Hill climbs in Flintshire: Middle Mill Road

In the previous blog I wrote about some of the best hill climbs to test the adventurous cyclist. One of my favourites is a climb that starts just outside Northop on the old A55 and ends up in Rhosesmor by the Blue Bell Inn. It is hardly Alpine in scale, but the geography is markedly different at the top  compared to the pastoral landscapes at the foot of the climb. The height gained is only around 400 feet, but that does not tell the whole story of the climb. The ascent is not continuous, but rather a series of steep sections followed by plateaux, or even short descents. It took me around 16 minutes to complete earlier today. However I enjoy this climb not for the challenge it presents (which is not great for a decent rider) but for the varied topography and splendid views over Liverpool Bay. The terrain at the top of the climb which has been shaped by centuries of lead mining is equally fascinating.

The only way is up.

A wheeler’s paradise: cycling in north east Wales

Anthony Hunt’s excellent article (Riding High) on the growth of cycling in Wales, made special reference to south east region; in doing so he has inspired me to consider the state of the sport in my corner of the country. Over the past month or so during my staycation I have pedalled well over 1000 kilometres exclusively in Flintshire and Denbighshire; it has been little short of paradise.

On any given Friday during the summer months stand near the A55 and you will see hundreds of bicycles heading into Wales. All are mounted on motor cars destined, I imagine, for Snowdonia, Anglesey, or the Lleyn. They rarely stop in north east Wales, yet if they did they would discover a cycling paradise.

Apart from the A55 itself, and one or two busy trunk roads, there are hundreds of miles of quiet lanes to explore, with some challenging hill climbs. Cycle clubs from Merseyside and beyond certainly know the delights of cycling in this region as hundreds of wheelers head this way each Sunday. Indeed the annual Wild Wales cycle challenge organised by the Merseyside branch of the Cycle Touring Club draws hundreds of cyclists to Bala during the August Bank Holiday weekend.

There has been significant investment in cycling across the region. The coastal cycle path is well-advanced linking Chester via the Dee cycle track to the north Wales coastal towns. In Rhyl earlier this summer I witnessed the opening of the Marsh Tracks outdoor road cycling track. It is a 1.3km circuit that hosts numerous races for riders of all ages (http://www.marshtracks.co.uk/). In addition there is a high quality BMX track. All of this makes a fine memorial to those Rhyl riders that died in 2006 when Britain’s worst cycling accident took place only a mile or so from the newly built track.

Mountain biking is also well-catered for in north east Wales. The jewel in the crown for the fat tyre brigade is the Llandegla mountain bike centre (http://www.oneplanetadventure.com/). It has a number of graded tracks culminating in the feared black route; it is an extremely popular facility, and not just because the café at Llandegla makes world class bacon sandwiches. Away from Llandegla there are numerous mountain biking opportunities on the Clwydian hills; these are best covered in http://www.ridetheclwyds.com/ .

The investments made in cycling infra-structure are wholly welcome and reflects the ‘explosion’ in cycling that Anthony Hunt referred to in his article. However for me part of the joy gained from cycling is getting away from designated paths, planning my own routes, and appreciating the diversity of my home patch. In short, the freedom the ride wherever I wish.

I will describe a ride that encompasses the best the region has to offer the road cyclist. The ride starts and ends in my home town of Caerwys and includes three challenging hill climbs; it covers some 80 kilometres on relatively quiet roads. From Caerwys the rider navigates the narrow lanes through Babell and Lixwm, before crossing the A541 to Nannerch. It is from here that the first major hill climb begins: the road crosses the Clwydians from Nannerch to Llangwyfan. Cyclists from across the region and even north west England know the climb as ‘London Bridge’; I have never been able to find out why it is called this name. The climb from this direction is the easy way and the rider is soon recovers from the exertions of ‘London Bridge’ and is spinning along the Vale of Clwyd heading east towards Ruthin. The Vale of Clwyd with miles of quiet lanes and gently undulating terrain is perfect cycling country. After Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd a short section of the Mold to Ruthin road is required before re-joining the lanes towards Graigfachen and the next major hill climb. This, for me, is the most climb difficult on the ride. The climb is known as The Shelf. The name fits the hill: some steep sections then short plateaus to recover before changing down to the lowest gear on the bike for another lung busting ascent. Once the Shelf has been conquered the ride crosses the Llandegla moors descending through various lanes to the east of Nercwys to the town of Mold, the only urban part of the ride. Cake and coffee is plentiful in Mold. Once refreshed, the careful cyclist should avoid the Mold to Denbigh A541 road and instead plan the final leg of the ride over the Halkyn mountains and one more challenging hill climb. Leaving Mold, head towards Theatr Clwyd and through the village of Sychdyn and on to Northop. At the lights in Northop turn left on the old A55 passing the horticultural college and soon turn left onto Middle Mill Road. So begins the final climb of the ride, and this is my favourite. The foot of the climb is in pastoral Flintshire, but the top brings the rider onto mountain terrain scarred by centuries of lead mining. The remainder of this cycling odyssey is across the Halkyn hills down towards Brynford and the Franciscan friary at Pantasaph, before the easy last two or three miles back to Caerwys.

