Meet Daisy

We’d like to introduce the wonderful Daisy and her Mum who had sent us her amazing photo’s of their walk around the Orme.  We had to ask her to write a dog friendly walks post about it.  I’m sure Pedro will be excited to try it, though Bert doesn’t care for hills (or walking) ….

After a fun swimming session with Gwenan noticed that Daisy had a weakness in her hindlimbs. Luckily this isn’t causing Daisy a problem at present but if not corrected could do so in the future. Gwenan suggested we do some hill walking rather than just on the flat so although we love our beach walks this is something I needed to address straight away so where better locally than The Orme.

What an eye opener we’ve had as although we’ve lived here for many years we really haven’t explored the Orme. To do a full review would take way too long as already over the last couple of weeks or so we’ve had so many adventures as the paths and footways really are endless. Most days we start from either Deganwy or West Shore with a run and play on the beach and then begin our Orme walk through the gate by the Old Toll House where you can walk along to Haulfre Gardens, there are plenty of benches along the way to rest and enjoy the stunning views. Keep an eye out for the zig zag path, it is a challenging one and we often see the Kashmiri goats in this area. It really is worth the effort and gives you a great sense of achievement when you reach the top. Then either carry on climbing or enjoy the views and head back down to the main path and through the green gate towards the tearoom. At Haulfre Gardens if you take the zig zag paths with the green handrails and then keep heading up and to the right, you may come across the Great Orme Family Golf. Daisy’s preferred route however is to take the first path to the left where we’ve found so many ways to then head up the Orme, sometimes climbing quite steeply so a decent pair of walking shoes really are needed. From here you can stay to the right and have a short walk and then head back down to the Haulfre Gardens area or simply keep climbing along the various paths to the summit which we love to do. We’ve yet to then head left and explore further towards the great expanse ahead of us but we definitely will be in future.

 

We are always mindful of the Orme’s very special Kashmiri goats and also of the sheep, and that we are visitors to their home so I always keep Daisy on her lead and we always give them the right of way.

After exploring the summit and enjoying the breathtaking views our favourite route is then to head towards the ski slope and to Happy Valley. There are just so many ways you can do this and it really is going to take us a lot more exploring to even to begin to cover them all. The scenery is just stunning and there are vast expanses of grass that look like freshly laid carpet, I can’t tell you the fun we’re having and I’m sure it’s doing my legs the world of good as well as Daisy’s. From here we often go and have a walk along the pier and then head back towards home through Haulfre Gardens.

There are so many ways to explore the Orme from walking, driving or taking the bus to the summit or a lovely drive along Marine Drive, but please remember you will need to pay a toll fee. There are also the cable car and dog friendly tram when they are running, as with everything on the Orme are seasonal, so please check the opening hours before leaving if you want to use any of them. We’ve also had many lovely walks around the Happy Valley area which can be as easy or as difficult as you wish to make them by staying on the main path or just exploring off-track. Above Happy Valley is the ski slope and toboggan run and if you take the path to the right you’re well on your way to the summit.

There are so many things to see and do on the Orme as well as enjoying a lovely walk, such as visiting the Copper Mines which are dog friendly and definitely on my list to visit with Daisy, as well as the Iron Age Fort and St Tudnos Church. At the summit there’s a childrens playground and also mini golf for all to enjoy as well as the gift shop, visitors centre, ice cream kiosk and of course the cafe and restaurant.

Whichever way you may decide to walk up the Orme it is very steep in places so please bear this in mind but if you drive, take the tram, bus or cable car (not dog friendly!) you can still have an easier stroll at the summit.

Shaun & Daisy

 We’ve already been on some enjoyable Orme walks with Emma and Shaun which have been so much fun and seen places we wouldn’t of ventured to because they really do know the Orme inside out. Today however we weren’t on a time limit so we ventured further than we had with them before and even found a path Emma and Shaun hadn’t walked before. This was much to Shaun’s delight because he’s very much the adventurer which is why he and Daisy get on so well. We stood mesmerised for several minutes watching the seals from high above as they swam in the sea below us which is always such a privilege. At the end of a wonderful day we finished our walk with a stroll around the walls of the summit farm before heading into town for a well earned coffee and of course some treats for the dogs. We headed home happily knowing that Daisy and Shaun would sleep soundly dreaming of their next adventure exploring the Orme.

This really is just a fraction of the options there are to enjoy the Orme and whatever your time availability you can have a wonderful walk with so much variety.

From both myself and Daisy there is no other option than a really big high five paws out of five and we’re looking forward to many more happy times exploring all that the Orme has to offer.

About

We had been recommended this walk and although the weather didn’t promise to be good we thought we would give it a try. There is a free car park but unless you know the area you will need your sat nav to find it, if you follow directions for LL12 9HE then you will pass the car park which is sign posted. The area has some stunning scenery and even on a grey day we could still see quite far, on a nice day you can see as far as Liverpool. If you are a photographer then you will definitely like this walk as it has spectacular scenery in all directions (not that we could see that far the day we visited). The area is quite flat and open. It was very peaceful, there were other dog walkers around and cattle grazing though they were easily avoided. There are no markers but it is roughly a 2 mile circular walk.

