Day 9 Chirk to Llandegla

The trains, as ever, were reliable and at 8.50 I met the Mountain Goat at Chirk Station, the two trains arriving almost simultaneously.

I had spotted a path through the grounds of Chirk Castle that got us back to pretty much the place on the path I left it at yesterday. So we were making great progress.

A combination of fields and quiet country lanes followed for the next hour or so and we then had the pleasant task of walking along the towpath of the Llangollen canal to, and over, the Pontcyssyllte aqueduct.

A climb through Trevor Halls Wood, who we thought sounded like a middle ranking official at the home office, brought us to the stunning Panorama Walk.

This was great scenic walking along a pretty quiet mountain road. We stopped to chat to a couple of ladies who were heading North to South. They must have got a bit distracted as they promptly headed off along the wrong path!

The next section of the path was like a cross between Mount Rushmore and the John Wayne film The Searchers. The path cut across the mountainside with scree above and below.

The terrain then changed again to more heathland. The path had been laid with slabs and duck boards and we made good progress and were by then only a mile or so from journey’s end at Llandegla.

The forest had been cleared here but as can be seen, they had left a thin sliver of trees either side of the path at the start, like an arboreal ceremonial guard!

The sign in Llandegla spells good news. Only 29 miles to go now to the end at Prestatyn.

It was great to have someone to walk with for a change on this walk. Like the Magnificent 7, we’re picking up new members as we go. Kev has now joined us and we set out in the morning for the last full, challenging day of the walk, an up and down 16 miles to Bodfari. Sunday, by comparison, is only 11 miles, mostly on the level, and ends with a paddle on the beach at Prestatyn!