Horseshoe Falls near Llangollen

Having spent the night at The Druid in Llanferres it is only half an hour's drive to Llangollen for our 8 mile all-day walk. But there is a hiccup. Duncan's sprained finger, damaged yesterday on our first Flintshire walk, is now very swollen and in danger of having its circulation cut off by his wedding ring. Physician Mark, with great generosity, offers to take him to Wrexham A&E so Duncan and Mark pop across to Wrexham for an appointment with a rotating saw and a long wait, while John and Tim start the walk from the car park above Horseshoe Falls so we can meet up at Llangollen, half way round.

The town itself is worth a visit, boasting a wide variety of shops, steam engines (Tim was impressed by a wedding party being held on the train) and horse-drawn narrow boats. All in a dramatic valley, a World Heritage site.

Finally we all meet up for lunch at the Corn Mill and follow the second half of the walk together. This takes us up the valley sides to Horseshoe Falls, where Thomas Telford created a scenic head of water for his new Llangollen canal, a hugely impressive site that incorporates the Pontcysyllte viaduct and leads to the Shropshire Union Canal.

Overlooking Llangollen and with Castle Dinas Bran on the horizon.

Steam trains pass through Berwyn Station on the former Ruabon to Barmouth line - now the restored Llangollen Railway. Horseshoe Falls are a short distance upstream.

Tim in the rain in front of Valle Crucis Abbey