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Wrexham and FlintshireThe Dee at Connah’s Quay
Level walking along the canalised Dee, on an estuary that was engineered straight in the eighteenth century and still holds enormous bird numbers.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 40
- Ascent
- 25 m
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Shape
- There and back
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Follow the coast path along the river wall in either direction. Flat and surfaced.
Worth knowing
- The Dee was canalised in the 1730s to keep Chester’s port open, which reshaped the whole estuary.
- The Deeside Naturalists’ reserve at Oakenholt has hides overlooking the marsh.
- Very exposed; the wind funnels up the estuary.
What you’ll see
The canalised river, saltmarsh, waders and wildfowl, and the power station and works.
Background
The New Cut of 1737 straightened the Dee and reclaimed thousands of acres, though it failed to save Chester as a port.