Storming Brogyntyn Castle

I am ashamed to say I have lived in Oswestry since I was 11 and despite Brogyntyn Estate being my playground growing up, I never knew that there had been a castle there! My brother told me about it a couple of weeks back and it sparked my interest straight away, so this weekend we decided to wander down from the racecourse and take a look. This isn't the longest of walks, but it's got a good mix of woodland and open paths, historical landmarks and fantastic views. Unfortunately, after my first post, I forgot to re-insert the memory card on my SLR. The pictures here are therefore taken from Laura's camera phone, so no panoramic pics here I'm afraid.

At the Racecourse car park, there is a horizon map, which is not too clear in the picture above because of the wet weather, but on a clear day, you can clearly see from our resident extinct volcanic hill, Breidden Hill at Criggion, with Rodney's Pillar standing proud atop it, all the way to the Wrekin at Telford, and Pimhill and Grinshill to the north of Shrewsbury.

 

We started out by doing a lap of Old Oswestry Racecourse Common, glimpsing that amazing view across Shropshire as we went. At the north end of the track, we hopped the style and said hello to a couple of horses before tracking back to the main road. Once we hopped another style onto the road, we proceeded downhill towards town for a short distance before turning northwards again onto Whitwell Lane, which leads down to the old Brogyntyn estate farm buildings (below). If we win the Euros, Laura and I have agreed that we are going to buy this! 

After passing the farm, you will find the remains of Brogyntyn Castle on your left. You can see me walking on what is left of the motte below.

It was thought to be owned by Owain Brogyntyn, a Welsh Prince, in the 12th Century, and if you look out from the castle towards England, you can see why it would have been a strategic point of interest.

Further up the track towards Brogyntyn Hall, the path has been diverted around the now overgrown stately gardens and the converted stables. 

Once we reached the hall, which for some unknown reason we didn't photograph, we turned back and returned to the farm, at which point the snow and sleet started to come down and we had to wrap up!

At the farm we turned right onto Whitwell Lane and followed the road northward for a few hundred yards before finding a steep path leading back towards the racecourse.

Back at the top, the snow had started to settle again and it was time for us to head home for our Sunday roast.  

We had a great time and we hope you've enjoyed it too!

Mission to Moel Famau

Today, we went as a group to Moel Famau, which is the highest hill in the Clwydian range on the borders of Denbighshire and Flintshire. The Moel Famau country park is classed as an area of outstanding beauty and for good reason - the views are absolutely spectacular.

The car park has an observation point (above) that looks out over the Denbighshire town of Ruthin and on a clear day, you can see all the way to Cader Idris, as well as Snowdon and Tryfan. Unfortunately, on this cloudy January's day, we can only see as far as the hills above Ruthin.

Jubilee Tower stands vigilant over the Clwydian range. It was to stand as testament to King George III's Golden Jubilee, however, building was abandoned after funds ran out. The gloom of the day gave the pictures an eerie, sepia look that creates an ominous feel to the mile and a half trek up the Offa's Dyke path to the top, but I promise that it isn't that hard to reach the summit.

 Getting closer...

And a little bit closer...

Nearly there...

So close now...

and here we are!

The tower offers a full view of the surrounding areas and has details of every horizon.

We then headed down the other side of the hill, following the Clwydian Way for a short distance before turning towards Ffrith Mountain, which we skirted the summit on the south side and crossed a couple of streams via some bubbling fords.

Ffrith mountain (below) on the left:

The country park is covered in coniferous trees that provide a constant susurrous along the walk as the wind whistles through them.

A local inhabitant:

And a foreign invader:

Back at the car park, there is a shepherd's hut out of which a local trader sells hot beverages and local produce, including an ale made using the heather of the hillsides. I enjoyed it whilst cooking the dinner tonight and it was most quaffable to say the least.

I hope you enjoyed our first adventure of 2015, but the only way to really enjoy it is to see it for yourselves. See you next week.

A Late Resolution

A week in to the New Year, Laura and I made a new resolution - to go for a different walk every week for the rest of 2015. There are no rules, but the general gist is that every Sunday we will get up and get out of the door before 10 o'clock so we can take advantage of the beautiful landscape that surrounds us whilst helping us get healthier in body and soul.

This blog will include pictures and facts about the places we visit as well as a commentary of the routes that we take.