Moel Famau – Is It A Hill Or A Mountain?

A visit to North Wales is a visit to some of the most stunning mountainous landscapes in the UK.

Moel Famau isn’t one of those. At 554m, it is not quite a mountain but is certainly too high to be a common or garden hill. What it definitely is, though, is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Located on the border between Denbighshire and Flintshire, Moel Famau is the highest hill in the Clwydian Range. As a designated country park managed by Denbighshire Countryside Service, the area offers beautiful walking through moorlands and woodland.

Residents and holidaymakers staying in our Sunbeach and Aber Bay Holiday Parks can reach Moel Famau within a couple of hours in the car, and we would suggest that you find a traditional Welsh B&B and make an overnight trip of it as the area has so much to offer visitors, particularly if you are keen on walking.

However, most pathways to the summit will take no more than an hour, and while some are suitable for all the family, there are other steeper and more challenging paths which might be more attractive to stronger walkers and cyclists. So, it is perfectly possible to make the trip in a day.

Walking Trails Around Moel Famau

The area covers three square miles of challenging but satisfying walking trails that all lead to the summit of the hill. Once you get to the top, you begin to understand how it has earned its name, which is Welsh for ‘Mother Hill’. From the summit, you can get a panoramic view across the Vale of Clwyd towards Snowdonia and then back round towards the North Wales coast. This all-encompassing view is like a mother overseeing her brood, keeping an eye on everything around her in all weather.

Preservation Of Historical Heather Moorlands

Moel Famau is famous for its remarkable moorlands, which are covered in rich purples and blues in various seasonal changing tones of heather. 100 years ago, the heather was more prevalent - in fact, today, just 40 per cent remains of what used to be there. Unfortunately, forestation and modern developments in agriculture and farming mean that much of the moorland has been lost.

However, the local Countryside Service is working hard to preserve and safeguard what remains. As you explore the area, you may notice strange shapes cut into the heather. This strange practice is carried out to encourage new regrowth of the heather, which also provides fresh grazing for the local sheep population.

Attracting Birdlife - A Mecca For Ornithologists

As well as attracting upwards of 200,000 people to explore its network of pathways, Moel Famau is home to the black grouse, one of the rarest birds in Wales. Back in the 1990s, there were only 10 males left of this protected species. Today, that count is at about 40 - so it has been a slow but positive increase over the last 30 years.

The heather moorlands are crucial to the continuing survival of the black grouse in Wales, and the cooperation between the organisations caring for the area and the visitors who are contributing to the economy of the area is a finely balanced challenge.

The Jubilee Tower

The Jubilee Tower sits at the summit of Moel Famau, an Edwardian building strangely at odds with its wild and remote surroundings. It was originally built in 1810 in commemoration of George III on his golden jubilee. The architect wanted it to evoke Ancient Egyptian obelisks, but for one reason or another, it was never completed. Fifty years later, the unfinished building was damaged by a storm, and any plans to complete it were abandoned, as was the building.

Jubilee Tower recently went through a series of reparation and restoration works to make it a more suitable attraction for visitors. Part of this was the construction of steps to the top of the tower, giving visitors an even better panoramic view of the surrounding moorlands.

Places To Stay Near Moel Famau.

If you decide that you want to book an overnight stay near Moel Famau to explore the area more before returning to your Allens caravan, there are a number of beautiful places to stay both on the Welsh side of the border and on the English side. Whether you decide to discover the Roman city of Chester or stay closer to home in Flint, there is a wide range of different styles of accommodation to choose from - from cosy cottage bed and breakfasts to stunning historic castles and stately homes.