Clwydian Hills, Wales - travel review

However if you want a something a little closer to home, then where better than the Clwydian Hills, the ancient landscape between the English/Welsh border and the north Wales coast.

It’s a short break which combines an area of outstanding natural beauty with heritage that crosses timelines from the iron age to the grandeur of Downton Abbey days and on to the industrial revolution.

The Clwydian range is an unmistakable chain of hills that stretches from just inland of Prestatyn to Llangollen and is topped by a number of iron-age hill forts and the northern edge of Offa’s Dyke.

We stayed close by in the magnificent Soughton Hall Hotel, just 10 minutes from the A55 dual carriageway - very easy to reach.

Turning off the country lane onto the hall’s driveway is like stepping through a time warp. The half mile long drive is flanked by impressive avenue of lime trees, leading up to the red brick hall.

Edward Conway built Soughton Hall in 1714 abd remodelled in around 1820 by the famous Sir Charles Barry whose work includes the Houses of Parliament and Highclere Castle which was home to the Crawley family in the ITV smash hit – Downton Abbey.

The current owners Elle R Leisure have kept the grandeur of the grade two star listed building while decorating it in a sympathetic yet contemporary style.

It is like living inside a National Trust house, with mod cons and no red ropes to keep you away from the furnishing.

There is a real upstairs downstairs feel to Soughton Hall. Dinner is taken upstairs, the dining room walls clad with tapestries and tables looking out of the huge windows and onto the west facing front, perfect for watching the sunset.

Breakfast is taken downstairs in what was the servants’ areas. The original bells that would ring summonsing staff to the various rooms still hang in the hallway.

Soughton Hall is a popular wedding venue and the grounds are immaculately kept for perfect wedding photos, great to wander round or to sit and enjoy a pre-dinner drink.

There is so much to do within just a few miles.

Designated in 1985 as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty the Clwydian Range is one of only eight protected landscapes in Wales. Together with the three National Parks they form the only landscapes that have statutory protection in Wales.

Within a 15 minute drive of the hall, is Loggerheads Country Park, a delight for people of all ages. There is an old water mill, powered by water from the beautiful Alyn River which runs through the park. There are woodland walks and dramatic cliffs with stunning views, playgrounds a café, shop and lots of special events throughout the year.

Another five minutes away is Moel Famau. At 1818ft it is the highest peak in the chain of hills that make up the Clwydian Range. There is a good path all the way to the Jubilee Tower at the summit from where you can see for miles - the north Wales coast, the Wirral and even Liverpool in one direction, Llangollen in the other.

There are many excellent walking trails, taking in not one but several, 2,500 year old iron age forts. The most popular is of course, the Offa’s Dyke path which stretches from Prestatyn on the coast, through Shropshire to Chepstow.

Many prehistoric, sacred places have been discovered in and around the Clwydian Range. The most impressive find is the Mold Cape a ceremonial cape dating from around 2,000 BC, found on a skeleton buried beneath a cairn. Although the original cape is in the British museum but a copy can be seen in a museum in the town of Mold.

Mold itself is a busy market town with a fabulous theatre with a reputation for top quality drama and it is just 10 minutes from Soughton Hall.

There are also several Holy Wells in the area, the most famous at St Winefride’s at where else but Holywell. Pilgrims have visited the well for almost a thousand years.

Not everyone wants to get out an about in the countryside. So if you are a city person, then head east on the A55 and in just 15-20 minutes you will be in Chester with its excellent shops and restaurants, beautiful buildings Roman ruins and the highlight for me, the historic walls.

And if you want even more shopping then visit Cheshire Oaks shopping outlet a little further afield.