down the hill.
Leave the road to the right after about four minutes (just before it bends sharply right). Walk along the grassy path that runs alongside the left bank of the pretty stream (8).
Pendinas Reservoir
You’ll reach the Pendinas Reservoir after about 7-8 minutes. Turn left at the metal sluice and join the path running along the end of the reservoir (9).
Grassy banks run down either side of you – the shorter one on the right runs down to the reservoir. Continue along this track as it follows the reservoir. First, straight on (you join another track and then pass a picnic bench), and then around to the right, following the low stone wall that traces the reservoir’s northeastern edge. As the edge of the reservoir bends to the right again (or southwest), you’ll see a large container on the left. Go straight on over the bridge (10) and along the path.
You can take the winding path on your left or carry straight on up the slope to the gate. Turn left there and walk down the track you walked up at the beginning of the walk. Either route takes you back to overspill car park 2.
Congratulations! You’ve finished the walk.
We hope you enjoyed reading “Llandegla Forest Paths Circular“. Click here for more of our local walks.
