The Geography of Denbigh

With uplands, valley and the coast within easy reach, the landscape of Denbigh is like nowhere else in the UK. Its position at the centre of such a rich and diverse landscape makes Denbigh the ideal base for exploring the whole region and visitors can enjoy hill walking, fishing, mountain biking and a variety of water sports.

The town rises on a steep rocky outcrop from the rolling fields and wild moors of the Vale of Clwyd. Denbigh Castle is built on the summit of the hill with the old town walls encircling it and providing another layer of defence as well as breath-taking views across the whole Vale of Clwyd, from the Clwydian Range in the east to the Hiraethog Moors (Mynydd Hiraethog) in the west. At the southern edge of the Vale stand the Berwyn Hills with their wild, heather-clad moorland and the North Wales coast is only 15 miles in the opposite direction.

The Clwydian Range is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) – the views from its high points simply take your breath away. But it’s not just natural beauty. Many of the hills are crowned with pre-historic hill forts and it’s well worth getting your boots on and seeing them for yourself. Or you can follow the route of Offa’s Dyke, the massive linear earthwork constructed in the 8th century which begins at the mouth of the River Dee and runs all the way to the River Wye in the south.

There are country parks and interpretation centres at Loggerheads and Moel Famau to learn more about this fascinating area.

Llyn Brenig is a beautiful upland reservoir in a stunning landscape only 12 miles from the centre of town. Here you can enjoy world-class trout fishing, cycle hire, woodland walks and even an adventure playground for the kids. You can let them play in safety while you enjoy a relaxing cuppa in the Visitor Centre café. The Brenig Trail circumnavigates Llyn Brenig through forest and along the shoreline of the lake. The route can also be combined with the Alwen Trail to make a longer route.

Intrepid walkers will enjoy exploring the lonely Berwyn Hills to the south. Rich with wildlife, rare birds and blanket bogland, these hills are not for the faint hearted, but visitors will feel like they’re hundreds of miles and hunderds of years from the modern world.

The Hiraethog Moors are dotted with picturesque villages, historic churches and sacred Bronze-age sites. One way of the most rewarding ways to explore Hiraethog and its settlements is on foot. The Hiraethog Trail links the villages of Pentrefoelas, Cerrigydrudion, Llanfihangel Glyn Myfyr and Llanrhaeadr via public footpaths, quiet lanes and country roads. Further west are the towering mountains of Snowdonia, and some of the most dramatic landscapes in the British Isles.

And if you’ve had enough of breath-taking views and wide open spaces, the North Wales coast has miles of clean sandy beaches and traditional seaside towns.

The North Wales geography is full of variety – rolling hills and valleys, precipitous mountains, wild moorlands and coastal playgrounds – and Denbigh is the ideal base from which to explore and experience it.