A Walk to the Top of Moel Findeg
A short but steep walk through delightful woodland to the top of Moel Findeg rewards you with outstanding views over the Alyn Valley across to Moel Famau, and Flintshire, Merseyside and the Cheshire Plain to the east.
Parking in Maeshafn village is limited, so it is recommended you park at Loggerheads Country Park and follow the footpath (approx. 1 mile), with signs along the way pointing you in the right direction. At Maeshafn, follow the waymarked path to the top, clearly signposted for Moel Findeg.
At the time of writing (September 2023), The Miners Arms in Maeshafn is closed for major refurbishment, but The Colomendy Arms, We Three Loggerheads, and Caffi Florence at Loggerheads Country Park, are all nearby.
About us
Covering 56 acres, this beautiful nature reserve is a unique example of rare Lowland Heathland at altitude. So beloved is this landscape to the people of Maeshafn and beyond that in the late 1990s, with the help of lottery funding and many friends both home and abroad, they raised an impressive £456,000 to purchase it, and prevent it from being turned into a quarry!
Today, it is managed by the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and The Friends of Moel Findeg, together with a team of dedicated volunteers, who generously contribute their time.
To help manage the delicate balance of the heathland, a herd of ponies, originally from the Carneddau mountains in northern Snowdonia, has been introduced to the area. These hardy ponies thrive in challenging terrains, and their selective grazing helps to deplete the more dominant species such as grasses, allowing the specialist heathland plants to flourish.
Once a hive of lead mining and quarrying activity, as witnessed by the remains which lie, half hidden from memory, in the landscape, Moel Findeg is nowadays a place of tranquil contemplation, where the sound of machinery has been replaced by birdsong and the whisper of wind through woodland leaves.
Fun fact: The former youth hostel at Maeshafn was the first purpose-built youth hostel in the country. Now a private house, it was once known as the Holt Hostel, in honour of the Holt shipping family of Liverpool, who funded its construction.
Designed by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis (1883-1978), who also designed the famous Italianate village of Portmeirion, the building is now protected as a Grade 2 listed structure, due to its significant historical and architectural value.
Length – 5.1 mi
Elevation gain – 898 ft
Route type – Circular
Gallery
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