Offa’s Dyke from Llandegla to Bodfari

By Ian Parri   

on December 9, 2020   5/5 (1)

Posted in Official Offa's Dyke Route

Offa’s Dyke from Llandegla to Bodfari

Further Details

Route Summary:

A bracing section that takes you past a number of ancient hillforts in the beautiful Clwydian Hills.

Distance: 28.74 km

Ascent: 1021 m

Time: 7 hours 35min

Timings are approximate and depend on the individual. Calculate the time using Naismith’s Rule and factor in your own pace.

Start and Finish: Llandegla to Bodfari

Facilities:

Load up your requisites in the village shop in Llandegla before setting off, as you’ll be hard pressed to find much on the way. You’ll find pubs and campsites at Bodfari at the section’s end, where regular if infrequent bus services link up with Rhyl and its railway station.

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Offa’s Dyke from Llandegla to Bodfari Ordnance Survey Map and GPX File Download

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Offa’s Dyke from Llandegla to Bodfari

The penultimate stage of the Offa’s Dyke from Llandegla to Bodfari

A Walk Through History

THE path continues on its way across the Clwydian Hills, for extended periods following a ridge high above the valleys below. You’ll be passing a number of Iron Age and Bronze Age hill forts on the way, built in line of sight of each other to enable prehistoric messaging such as the lighting of beacons. The first you’ll get to is on the 511m summit of Moel Fenlli, where you can inspect a fort enclosed by still-sturdy stone ramparts.

A steep roller-coaster descent and ascent towards the 554m summit of Moel Famau passes through a car park at Bwlch Pen Barras, a popular viewing point for those not inclined to walk, which also has toilet facilities.

Moel Famau

You’re now entering the Moel Famau Country Park, an 8 sq km area of heather-clad moorland that can be busy with other walkers and ramblers. It is also one area out of many touted as having links with the 5th century Celtic warrior now known as King Arthur.

You can follow an audio tour from the car park to the summit by calling 01352 230123 on your mobile phone. On the summit you’ll see the impressive remains of the Jubilee Tower. It was designed in the shape of an Egyptian obelisk and built in 1810 to commemorate the golden jubilee of ‘Mad’ George III’s accession to the English throne. It was however never completed, and parts of it were blown down in a horrific storm in 1862. From here, given the right conditions, you might well glimpse the Isle of Man or Blackpool’s famous tower shimmering on the horizon.

Down to Bodfari

The Path takes you over the peaks of Moel Dywyll, where you’ll spot the tell-tale signs of 19th century gold mining adventures, and Moel Llys-y-Coed, until you get to the summit of Penycloddiau. Here you’ll find a particularly impressive 21-hectare hill fort complex, one of the finest in the whole of Wales.

It is quite literally downhill all the way from here as you make your way to the village of Bodfari, where you’ll find a number of accommodation options and pubs, including the Dinorben Arms and the Downing Arms, which also has a campsite and bunkhouse. And if you’re in Bodfari before about 5pm, the Oriel Bodfari ceramics gallery on Mold Road is as good a place as any to while away an hour or so.

 

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Ian Parri

A journalist and author by trade, he has worked throughout Wales in print and broadcast journalism in both Welsh and English. He has a series of published travelogues to his name, one of which was a tongue-in-cheek journey along our country's back roads north to south nominated on the long list for Welsh Book of the Year. He loves the written word and travelling, and holds a deep fascination for Wales in all its multi-faceted aspects.Current editor of the Teith.io travel website.

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