Denbigh Castle and River Ystrad Valley

At the top of hill, look back to see the library. Set off towards it, and the post office is on your right. Turn right at the corner up Bull Lane. At Leicester's Church, turn right up St. Hilary's Terrace, passing the tower of St. Hilary's Church on your left. The castle is straight in front of you and is open to the public, with a visitor centre and shop. If you do go in, turn left coming out; if not, at a T-junction turn left below the castle walls. Head down to another T-junction and turn left again at waypoint 2.

Turn left, and after only a few yards is a Y-junction. Take the narrow hedge-lined path on the right, descending through the trees. Just before the bottom, turn right through a metal kissing gate (signed), to waypoint 3.

Walk along this path to a second kissing gate. Head half-left, going gently downhill across the sloping pasture to the bottom corner, waypoint 4.

OVer the stile, keep the hedge on your left and walk to another kissing gate. Keep the hedge on your left to reach several gateways at a corner. Go straight on, keeping the hedge on your right this time, to waypoint 5.

Climb over the stile, and hug the top of the field to the next stile in the corner. You are now on a narrow woodland path; after two more stiles, you reach a tarmaced lane, waypoint 6.

Turn right uphill. At a copse on the left, there is a track with warnings of asbestos, CCTV and private road. But there is a public footpath sign; take this track. At the last house on the right, look for a wood carving of an owl. The path narrows to a woodland path to waypoint 7.

There is a pig sty on the right. Go over a stile into a riverside meadow. Look for a wooden bridge and picnic area (I had lunch here, felt quite guilty eating my pork pies with the sound of the big pigs foraging in the wood over my left shoulder!) Suitably refreshed, don't cross the bridge, but head along the meadow, keeping the distinct mound on your left. Once through the gate, continue past a white cottage on the left, over the corner stile, to waypoint 8.

Turn right up a tarmac lane, after just 200yds. Keep looking over your left shoulder or you will miss it.

Double back on this track to pass some estate buildings on your left. The field on the left has small jumps for horses. The guidebook says there are two stiles to cross on the way, but there are in fact three to cross on the way past Dr Johnson's Cottage and on to waypoint 10.

Cross the stile and go over the small stone bridge over a little stream. Climb steeply to the top edge of the trees, and on to waypoint 11.

From here, turn right. Keep the woods on your right. The field funnels into a long exit, and you should see a quarry ahead. Turn left onto a stone track, and through a gateway. You should see an old-fashioned stone and slate stile.

Turn right onto a farm track. You should see a stone wall to the estate on your right. Bend right along the edge of the large field and cross straight over the driveway to Gwaenynog Manor, where, Beatrix Potter worked on illustrations for her books. Walk on along the field road; great views over the Clwydian range. On to waypoint 13.

Turn left here, and look for the stile under a solitary oak tree.

Climb over the stile; excellent views across to Denbigh Castle. Walk along the left side of the field. Ignore the first stile, and carry on to a kissing gate just below the cottage, and on to waypoint 15.

After crossing the lane from the cottage, this is virtually opposite the kissing gate you have just come through and is now the Clwydian Way.

Turn right and follow the path to come out in a cul-de-sac. Turn left, turn right, and cross the road to waypoint 17.

Follow down the path; you should pass Morrisons on your way to waypoint 18.

At Morrisons, turn right and head uphill, past the bus stop where you (probably) got off, to waypoint 19.

This time, keep left. Look for the statue of H.M.Stanley, arm outstretched, offering his hand and no doubt saying the immortal words 'Dr. Livingstone, I presume'. The old hospital named after him in St. Asaph is now closed, but there is a Totem Pole to him by the bridge over the river in St. Asaph. Carry on to waypoint 20.

The old Friary is worth a visit. Hope you enjoyed the wa;l, see photos on Flickr, click 'popular tags' and search for carfreewalks