August 2010
My previous walk write up was for quite a short walk, between Mostyn and Prestatyn. The reason for that is I had done this walk about 3 years earlier, so I knew on that walk I only had to walk as far as Prestatyn to close the gap. (I did much of my earlier walks with a bit of a scatter gun approach often based off where I could get a cheap rail ticket, then had to fill in the gaps I left later).
For this trip I was once again travelling from home as I had got cheap train tickets with a ticket from London Euston to Colwyn Bay for £12.50 and another ticket from Prestatyn to London Euston also for £12.50. This meant it was much cheaper to do this walk as a (long) day trip than staying over in the area, so that is what I was doing. I took a train from my local station to London Waterloo, the Northern Line to Euston and then a train from London to Chester and finally a train from Chester to Colwyn Bay.
The trains were on time although the train from Chester to Colwyn Bay was only 2 carriages and packed full so I had had to stand as far as Prestatyn. I can’t understand the logic in running tiny 2 carriage trains on a busy route serving lots of holiday resorts in the middle of August, about the busiest time of the year. Oh well, at least I had made it, anyway.
Colwyn Bay feels quite dominated by transport infrastructure. The main A55 trunk road (a dual carriageway, the main route from the motorway to the port at Holyhead) and the North Wales Coast railway line run right along the coast here, so to get between the beach and the town you have to cross both. That also means you get a fair bit of noise from both, too.
When I reach the beach there isn’t a lot of it. It must be high tide because looking west the sea is reaching the sea wall and even directly in front of me there is only about a metre of sand. Despite being the middle of summer, the town seems quiet.
Directly in front of me is the rather sorry looking pier, Victoria Pier.
It was closed down with a large banner “Save Victoria Pier” on it. The pier opened in 1900 but was part closed (the seaward end) in 1987. It was later vandalised and suffered a fire. It was bought by a private owner in 1994 who restored some of the pier but not the shoreward end. He intended to restore and re-open all of it but ran out of money and put the pier up for sale in 2003. It was bought by the current owner in 2004 however he was declared bankrupt by the local council in 2008 due to unpaid business rates. It was therefore closed and still derelict when I did this walk in 2010.
It never reopened. The local Council bought the pier from the receivers in 2012. Their plan to restore it seemed to hinge on getting lottery funding, which they never did. They later announced plans to get the pier, a listed structure, de-listed so they could demolish it. The Welsh Heritage organisation, CADW refused permission to de-list it. However, as they usually do, the Council got their way. They did nothing further with the pier until there were several collapses during 2017 so most of it was subsequently demolished, exactly as the Council wanted. I was glad I had got to see it before it got demolished, even if I couldn’t go on it.
Only a small part of the landward end was retained and eventually restored. As it happens I was back in Colwyn Bay last year (2025) so photographed what it looks like now.
A small wooden jetty with no buildings basically. I am not really sure it was worth the effort!
Anyway it was time to begin the walk which was simple enough – turn right and follow the promenade.
To be honest the town felt very run down, with the railings beside the promenade all rusty.
However I was also puzzled by what on earth the Council was thinking with this cycle path. Why not just run it straight? There was a hashed off area of the road. So it can run straight down there. Instead it seemed to zig-zag between the lamposts for no obvious reason. I didn’t see anyone using it either, which is hardly a surprise!
After a while there was a lower and an upper promenade. I followed the lower until it ended abruptly with a pile of rocks.
So I climbed over the railings back onto the upper path. By this point the sandy beach had become pebble. At the end of the bay was a rocky headland.
Fortunately the path went behind this, between the headland and the A55. (The railway goes under it in a tunnel). However there was the option to onto top of the headland so I did to enjoy the view, where I could see in both directions. I think the high cliffs at the far end of the bay are the edge of Llandudno. It was a lovely view.
In the other direction it was less pretty.
There were what looked like abandoned old piers and jetties. Looking at the map I could see there is a quarry inland (I am not sure if it is still used) and I assume the piers were used to load the quarried stone onto ships. Right behind the beach traffic on the A55 thundered by whilst the beach itself seem to have been replaced with weird shaped pieces of concrete that I assume was built as coastal defence. It was not as nice as I had hoped it would be.
