Wales Coast Path 2024

We had to wait again for the right weather. Last week was very cold, then stormy at the weekend, and we very nearly tried to slot in the walk in that little spot in between, but in the end that didn't look promising enough and we waited until today. And today was nice - still wintry, but dry and sunny enough to enjoy a bracing walk. The timing also meant that we were walking at high tide, and had to check that it wouldn't be too high when we got to Llanerch-y-mor: it was Ok. High tide means nicer views, but less obvious bird life. Starting off from Flint castle, it's a pleasant walk through birch woods, which always look nice this time of year as the sun lights up reddish twigs and buds, to Flint Point. Much of the morning's walk was on sea embankments, raised above both land and sea, and improving the view of both.The embankment is interrupted by creeks too big to be bridged, where the walk nips inland to where they can be crossed, first at Bagillt, then at Greenfield ...

  We very nearly didn't do this. The plan was to start on Friday (12 January) but then it was really cold at the start of the week and we were going to defer. Then on Thursday it seemed not quite so cold, not so windy, and the forecast for Friday was calm. We wrapped up warm and persevered, and it was OK. Having taken a train to Chester, we allowed ourselves a short taxi ride to the Cop park, where we were to start along Cycle Route 568. Because we were then in England, this wasn't the Wales Coast Path proper. That starts a little way along the Cycle Route, as we crossed the border into Wales. There was plenty of signage to make it clear that this was now the official start of the Path. The course of the Dee here was canalised in the eighteenth century, its original course north of Chester preserved in the Wales-England border. Just after one turn this artificial river becomes perfectly straight. We could see ahead of us the four chimney of the Connah's Quay Power Station a...

The next walking challenge is to be the Wales Coast Path. We have done various parts of it before of course. We did the Anglesey Coastal Footpath between 2006 and 2011 in a large number of short circular walks - but that was not done in any systematic way, and it was only part way through that we thought of trying to complete the whole of that one. The Anglesey path has also had a few bits added since we did it, and the later Wales Coast Path doesn't always follow exactly the same course. On my own, I walked the North Wales Path in 2011-2, which I did from west to east, starting off each time where I had left off on the previous stretch. That covers bits of the Coast Path, but has many upland inland stretches, so really doesn't cover all the Wales Coast Path. Other walks of ours have coincidentally covered the Wales Coast Path. This challenge is going to more systematic. We aim to start at the beginning at the North East Wales border, and work our way around, in order. Having p...