34. Prestatyn – Towyn

34. Prestatyn – Towyn

Distance: 7.03 miles

Max Altitude: 13 m

Min Altitude: 3 m

Height Gain: 56 m

Height Loss: 56 m

Have you ever watched one of those old Westerns where a gnarly cowboy rides into some dusty town on his horse? The ones where he’d sidle up to a saloon and sink a bourbon with his spurs clinking. He’d then make his way to the nearest barbershop where he’d have a hot towel shave with a cut throat razor. The barber would top it off by slapping cologne on him and he’d be as good as new. You know the films I mean.

Well, today, that was me. The 21st century female equivalent anyway. Yes, I went to get a manicure and a pedicure before I left Prestatyn. It was bliss. I feel like a whole new person who no longer needs somebody to set about their hands and feet with a scythe. Bliss, I tell you!

I strutted out of Prestatyn on the Wales Coast Path and headed west towards Rhyl on the concrete path between the two. It was fairly uninspiring and my mind drifted.

It didn’t take long to get to Rhyl. The first thing I spotted was the sad sight of a discarded child’s spade. Almost a metaphor for the town.

The looming clouds were looking threatening. The sight of Llandudno miles further along the coast ahead of me disappeared.

I decided to do what any normal human on Rhyl seafront would do and I sat down and got an ice cream. After my 23 miler yesterday my feet were very grateful.



I strolled along the EU-funded coastal defences and wondered if Jean Claude Juncker would be along in his bulldozer soon to tear it all down.

The next stop was Kinmel Bay. Just as I was arriving, a downpour left me scrambling for my waterproofs while I took cover underneath an abandoned penny arcade.


I continued walking towards Towyn where I was given a free pitch for the night by Henllys Farm, which was very kind of them.

Next to me was another tiny tent. I got chatting to its inhabitant, Terry, who is also in the middle of a charity trek. Terry’s Trek is raising money for Ugandan orphanages. He’s been walking the 870-mile Wales Coast Path since May 1st and will be finishing his quest back in Cardiff (which is where he also started from) this coming weekend. Terry from Pontypridd is travelling in the opposite direction to me and so how incredible it is that our paths not only crossed but that we ended up in the same campsite next to each other!


We spent the evening comparing notes about the WCP and I got some tremendous tips from Terry about what was to come. I was glad to hear that it wasn’t just me who had got lost, been dehydrated, got soaked (constantly) and had had encounters with angry bulls! 

2 thoughts on “34. Prestatyn – Towyn

  1. Mwynhau eich sgwrs gyda Shian bore heddiw. Mi rydw i wrthi yn cerdded llwybr arfordir yr un ffordd a chi ac wedi cyrraedd Porthmadog. Cerdded yfory o Porth i Ynys ger Harlech. Ar ol eich sgwrs mi es i Pensarn gan feddwl cael sgwrs, rwyf wedi cwbwlhau Cawdd Offa a gobeithio mynd reit o gwmpas Cymru cyn fy mod yn 74 neu 75 ! Mwynhewch rhannau o Sir Fôn a Penllyn, maent yn ‘Special’. Hwyl fawr a hwyrach byddwch yn pasio heibio yn y dyfodol – Da Iawn chi.

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