Glasfryn Circular via Gwysaney Hall – it’s a short drive to the Glasfryn in Mold for this month’s walk. This one really is a little gem, as you’ll walk across green meadows and along woodland paths punctuated by some incredible views of the surrounding hills and valleys.
The walk is just over 5 miles and is of easy to moderate difficulty. It’s easy to follow and, apart from one short, rather boggy section, pretty easygoing. The route should take you around 2¾ to 3 hours to complete.
The total ascent is about 627 feet or 190 metres, with the highest point being 694 feet or just over 210 metres.
“Pre-Amble”
You’ll be walking along easy-to-follow gravel trails and woodland paths for a lot of the way. There are stiles to cross, some of which you’ll have to lift a dog over. There is a 25-yard boggy section in Big Wood with a few fallen trees to negotiate, which requires a bit of care.
Starting Point
I started off by the Glasfryn pub opposite Theatr Clwyd. You can park opposite the pub on the road on a Sunday, and you can also park around the top of Raikes Lane in the residential area. If you use the car park at the Glasfryn, please ask permission or ring ahead if you’re in a party with several cars (01352 750 500).
The postcode is CH7 6LR or what3words.com/crowbar.decent.regrowth.
Head out of Wrexham towards Mold on the A541. Take the second exit on the Wylfa Roundabout, following the white signpost for Mold and St Asaph (A541). You’re now on Chester Road. After half a mile, take the third exit (in effect, straight on) at the next roundabout with Tesco to your left. You’ll come almost straightaway to another roundabout. Take the third exit (turning right, in effect) onto the A5119 (King Street) and following the signs for Queensferry, Flint and Theatr Clwyd.
Turn left after a quarter of a mile, following the brown signs for Theatr Clwyd and Register Office. The Glasfryn is a short way up Raikes Lane on the left, opposite the “brutalist” Civic Centre.
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
Gwysaney Hall
Walk down Raikes Lane away from the Glasfryn and turn right onto Lôn Llwynegrin at the thick, tubular metal barriers after about a minute (1).
Walk down the lane for half a mile – you can see what I think is Moel Famau away to your left – until you reach a T-junction with a brook on your left. You’ll see Blackbrook Cottage ahead of you and to the right. Cross straight over the road and go through the wooden gate – 19PPDC93 is carved on it – in front of you, following the green public footpath sign (2).
Walk up the earth track with the grass middle strip. You’ll walk up what looks like an old drovers’ trail. After about half a mile or 12 minutes, the track passes to the left of a house called Tan-y-Wal (3).
Five minutes later, the path bends sharply to the left. You’ll see the Grade II-listed Jacobean mansion called Gwysaney Hall to your right. Carry on along the track. Walk straight across the tarmacked drive with the white gate on your right and down the grassy verge towards the gateway with the cattle grid with “No 1 New House” and “No 2 New House” on the fence next to it (4).
Go through the metal gate or over the cattle grid and walk up the gravel path. Follow the path as it bends to the left.
Glasfryn Circular via Gwysaney Hall
Bamboo Field
Go through the triple wooden gateway. You’ll see the “new houses” on your left. Go through the old stone gateway with the stone stile to the right. You’ll walk past a pool and a huge fallen tree to your left. Turn right at the yellow-topped waymarker arrow post ahead of you and go through the stone gateway shortly afterwards (5).
Turn diagonally left and walk to the immediate left of the old brick structure. Carry on across the bamboo field in the same northerly direction. As you get closer to the far hedge and fence line, you’ll see woodland beyond the left-hand corner of the field. In that hedge and fence line, you’ll also see a metal kissing gate next to a yellow-topped wooden post with a yellow arrow on a green circular background.
Go through the gate and head for the metal gate ahead of you and to the left. Once through the gateway, head across the field that slopes down to your right. Hop over the stile in the treeline ahead of you and take the path that takes you down into the dingle. Try to head down the slope as straight as you can without veering too much to the left or right. Negotiate the fallen trees on the way down.
Once you reach the bottom of the slope, you’ll find yourself on a track that runs across you. If you’ve managed to head more or less straight down the slope, you’ll see a yellow-topped wooden post with a yellow arrow on a green circular background to your left (or west). Stand facing the post so the sign on the tree that says “Private No Footpath” is to your left (6).
