All walks › Clwydian Range and Vale of Clwyd
Clwydian Range and Vale of ClwydMoel Famau
The highest of the Clwydian hills, topped by the stump of a jubilee tower that fell down in a gale. A steady climb on a made path and one of the busiest hills in north-east Wales.
- Distance
- 2.5 mi / 4 km
- Time
- 1 hr 30
- Ascent
- 250 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- 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
The main path climbs directly from Bwlch Pen Barras to the summit in about forty minutes, on pitched stone throughout. Offa’s Dyke Path runs over the top, so the ridge can be extended in either direction.
Worth knowing
- The car park fills by mid morning at weekends. There are alternative starts at Moel Arthur and Loggerheads.
- The tower was built in 1810 for George III’s golden jubilee and blew down in 1862. Only the base survives.
- Heather in bloom across the ridge in August is worth timing a visit for.
What you’ll see
The jubilee tower base, the Vale of Clwyd on one side and the Dee estuary on the other, and Eryri in clear weather.
Background
The Clwydian Range carries a chain of six Iron Age hillforts along its crest, one of the densest concentrations in Britain.