The path continued as a surfaced path over this bizarre beach of weird shaped bits of concrete.
Inland I could see conveyers that I assume were used to transport the quarried stone under the A55 and to one of these piers.
I’m pretty sure it was all disused now. The path I was following (I think it was just called the North Wales Path at this point, as the Wales coast path had not yet been completed) sometimes ran up high, alongside the road to get around various bits of old industry then dropped back down to sea level.
After a while it dropped down and seemed to stay there as I approached the next village, Llanddulas.
The railway too had re-emerged from tunnels and was now running right beside the coast again.
I didn’t really see much of the village, as it was the other side of the railway and A55 from the coast. However ahead the river Dulas flowed under the railway and across the beach. Fortunately, as you can see there was a bridge for me to cross the river by, so I don’t have to inland to get around it.
Once past the river the path is right back on the coast, now the coastal side of a caravan park. The weird shaped rocks that had taken over the beach had ended by this point and the coast was feeling now rather more natural.
By this time the weather, which had been overcast is improving too, as the clouds were now burning off to give some sunshine.
The water looked very clear, too. Ahead of me stretched the beach of Llanddulas. It was sand near the shoreline but rocks nearer the back of the beach. I think the rocks had been put here and aren’t natural I presume to protect the railway line and road behind the beach.
There are only a few dog walkers on the beach by this point.
The path ran right along the back of the beach which was very flat here, so progress was fairly rapid.
However soon the beach widens considerably. Rather than stick to the tarmac coast path behind the beach I can’t resist dropping down onto the now wide and sandy beach – I guess the tide must be going out now!
I am now approaching the town of Abergele, but again you would not really know it from the beach because the town is behind the A55 and railway again.
Behind the beach I can soon see an impressive ruined castle.
This is Gwyrch Castle and it has an interesting history. Originally a castle dating from the 14th and 15th centuries, most of what is there now was built in the 19th and 20th century, more as a stately home. It was rumored to be a very grand house and was visited by Queens Victoria. In the 1920s the castle was owned by Winifred Bamford-Hesketh, the Countess of Dundonald. When she died in 1924 she left the castle to George V in the hope it would become the official Welsh residence of the Prince of Wales. However this wasn’t taken up and it was re-purchased by her husband, but he never returned to live there.
It was used during world War II to house 200 Jewish children. The Dundonalds sold the castle at the end of the war and it was operated as a tourist attraction and hospitality venue after that, but closed in 1987. It became derelict and was frequently vandalised. That was the state it was in when I passed, but the since then there is some good news. The castle was bought by the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust who are now restoring it and it is now open to the public again. If it was open when I walked past I would have stopped to visit.
The beach was becoming increasingly stony again though there was still sand at the shoreline.
Now I reaching the end of Abergele and reaching the neighboring town of Pensarn. The first thing I see of that is the bright lights of the Pensarn Pleasure beach. It certainly isn’t on the scale of Blackpool pleasure beach!
The A55 road turns inland here so at least this makes the coast quieter now (though the railway continues behind the beach). The beach is lovely with a large sandy beach though mixed in with a few pebbles, too.
However I had closer to the shore where it is easier to walk on the firm sand near the shoreline.
The sun is shining now and this part of the walk is absolutely lovely, with just the sound of the sea beside me. I knew from my journey here by train this morning that the coast here is lined by huge numbers of caravans, but these are the other side of the railway line from the beach so I couldn’t really see them from the beach. I was now approaching the town of Towyn.
As you can see the back of the beach is covered with pebbles whilst the shore line is still sand. The view ahead is rather dominated by a tall tower (which is actually in Rhyl).
After a while the railway starts to turn inland too and so now there are also caravans lining the coastal side of the railway and hence right behind the beach. They are packed in close together and stretch almost as far as I can see. It certainly seems caravan holidays are popular on this part of the coast. Beyond the caravan there are now many bungalows lining the coast instead.