Stone Wall Stile
Take the short path ahead of you that takes you out of the wooded area. Cross the stile to enter the field ahead of you. Climb the slope in front of you and exit using the stile at the top of the rise. Turn left immediately so you’re heading down the slope of this next field, following an electric fence to your left. You’ll see a curious metal-framed wooden bridge at the bottom of the incline. Climb over the metal bar at the beginning of the bridge and then carefully scale the wire on the other side of the bridge (7).
There are two steps down to ground level on the other of the stile, meaning the drop is more than you might expect.
Once safely back with both feet on the ground, cross the bridge and head uphill towards the metal walker’s gate in the fence line on the right. Turn left once through the gate and continue up the slope. You’ll see you’re now in the back garden of the house above you and to your right. Follow the two waymarker arrows and use the stones jutting out on either side of the wall to climb over it (8).
You’ll need to lift your dog over this, I think. Once over it, walk along the short stretch of gravel drive and climb over the stile in the wooden gate. Walk straight ahead, over the cattle grid and follow the drive as it bends right and upwards.
Glasfryn Circular via Gwysaney Hall
Maes Gwyn
Go through the wooden gateway over another cattle grid and carry straight on until you reach the lane after about a minute. Turn right and walk past the farm entrance (Maes Gwyn) with the red letterbox. Turn right again after about five minutes when you reach the point with metal footpath signposts either side.
Climb over the metal-framed stile with the wooden steps. Follow the right-hand tree and fence line and hop over the metal stile on the right after a few minutes. Follow the left-hand fence and hedge line for about 50 yards. Look diagonally left and head for the yellow-topped wooden post. Exit the field through the new metal kissing gate next to the post. Turn right along the drive down to the farm. Don’t miss the view ahead as you go through the gate. Walk down as far as the farm and turn left through the metal gate just before the entrance (9).
Follow the farm building perimeter to the right until you reach the farmhouse. Turn left and go through the metal kissing gate. Follow the temporary fence down the slope. Aim for the post with the yellow top and hop over the metal stile next to it. Take care walking over the branches on the ground covering the boggy section on the other side of the stile – use the short wooden post on the left to steady yourself.
Head for the stile to the right of the metal gate. You don’t have to use the stile; you can simply use the gully to the left of it to continue. Follow the left-hand treeline and walk past the concrete plinth-like object on top of the raised bit of ground. Walk to the left of the house in front of you. Go through the two gates or over the two stiles.
Fallen Trees
There’s a brook running down to your left. Walk past the old stone outbuilding onto a limestone chipping path. Carry on down the path, ignoring the road to the left. You’ll find yourself walking on pine needles and passing more yellow-topped wooden posts. Follow the arrows and turn left down the slope through the trees into the wood. Cross a short wooden bridge and keep following the path.
You’ll come to a short area of boggy, churned-up ground and fallen trees, which you’ll have to step over or duck under. This only lasts a few minutes though and you’ll soon come to a drier stretch of path that bends to the right after you’ve crossed a short wooden bridge and gone through an old gateway – the left-hand post has some red writing on it (10).
Walk along the narrow wooden plank before you rise slightly up to a gravel path which continues through the wood. You’ll pass a couple of warning signs on your right, one of which says, “Do Not Climb On Timber Stacks”. Carry on along the trail for about 12 minutes. You’ll go through a metal gate with a wooden stile to the left. You’ll exit the wood now, although there are still some trees to your left. A field slopes down to your right and you can see Gwysaney Hall again, this time up and to your right.
Bryn Tudor
Carry on along the limestone path for another half-mile, going through three gates before you reach Blackbrook Road by a house called Bryn Tudor (according to their bins). You’ll see Mold in front of you and slightly to your right as you reach the end of the path.
Turn left onto Blackbrook Road. Walk past Top Yr Allt Cottage on your right after a couple of minutes, and then turn right onto Raikes Lane two or three minutes later. Pass the red letter box on your right and go past the houses on either side. Pass the turning on your left about a quarter of a mile after the letterbox and carry on down the lane for another eight minutes or so. You’ll arrive back at the Glasfryn.
Congratulations – you’ve completed the walk!
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