This description is not meant to be a detailed guide to a cycle ride, but rather an illustration of the type of cycling available to anyone wishing to explore this corner of our nation. A characteristic of this area is the way the scenery changes itself within only a few miles: the up-land farming of the Clwydian mountain range, the rich pastoral scenes of the Vale of Clwyd, the moorlands around Llandegla, and industrial heritage of the Halkyn mountains. The same diversity is true in cultural terms, with the southern section of the ride passing through still Welsh speaking communities, whereas the northern loop touches upon the anglicised settlements which geographically and culturally look towards the great city of Liverpool. The joy for me is that all of this can best be appreciated on the bicycle.

Everton 3 Sheffield United 1

Football on a summer's evening at Goodison.

So things are not quite so bad after all. Everton defeated Sheffield United with ease last night at Goodison Park. Mind you, being Everton, they made us endure the moments when Sheffield United went one nil up. Nevertheless Everton's class soon told and we were left with a rarity - not having to worry about the final outcome of the match. Only 17,000 witnessed the spectacle, but the blues played some attractive passing football that hopefully can be transferred to the premier league on Saturday. Ross Barkley, the teenage midfield player, could be Everton's sensation of the season.

National Library of Wales

On a perfect summer's day I drove down earlier to the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. I have not been in the research rooms since the mid 1980s and they have changed a great deal; for a start technology has arrived as the catalogue is now fully electronic and there are computers everywhere. It is still though a splendid place to study.

It also has a strong link with Caerwys - Herbert Lewis of Plas Penucha (often referred to in this blog) campaigned for decades to see the establishment of a national library. He saw it as an important recognition of Welsh nationhood. Herbert Lewis' role was rewarded in 1926 when he was made honorary president of the National Library of Wales.

The main grand entrance is no longer used.

The building itself is in the art-deco/ classical Greece style that was popular between the wars. It is built from white portland stone and is situated above the town of Aberystwyth with a superb vista across Cardigan Bay. Today the sea was a perfect blue.

Look west young man.

My only quibble (and it is only a slight one)  is that the grand entrance is no longer used and the public are now ushered in through a side door. Somehow this reduces the sense of awe one gets when visiting this beautiful building.

In Search of England

The best book I have read this summer is 'In Search of England' by H.V.Morton. It is a travel book written as Morton motored around England in the 1920s. They were the days of care-free motoring, and the author blithely took which ever road took his fancy. The attraction of the book is that is gives us a glimpse at a world that for many had not become modernised; people were still intrigued at the sight of a motor car. Morton also wrote with immense skill; he viewed the world as a poet might. This is an extract from his first impression of Cornwall:

There is a strangeness about Cornwall. You feel it as soon as you cross the Tor Ferry.

The first sight that pleased me was a girl with a shingled head driving a cow with a crumpled horn. I knew, of course, that I was in fairyland! And the next thing was a village that was trying to climb a hill. One whitewashed cottage had reached the top, but the others had stuck half-way, with their gardens gazing in a rather surprised manner over their chimney-pots. In these lovely, disorderly gardens some of the oldest men I have ever seen had apparently taken root in the act of watching the bean-rows. 

(With thanks to VR for recommending this marvellous book)

Moel Famau and Hitler.

For the third time this year I climbed Moel Famau. By now I know the mountain pretty well, but today we reached the top via two new paths. The ascent is fairly straightforward along the edge of Frith mountain. Part of the route took alongside what looked like a Second World War air-raid shelter - it even had the classic 'Anderson' shape still clearly remaining. It begged the question as to why anyone would need an air-raid shelter half way up Moel Famau. It cannot have been anywhere near the top of Hitler's list of targets.

Not a good photograph; but the history of this building in the woods would be interesting.

Everton 0 Queens Park Rangers 1

Two years ago to the day I was at Goodison Park to see Everton hammered six one by Arsenal; today was in a similar vein. Despite a number of close efforts the blues failed to break down the visitors. Once they went in front QPR resolutely defended and the game ended to a loud chorus of boos. Everton were the better team and a bit of luck - like the Baines free kick being a fraction lower - and the mood would have been vastly different. However the home side did not look as well motivated as the Londoners, and few Everton fans had any complaint with the outcome. It could be a long season.

The Everton team warm up; that was as good as it got.