 

The day we visited it was definately Welly day but Bert especially enjoyed running and jumping in the muddy puddles (although we did laugh when he face planted after not realising how big one puddle was).

On our way back we stopped at the Druid Inn pub it was nice enough but not specifically dog friendly. We sat outside with the dogs and there are undercover parts so we were warm, there was a good menu with vegetarian and vegan options, next time I think we will do a picnic. Was originally just going to give it 4 paws but the boys were proper shattered and slept all the way back and into the afternoon so bumped it up to five paws!

About

Drum went to explore the Druids Circle above Penmaenmawr.  Also known as Meini Hirion, this wonderful and evocative stone circle is considered one of the finest examples in Britain and forms part of a complex of ancient monuments on the moorland above Penmaenmawr. The stones are thought to origionate from the Bronze age, perhaps even earlier and excovation of the sight found the remains of children which would suggest human sacrifice may have taken place! There are several walking options to get to the circle including from the town of Penmaenmawr or from Dwygyfylchi and there are many Snowdonia Heritage walking paths to follow. Drums mum wasn’t feeling that energetic that day so followed the postcode in the sat nav and left the car at the stone pillars pictured.  There are many signs posts for the ‘pilgrimage way‘ and the stone circles were easy enough to find.  We’d recommend taking a map as the route could become confusing, particularly if the weather was bad and sheep were roaming in parts so Drum spent some time on the lead.  A few wild horses were spotted and the views were incredible! We were back to the car in under 2 hours and a picnic was enjoyed at the top! Drum gives the walk 5 paws!

About

Bryn Euryn is a prominent limestone hill overlooking Rhos on Sea with several different paths.  It is a mixture of grassland and woodland and is listed as a site of Special Scientific Interest.  It also has great historical interest with Llys Euryn – a house dating from the 15th century and a hilltop fort from the 6th century.  For more information about the site and routes to walk have a look at Conwy Council’s page.

How to get there

From the A55 head towards Rhos on Sea along Brompton Avenue, Bryn Euryn is marked at the traffic lights (turn left onto Rhos Road).

Bryn Euryn nature reserve, 60 Tan-Y-Bryn Rd, Rhos on Sea, Colwyn Bay LL28 4AB.

The Walk

On this occasion Bert decided to stay at home (ie lazy!).  Drum and Pedro ventured up Bryn Euryn, a lovely dog friendly walk with fantastic views at the top!

The car park was free and easy to find and there are many marked paths to follow – Pedro choose to take the path marked for the summit even though there was an ‘easy’ route.

The boys were off lead the whole time and loved running around in the woodland. We were back to the car in less than an hour and although we didn’t investigate for any dog friendly places to eat, Drum and Pedro give the walk 5 paws!

A lovely hidden gem only a few minutes from work!

 

About

Aber Falls is a waterfall located approximately 2 miles south of Abergwyngregyn.  There are 2 car parks, the first just off the A55 (marked on the map) is free but you have to walk up through the village to the nature reserve entrance which is where the  second car park is located – there is a small fee to park here (£2 when we wrote this!).  As we’re a bit careful we parked in the free one!

 

There are several options for walks here though picked the moderately easy ‘to the falls and back’ option as shown by the dotted line – our excuse was that Bert would never manage the more strenous circular route (that follows the pink boundary line around to the right).

The day we visited there were a few other walkers and dogs but no livestock or ponies, but we have seen both on previous visits.

The path is well sign posted and gravel most of the route and you can avoid the steps if you need to.  You’re free to wander within the fences and it’s a nice place for a picnic (not this day though!).

Ponies can often be seen at Aber Falls along with other livestock, so keep your dog on a lead until you are sure the route is clear.

If you do decide to do the longer, circular route you will climb to the top of the valley and head back towards the A55 with spectacular views – don’t forget your camera!

We did stop at the Aber Falls Cafe for a swift shandy on the way back.  They allow dogs in the garden so was a little chilly this day, but as you can see Sarah enjoyed it!

With stopping to take photo’s, wait for Bert and just ambling along the walk took around 2 hours and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.  So it’s 5 paws from Pedro and Bert (who slept all the way home which means it’s high fives from us as well).

About

It was a beautiful January day and rather than just a dog walk we thought we would go somewhere different and get photos so we decided to do the Buckley heritage tour. It took us about 25 minutes to drive to it

Flintshire Council – Buckley Heritage and Town Trail (external link)

As a dog walk it was fairly pleasant although there were a few areas by main roads so the boys went on their leads. There was a bit at the beginning which was a bit heart sinking as we came to a stile and thought we would have to lift super un slinky Bert over but thankfully someone had already cut a Bert sized hold out of the fence andhernia avoided. The rest of the stiles had dog friendly gates and made it easy. We didn’t see many other walkers but the ground was quite flat and the paths were really well sign posted and I think it would make a nice day trip for a family as the trail leads round and you have to find monuments to the heritage of Buckley although we didn’t see monument 3! If anyone does do this walk then the challenge is to send a photo of monument 3!

