Maria’s Love Chester article

Posted December 1, 2025

Our Publicity Officer, Maria, submits a monthly article to Love Chester magazine, relating to a club walk.
Read the latest story here.

Best foot forward
Another year begins, and members of Chester Rambling and Hill Walking Club can look back at 12 months of hikes in various parts of the country, with weather ranging from stiflingly hot to slightly cooler and wetter conditions! As well as our normal stomping grounds in Cheshire, the Clwydians and Snowdonia, we’ve walked, camped, taken bus rides, and occasionally lived the finer life in hotels, in the Lake District, Pembrokeshire, the Lleyn Peninsular, the Malverns, Aberdovey and Dovedale.

However, during December, shorter daylight hours limit both the distances travelled to walk start points, and the length of walks themselves. Our leaders always test out their routes for safety beforehand and to identify possible short cuts should the weather turn nasty on the actual day.

My other half and I were scheduled to lead an 8-mile B walk at Llanarmon yn lal just before Christmas, and although we know the area well, we ventured forth a couple of weeks earlier to ensure that there were no hazards like fallen trees or slippery stiles to contend with. It was a beautiful winter’s day, perfect for a hike, with crunchy conditions underfoot and a covering of snow on the neighbouring Clwydians.

Our start point was Pystyll Gwyn Quarry Car Park on the B5430 Llanarmon road. A footpath follows the roadside embankment a short way before climbing gently to the edge of the disused quarry itself. Heading right here down to the road, we crossed to a path that leads across and along the River Alyn, then climbs up to Llanarmon. Emerging by the Raven Inn, we passed the ancient church of St Garmon, before our footpath, slightly hidden, took a sharp right along the driveway of a house. Emerging into meadows, the path hugs the right hand field edges to meet a lane. Here, we took the driveway opposite, but soon parted company with it by veering right onto a delightful riverside footpath that’s often marshy in winter. On that crisp day, however, there was no squelchy mud, just the crunch of frozen grass. Leaving the river, we climbed gently up a field dotted with limestone outcrops. At the top we veered right, where a view of snowcapped Clwydians and a sudden urge for a hot drink compelled us to stop for a quick break.

Beyond the caravan site, we deviated left past Creigiog Ucha Farm, and left again down a road to an ascending track opposite. Onwards from this point is my favourite part of the hike, with exquisite panoramas visible from the grassy plateau below the summit of Graig. Lined up in all their glory were Moel y Gelli, Moel y Plas, Llanfair, Moel Gyw, Gyrn, Moel Eithinen, Foel Fenlli and Moel Famau. On that clear day, the Llantisilios could also be picked out far away to our left. Pausing just long enough for sustenance and coffee, we progressed along the track, icy in places, down to a lane. A right turn brought us to a bridle path, from where a footpath deviates left along fields, circumnavigating Eryrys before veering past Fron Deg Farm. We crossed a road onto Bryn Alyn’s lower slopes, where, despite signage being on the sparse side, we managed to locate our desired path! Heading down towards the hamlet of Nant, we skirted a hillside with an unusual sloping limestone ‘pavement’, at the bottom of which a right turn leads to the cluster of houses at Bryn Haidd. From here, we kept left, descending to the quarry footpath back to the car park.

With our reconnoitring mission successfully completed, it was best foot forward to the nearby hostelry, where we lingered awhile, savouring the enjoyment of a grand day out in the hills.