Following Old Paths
An old railway, a changing landscape and a little local history — a Friday walk following old paths around Dyserth and Marian Mill.
Torrential rain delayed the start of our Friday walk, so there was only one sensible thing to do — coffee at Y Shed while we waited for it to pass.
Y Shed itself occupies part of the old railway buildings near Meliden, which was rather fitting considering where the walk would take us.
Eventually the skies cleared and we set off, diverting off the track onto the Offa’s Dyke Path and following it towards Marian Mill.
At Marian Mill we passed the ruins of Felin Fawr, one of the old water-powered mills that once worked along this valley. I’d photographed the old building and its weathered plaque, and my little encyclopaedia in my pocket helped fill in some of its story.
There was another interesting bit of history here too. The railway from Dyserth was originally planned to continue as far as Marian Mill. The groundworks were started, but the rails were never actually laid. On our way back towards Dyserth, we followed the route the railway would have taken, eventually bringing us back to the old Prestatyn–Dyserth railway line — the route we’ve always simply called “the track”.
Signs Of The Season
Perhaps the biggest change was the landscape itself. After weeks of dry weather, everywhere had been looking almost desert-like, with scorched grass and parched fields. A week of rain has transformed it. Suddenly the countryside is green again.
We walked through a field of sugar beet that looked incredibly lush, although the fat-hen growing amongst it was doing a pretty good job of competing for space. Its tall stems and masses of tiny green flower heads stood well above the crop.
The hedgerows were changing too, with blackberries in various stages of ripening and sloes already turning their distinctive dusty blue. We also came across a mystery animal bone beside the path, which provided another little investigation along the way.
Back To Dyserth
From there we made our way back into Dyserth and finished, as all good Friday walks should, with lunch at The Red.
Considering the morning had started with torrential rain and coffee while we waited for the weather to improve, we’d done rather well. Once we finally set off, we managed to dodge the showers, enjoy a good walk and, as always, plenty of catching up along the way.
A lovely morning, and proof that you don’t have to travel far to find something new.