I would give it a three out of 5 paw rating , sadly the map we followed was a bit outdated and the pub en route we planned to stop at had closed down and was for sale so we missed out on a dog friendly pub lunch

For more suggestions from Bert and Pedro on their favourite walks, cafes and pubs please see our other dog friendly walks.

About

So we decided to try out Pwllycrochan Woods in Colwyn Bay for two reasons the first was Pedro had been a bit lame so we thought a mile and a half walk would be good and the second was that we have been to the Pen y Bryn many times but wanted to see just how dog friendly it was.  The walk itself was quite pleasant but it wasn’t easy to find car parking, although it was marked on the map. The road to get there was quite narrow but we did find somewhere to park eventually. The paths in Pwllycrochan were well sign posted and I think if I was a local I would have enjoyed the walk more but it was difficult to see where the paths suddenly joined the road and we like to haveBert and Pedro off lead as much as possible.

With it being November there were a lot of fallen leaves so the paths could have been quite slippy especially while trying to guide one of the dogs on a lead. On a positive there were some lovely views and we got some nice pictures.

When we arrived at the Pen y Bryn there were already two dogs there. The boys were made to feel very welcome and we sat in the bar area. We had a nice lunch and there was plenty of choice. The Pen Y Bryn was definitely a highlight and they have a guide to other walks which we might try out again.

However we would give Pwllycrochan woods a two paws out of five as the walk wasn’t as relaxing as it could have been though the Pen y Bryn gets a 4 paw stamp of approval from Pedro and Bert.

For more suggestions from Bert and Pedro on their favourite walks, cafes and pubs please see our other dog friendly walks.

About

We have been to Talacre beach many times and it really is dog friendly.  We were lucky enough to spend the day there on October 6th and as they say on countryfile there is no such thing as bad weather just poor clothing choices so we wrapped up warm and walked along the sand playing ball with the boys – it was high tide when we were there but it’s still possible to walk for several miles along the beach and back through the sand dunes.  The most obvious feature at Talacre beach is the old Point of Ayre lighthouse that dates back to 1776.  If you do walk out to it please keep an eye on the tide as it is possible for the tide to come in behind you so you may have a paddle back to the beach!

In the height of summer it can be quite busy due to the holiday parks, but at out of season it is much quieter and we walked for over an hour and did not see anyone else. Then coming back we decided to come back through the sand dunes. It was still very quiet but as there is a flat path that is accessible for prams and wheelchairs there were a few more people but Bert was tired so relished the opportunity to stop and say hello.

In the past we have just parked in the free car park by the beach however on this visit it was shut off so we had to park in the pay and display car park which costs £2 for the day, but you do get a £2 voucher to use in the Lola and Suggs beach cafe where dogs are allowed inside or in the garden. This worked out really well for us as that is where we went after our walk and Bert and Pedro were so welcomed, and there were other doggie friends already there.  There was an adequate choice of foods and we can highly recommend their homemade cakes.  The staff really made an effort with the dogs who brought them doggie treats and water,  they also have dog biscuits on the counter and plenty of water bowls.

This is an ideal walk for a lazy Sunday with a nice beach and somewhere for tea and cake afterwards and the boys agree!

How to get there

From the main A548 coast road, take the Talacre exit on the roundabout, follow the road (Station Road) over the railway bridge and continue on to Talacre Village, for satnav use CH8 9RS.

For more suggestions from Bert and Pedro on their favourite walks, cafes and pubs please see our other dog friendly walks.

About

A regular walk for us as this is located close to home.  A small convenient car park is at the foot of the circular path around the woodland, where you will see wildlife and ancient woodlands, limestone caves and also the 2000 year old hill fort (Castell Cawr – Giant’s Castle).

The walk takes around 45 minutes and is fairly steep, though there are several places where you will want to stop and enjoy the views of the coast line and Gwrych Castle, with some additional paths to wander to view the old hill fort and limestone caves.

The main track up to the top of the hill is wide and open through the trees.  As you loop back round through the woodland the path will split.  Turning left is a gentle descent back the way you came, while if you turn right you will pass over a small bridge over the caves, though the descent here is steeper and best avoided when wet.

As this is such a regular walk for us Pedro likes to run on ahead while Bert puffs and blows behind us.  We always meet other dog walkers and it’s safe to let your dog off the lead all the way round (except for one small section if you detour to view the bat caves which is signposted – there is a steep drop here).  Pedro even knows which tree stump is always full of water when he wants a drink.

Pedro and Bert give this 3 paws as although they enjoy the walk it’s too close too home to go to the pub afterwards!

How to get there

Turn up Tan y Gopa Road, past Abergele golf course.  When you see the house with the turrets on your right there is a car park on the left.

For more suggestions from Bert and Pedro on their favourite walks, cafes and pubs please see our other dog friendly walks.