Moel Famau is one of my favourite places for a quick, but strenuous walk. It’s not too far away from me (Liverpool), but it’s far enough to feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere. It’s classes as a hill, as it’s not big enough to be a mountain, but once you are walking it, it sure feels like the latter.
We have been Moel Famau a few times with both friends and family – and it’s always good fun – especially if you’re with people who like a good challenge!
Based in North Wales, Moel Famau is a country park near Loggerheads between Mold and Ruthin. Averagely, it takes us just over an hour to get there from Liverpool.
Parking and other facilities
We always park at Loggerhead, where most visitors park. But as you explore the area you will find parking spaces dotted around. Parking is plentiful and cheap – costing just a couple of pounds.
Most visitors park at Loggerheads, especially those taking children, as there is a small woodland-esque play area near it.
You will also find toilet facilities at this parking spot, and the last few times we have been here, there has been either an Ice Cream van or an Ice Cream stall just behind it. Perfect treat to finish off the walk.
The Walk
I find this walk quite challenging at times and I think it’s due to there being no consistency i.e. it neither gets gradually harder or easier. It’s all over the place. It has its peak and troughs that’s for sure. Within the first minute or so I’m asking Rich to slow down or sneakily say ‘lets take a selfie’ so I have some breathing time! We always take the hardest route, because that’s just us.
The start of the walk is through the woodlands, which is beautiful especially when you catch the sun on a good day. The sun beaming in between all of the trees doesn’t half make a pretty photo. There are various places to sit down – as well as some cool mini bridges – if you’d like to take a rest from walking the route.
Once you are out of the woodlands and have battled the flies parading around your head, it all opens up. And suddenly, you are hit with a massive wooosh of fresh air. Its amazing. Before you reach the most vertical uphill walk, this part of the walk is pretty flat, allowing you to look at all of the flowers and scenery far across Wales. Makes a change from looking at your feet and encouraging them to walk faster!
After the “flat bit”, you can see Jubilee Tower in the distance. You have two options to reach the top; the first one being a long route that has a flat incline, or a short route that has a big incline. The really challenging part of the latter is the loose, stony surface. We usually choose the short route as by this point I just want to be at the top.
Once you have reached the peak, and are coming back down, there are many ways you can go. Most people seem to go back the way they came – which is what we normally do. But a few times we have gone different ways. All routes lead to the same places, some are flatter than others and all have incredible views.
The Views
The views at each point of this walk, whether you are half way up or at the top, are picturesque. I challenge myself more on these walks I as tend to walk with my camera or phone in my hand – you don’t realise how much you need your arms free to move until you start to hold or carry something. But you’ll probably find that, just like me, you won’t be able to stop taking pictures!
All you see is trees, flowers, bushes and mountainous areas – the kind of scenery you can’t take your eye off.
Jubilee Tower
Jubilee Tower is at the peak of the hill. It was built to commemorate George III’s Golden Jubilee – hence the name.
When you reach this point, we always take a few moments to admire the panoramic view, and we usually have a quick snack pit stop.
The tower is surrounded by a large, flat grass area. You can either chill on the grass or on the top of the tower. Both offer great views. We usually see loads of dogs at the top, running around, wanting to play – amazingly not out of breath.
Your Own Set of Wings 