Thursday 11th September 2025.
Yesterday I rested my knee by just driving to Ruthin, having a walk around the lovely town, having a coffee and then a walk around Ruthin castle which is now a hotel. Then back to our cottage to read my book for a couple of hours. Then a really nice meal in The Drovers Arms at Rhewl. Very nice it was too.
As it happened the day was a showery one and in the mid afternoon the mist was down to ground level for a couple of hours. So it was a good idea to give the hill walking a miss.
Today, Thursday the forecast is good. We drove up to a car park on the south side of Moel Famau. There were quite a few cars parked roadside and only a couple of cars in the pay and display car parks (2). I thought the charges were going to be extortionate but to be fair £2.50 for 4 hours is acceptable especially as it states that "All" monies goes into the upkeep of the park.
We set off in a cool wind but a bright day. Certainly not tee shirt weather today. There was one or two people about but not crowded. A number of routes ascend the hill from the car park. I picked the Offa's Dyke way as it contoured rather than going straight up.
It's a wide track and would easily take a quad bike or Land Rover. Jubilee Tower is atop Moel Famau and so is highly frequented by locals as well as us tourist hikers. The views were stunning made all the more special by the cloudscapes.
At the top we met a couple of lads doing the Dyke backpack but only a section this time. They were certainly loaded up. I didn't take a photo. One had completed the West Highland Way 2 weeks ago with his 10yr old son. Well done to him. We left them making scrambled eggs for breakfast.
The wind was bitterly cold and biting and I was so glad to have some insulation provided by my North Face Zephyrus Primaloft jacket which weighs only 260grams but is very warm as well as my OR Ferriso windproof with hood. The NF jacket is no longer on sale but I wouldn't be without it. I don't think they have made a similar one but if anyone knows then please leave a comment.
Sheila wore her Rab Generator which is a hard jacket to beat. Again, they don't make them any more. When companies design a cracking piece of kit, that works. Why do they delete it without replacing it with a better one. I don't get it.
Anyway back to the walk. We had a look all around the tower which is now only half a tower, the spire is no more. It is a really well constructed monument and took a lot of effort to build. Why has the spire never been re-built?
The views from the top are fantastic and really the iPhone doesn't do long distances very well so I apologise for that. I should have brought my Olympus. The wind was strong on top, a struggle to stand in some gusts.
The Jubilee Tower was started to be built in 1810 to celebrate the Jubilee of King George 111. It collapsed in a storm of 1862. It was never fully completed. It must have been some storm. In 1970 the base was tidied up and made safe for visitors.
The trig point, OS bracket number 2961, is quite special as it has wildlife painted on all sides. This was done by local artist David Setter. The work was completed in July 2025, so we have only just missed him. It celebrates 40yrs of the Clwdian Range and Dee Valley Area of outstanding natural beauty. It shows a Curlew, Skylark and Black Grouse.
Who decides what is an area of outstanding natural beauty?
The hill used to be used as a firing range for the Flintshire Malitia. They practiced shooting up to 600yds. The Malitia was founded in 1759 under the command of Sir Roger Mostyn. They came about with the threat of a French Invasion during the seven years war. They disbanded in 1889 when they joined forces and became the Kings Royal Rifle Corps.
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