Around Mynydd y Gaer from Llannefydd
Walk directions
Turn left out of the car park and follow the lane signposted to Llanfair TH (the TH standing for Talhaiarn). Where a road comes in from the left, go though a gate on the right-hand side and traverse the fields with a hedge and fence on your left.
Beyond a gate in the far corner, turn left with the hedge, continuing uphill in a second field, through a gate into another and then over a stile. Leave through a gate at the top right of the next field, winding out of a small enclosure onto a lane by Ochr-y-Gaer. Turn left.
Where the road turns sharply to the left, leave it and double back to the right on a tarmac track. Just past the cottage of Bron Hwylfa, turn left along an enclosed track climbing the hill, past a metal gate on your left. The grassy footpath continues through gorse and scrub before veering left beneath the outer ring defences of the Iron Age fort.
Where the gorse bushes become more squat, climb right to reach the brow of the hill. Go through a farm gate to the cairn at the summit. Descend north from here, to pick up a track that passes a hilltop farm, Ty-newydd, before descending left to meet another lane.
Turn left along the lane, but leave it at a right-hand bend for a grass track, continuing ahead to pass above the shores of Plâs-uchaf Reservoir. Past the lake, the track swings left towards Sychnant.
Beyond a gate the track becomes a path, winding through woodland before coming to the lane that you walked along on your outward route. Turn right along the lane then first left, heading straight back to Llannefydd.
Additional information
Terrain
- Field paths and tracks
Landscape
- Pastured hills
Dog friendliness
- Farmland – dogs should be on a lead at all times
Parking
- Llannefydd village car park
Toilets en route
- At car park
About the walk
'Lovely the woods, waters, meadows, combes, vales, All the air things wear that build this world of Wales;Only the inmate does not correspond:God, lover of souls, swaying considerate scales,Complete thy creature dear O where it fails,Being mighty a master, being a father and fond...'Gerard Manley... Hopkins The 19th-century poet and Jesuit priest, Gerard Manley Hopkins (1844–89) loved the borderlands of Clwyd, as can be appreciated from this second verse of his poem, ‘In the Valley of the Elwy’. He came to St Beuno’s College in the nearby Clwydian Hills in 1874 to study theology. Here he learned the native tongue and applied the rhythms of Welsh poetry to his own religious works, inventing what he described as ‘sprung rhythm’. Unfortunately, he was never published in his own lifetime and it was only in 1918, when friend Robert Bridges became Poet Laureate and sent Hopkins’ poems to a publisher, that they saw the light of day. This short walk will take you from the peaceful village of Llannefydd and over one of Clwyd’s little hills, where you can view the length of Elwy Valley. Llannefydd is 800ft (244m) above sea level and was named after the 5th century Celtic saint, Nefydd, who established her church near the spot where the present 13th-century church stands. Before the great engineer Thomas Telford built his A5 trunk road in the 1820s, Llannefydd was on the main route to Holyhead, and the Hawk & Buckle Inn was a stop-off for the stagecoaches. Today Llannefydd is a peaceful backwater and none the worse for that. The fort Mynydd y Gaer above the village is an Iron Age encampment, probably about 3,000 years old. The ancient earthwork ramparts around its outer edge are well preserved, though today they’re covered with scrub and gorse. At the top of the hill there’s a more modern cairn – a pile of stones with a pole in the middle. From here you can see why those early settlers chose this place – they could see for miles across the land and out to sea. Below and to the north you can see Afon Elwy.
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Been on this walk?
Send us photos or a comment about this route. Or recommend a route of your own.
Walking in Safety
Read our tips to look after yourself and the environment when following this walk.
Get an AA guide
Explore our range of ‘50 Walks in’ guides - they’re the ideal companion for a ramble.
About the area
The majority of the population of Conwy lives along its picturesque coastline, while a third of the county falls within jaw-dropping landscape of the Snowdonia National Park. The town of Conwy, which takes its name from the county (which in turn was named after the river that runs through it), is undoubtedly one of the great treasures of Wales.
Nearby places to stay
View all (8)
Caravan & Camping
Hunters Hamlet Caravan Park
★★★★
"Farm site offering ideal base for touring coast and countryside...."
- Launderette
- Ice pack facility
- BBQ
- Wifi available
Hotel
The Kinmel & Kinspa
★★★★
"Sleek hotel with a choice of restaurants...."
- Family rooms: 8
- Free TV
- WiFi available
- Lift available
Nearby places to stay
Hunters Hamlet Caravan Park
A warm welcome is assured at this long established, family-run working farm park adjacent to the owners' Georgian farmhouse. Well-spaced pitches, including 15 with water, electricity an...
★★★★ Rating
The Kinmel & Kinspa
In a rural location at the end of a long drive leading from the A55, parts of this notable, family-run hotel date from the 16th century. The business has a stunning Kinspa and leisure f...
★★★★ Rating
Golden Sands Holiday Park
Golden Sands is a popular holiday park with direct access to sandy beaches and also within easy reach of Llandudno and historic Chester. It provides modern quality accommodation within ...
★★★★ Rating
Penisar Mynydd Caravan Park
A very tranquil, attractively laid-out park set in three grassy paddocks with a superb facilities block including a disabled room and dishwashing area. The majority of pitches are super...
★★★★ Rating
Whitehall Guest House
Overlooking the Rhos-on-Sea promenade, this popular, family-run establishment is convenient for the shops and local amenities.
Attractively appointed bedrooms include family rooms and ...
★★★★ Rating
Presthaven Beach Holiday Park
Set beside two miles of superb sandy beaches and dunes (with donkeys on site at weekends), this constantly improving holiday park provides a wide range of both indoor and outdoor attrac...
★★★★★ Rating
Haulfryn Caravan Park
Located on a former garden centre and nursery site and adjacent to a racecourse renowned in the late 1800s, this family park is located between the historic city of Chester and the popu...
★★★★ Rating
Firgrove Country House B&B
Standing in immaculate mature gardens in a peaceful rural location, Firgrove Country House retains many original features, highlighted by quality decor and furnishings throughout. Bedro...
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