Siriol

Distance: 23 miles

Max Altitude: 22 m

Min Altitude: 1 m

Height Gain: 254 m

Height Loss: 252 m

We had been fortunate overnight in camp. Only a few light showers but mostly dry. After saying goodbye it was time to bid farewell to Eli. I was very sad to see her go.

After taking a dose of Vitamin I (ibuprofen) for my leg, I got back on the Wales Coast Path next to the Dee at Shotton. The path was flat as far as I could see so I thought I could get some decent mileage under my feet if the weather held.

Tata steel works and Connah’s Quay Power Station dominated the skyline in front. Power lines and pylons zigzagged above.

The flat walking meant that I made it to Flint in what felt like next to no time. Unlike the Offa’s Dyke Path where my progress was slowed by the relentless hills, here I was seeing the kilometres just fall away, and that encouraged me on.

I decided to leave seeing the castle for another day in order to press on. The path entered the Flint Foreshore after that. I was walking right next to the sea, sometimes on marshland. The sun beamed down upon me. 

I soon came towards the first and only mini hill of the trail section I was on, near Bagillt. There were impressive views out towards the Wirral and back to Flint but even better, a huge dragon fire beacon. 

The information board told me it had been placed there by the community in 2012 to commemorate the opening of the Wales Coast Path, following the regeneration of this particular bit of the coast at Bettisfield. 

https://instagram.com/p/BHaFqfNhu0o/

If I was impressed by the dragon, I was even more impressed by the sight that next lay ahead near Llanerch-y-Mor – a rusty ship covered in street art sitting aground named The Duke of Lancaster. 

It had once been a luxury passenger liner and had been brought to this location to be run as a fun ship in 1979 but the project never took off. 

Its decaying exterior has been transformed by renowned graffiti artists. If I could have gone inside to explore I would have but I was on private land.

After walking past a gas terminal at the Point-of-Ayr, the next stop was Talacre, where I couldn’t resist taking this self-portrait. Sorry.

Nearby was a decommissioned lighthouse, which was built way back in 1776. It sorely needs a lick of paint. I googled it and discovered that it had featured in a Dulux commercial a few years ago. I’d say it’s high time for them to return.

And not far from the lighthouse, I happened upon this washed up dead fish. I have no idea what it is but I’d very much like it to be a shark, even though it wasn’t exactly a great white.

With the pain in my feet now breaking beyond the capabilities of my vitamin I, I trudged past the manicured yet soulless Presthaven Sands resort and over the Gronant Dunes.

I was soon at my intended finish point for the day – the Nova Centre in Prestatyn, also the end of the Offa’s Dyke Path. I had reached this very point in a state of euphoria just a few days ago. I sat and watched the sunset for a while and contemplated my journey so far. 

My (often inaccurate) GPS app was telling me that I had walked almost 21 miles but I suspected it was farther. So I checked the distance tables on the Wales Coast Path website to discover that I had covered a fantastic 23 miles from Shotton to Prestatyn! Feeling chuffed with my longest Walking Wales distance yet, I headed towards camp for the night, with a grin that didn’t leave my face until I fell asleep.

Distance: 6.1 miles

Max Altitude: 21 m

Min Altitude: 1 m

Height Gain: 52 m

Height Loss: 45 m

I took a couple of days rest after finishing the Offa’s Dyke Path. I swam, I stretched, I ate. Bliss.

I also watched Wales beat Belgium to reach the semi finals of Euro 2016. Beyond bliss.

It was time to rejoin the path.

The Offa’s Dyke Path finished in Prestatyn. However, I needed to get to near Chester to rejoin the Wales Coast Path, having last seen it all the way back in Chepstow. I couldn’t wait.

What made it even more exciting was that my friend Eli had decided to drive all the way from London in order to walk with me. How nice it would be to have a friend to spend time with and to have a catch up.

Getting to the start of the Wales Coast Path proved to be a little more complicated than necessary. In Chepstow, the location is obvious by comparison. It’s marked out by sculptures and waymarks.

Even searching online didn’t give a conclusive answer to the northern WCP start. So after lots of googling and map consulting, we headed for Chester.

To make it easier for people having the same problem as we did, click here for a map of where you need to go to in order to join the Wales Coast Path.

The location is Sealand Rd in Chester. Find the small patch of parkland known as the Cop and follow signs to the path which hugs the River Dee. The map on the notice board at the Cop doesn’t feature the Wales Coast Path, but it is nearby! Near the river you will start to see waymarks pointing towards where the WCP starts.

After about 500 metres or so, the border between Wales and England is marked. Please somebody do something about this rather depressing sign!

Shortly afterwards, the official WCP start is marked out. It’s underwhelming in comparison to its equivalent in Chepstow.

Typically, as soon as we reached the official start, we got stuck in the heaviest downpour imaginable. In no time we were both drenched and walking in soaking wet shoes. Familiar for me, but not Eli. In about 20 minutes, it eased off, fortunately.

The path is long and extremely straight. You can see for miles ahead. The storm passed to reveal a stunning skyline over this albeit mostly industrial man made landscape.

We could see the Airbus factory to the side of us and Connah’s Quay Power Station way up ahead. In stark comparison, we saw a small bird of prey hovering near the path before it divebombed to capture a vole and then flew off with it.

We reached a blue girder bridge at Garden City. My left quadricep started to give off its familiar twanging pains. 

It was late evening so between one thing and another, we decided to call it a day and get to camp.