FLINTSHIRE

North Wales, countryside, town & Coast

9.5miles 800ft

After a very early start I stopped briefly just off the A55 north wales coast road for a photo looking over the river Dee estuary to the Wirral peninsular....

....and then continued to the hamlet of Halkyn to make the short climb up Halkyn mountain.....

....passing the quarry....

....with views to the Clwydian range of mountains....

....before arriving at the trig point 951ft

Leaving Halkyn I continued to the town of Holywell to visit St Winefride's well, a popular shrine and place of pilgrimage 

The well bubbles up from the ground in this chapel and....

....and flows into the pool where pilgrims bathe in the healing waters

Part of the gounds where pilgims go in procession

Candles are lit to St Winefride & other saints

Leaving the shrine I continued walking down the Greenfield valley....

.....past several disused mill ponds now developed into attractive lakes....

....and again....

....and again

After the lakes the path continues to the ruins of Basingwerk 11th century abbey....

....and again

A short walk from the abbey I joined the North Wales coast path....

.....where the passenger ship TSS Duke of Lancaster has been left to rot! It was operated by British Rail until 1979  between Holyhead and Dunlaoghaire....

Until it became a 'fun ship' for a few years after being moored here.

One of its survival capsules is nearby

I continued up the estuary following the coast path....

....with views across to the Wirral peninsula....

.....until I arrived at Flint castle....

....which is open to the public....

.....and again

Finally finishing my walk crossing the main line railway to Holyhead as I walked into Flint for a bus back to Holywell

A very different day's walking than usual but certainly none the worse for that, with much of interest as well as some of lovely views