This is the village of Kinmel Bay. This is on a small peninsula and soon the bungalows give way to more caravans until I reach the mouth of the River Clwyd. Behind this is a small dock area. I had to head inland a few hundred metres to the A548 road bridge to get across this river on a distinctive blue-pained metal bridge. Since I did this walk a new pedestrian bridge, called the Dragon Bridge was opened (it opened in 2013) so you don’t have to go so far inland now.
From the bridge I have a nice view over the estuary.
The tide is low as most of the boats are stuck on a sandbank! Once over the bridge I have reached the town of Rhyl (one of the few place names in Wales I can pronounce!). I have also crossed from Conwy Country into Denbighshire, which means when I finish this walk I have completed the coast of Denbighshire.
Once around the other side of the river I am now following the promenade through Rhyl. Behind the beach are lines of Victorian era houses (I think) most of which I suspect were once hotels and guest houses (some still are).
The town has a nice outlook with what I presume are the mountains at the edge of Snowdonia, visible in the distance.
The path and promenade soon passes another small fun park with a large tower. This is the Sky Tower. I didn’t take a ride!
Rhyl is quite a big town but there aren’t that many people on the beach – a surprise for a Saturday in August although it has clouded up again.
The beach soon gets wide again.
I soon dropped down on the beach again, it is much nicer than the busy promenade.
Soon I have reached the end of the town and it becomes more rural again, although a bit back from the beach are still thousands of static caravans. I don’t think I have seen so many since Skegness in Lincolnshire!
It is a lovely walk along the beach and soon I have reached the town of Prestatyn. Inland there is a large building with pastel coloured frontage.
This turns out to be the Nova centre which I think is a leisure centre. I have booked the train back from here so this is where I end this walk. I headed inland from the beach to meet the weird artwork that marks the northern end of the Offa’s Dyke path.
It is supposed to be a “stylised representation of the sun”. Well if you say so. It looks nothing like it to me! The path though is wonderful.
Anyway from here I headed a bit inland to the railway station and my train home. The train from Prestatyn to Chester is again very busy but I do manage to get a seat. This time I have to change again at Chester for a train to Crewe. Having complained about the length of the train (being only 2 carriages) on the way here I am shocked to find this one is even smaller – just a single carriage! I manage to get on, just, but I have to stand to Crewe and some are left behind. It is not a great service and I am relieved to get to Crewe because the train the rest of the way to London I have a reserved seat so at least I can get a seat for the rest of the way. Dinner had to be what I could get from the “shop” on board the train but it was better than nothing!
This was mostly a lovely and very enjoyable walk passing through the popular holiday resorts on this part of the coast. The coast was flat but still quite varied with some lovely beaches and lovely views to the hills and mountains of the coast further west, which I am looking forward to getting to. The only bit I didn’t enjoy very much was the bit past the disused quarries east of Colwyn Bay but at least this was only for a mile or so, so only a small part of the walk. I also seem to be making quite quick progress as I’ve now finished my second county of North Wales, Denbighshire.
Here are details of the public transport needed for this walk.
Transport for Wales North Wales Coast Line : Chester – Shotton – Flint – Prestatyn – Rhyl – Abergele and Pensarn – Colwyn Bay – Llandudno Junction. Trains then continue to either Llandudno or Holyhead (via Bangor). Most trains either start from Manchster Airport (via Manchester Piccadilly and Warrington) or Liverpool (via Runcorn). There are 3 or 4 trains per hour between Prestatyn and Colwyn Bay, Monday – Saturday. On Sundays the service is approximately hourly, with some additional services. It takes approximately 15-20 minutes to travel between Prestatyn and Colwyn Bay. There are also a small number of direct trains from Prestatyn, Rhyl and Colwyn Bay to London Euston via Crewe.
Here are the complete set of photos for this walk : Main Link.
Here is a map of the route of this walk. The batteries in my GPS ran out part way along and I didn’t immediately notice so this is why there is a small break in the track but I continued directly along the coast for the small gap.
Here is a map of the route of the walk :-
