Offas Dyke Day 15 Sodom to Prestatyn

Day 15 pictures
This is our last day!!
It blew hard all night and the weather forecast was for high winds and later in the day some rain.
We have a relatively short day so we reckon we can at least beat the rain.
Whilst we have had the relative luxury of our own home, we must get up to the B and B proper for breakfast. It's about 1/4 mile away and we drive, all ready to start walking straight after breakfast, and that's what we do.
It, of course, starts with a hill and with increasing wind from the west. The one good thing about the wind, is that the haze has cleared a bit, to the views are better.


Snowdon out there somewhere

We should be able to see Snowdonia and Mount Snowdon, however low cloud to the west precludes that.
The views start to open up and the Irish Sea is now clearly visible, and the wind farms out to sea come into view.
Whenever we get onto the north western side of any hill, the wind tries to blow us across the border into England, and it increases as the day goes on.
As we cross the A55 highway, we turn the final page of the Offas Dyke map, and almost immediately are thrown yet another hard hill, that becomes more and more exposed to the wind as we climb.
The reward is better views, and finally think we can see Prestatyn, our destination.
The way now picks up high ground over the Irish Sea, however from time to time we pass through open fields, still populated by sheep, horses and the occasional herd of bovines.
One herd turns up, all steers, on one side of a fence, as we walk past they start to follow us.
What we haven't noticed, at least initially is the open gate ahead, that can lead them into our field.
They head off in a different direction however and it's our last encounter of a ruminant variety.

Down a lane we come to an old water wheel with mill race and a decaying mill wheel, about 12 feet in diameter.
Finally we arrive at the cliffs overlooking Prestatyn and we can see our goal properly.
The track is high up on a very steep slope, and the wind really does try and throw us off. My anemometer records wind speeds of 44 kph, which is more than enough to push you off balance, luckily into, rather than off the track.
We decide to have lunch on the track, slightly out of the wind and we still have some views, albeit through the bracken.
It's then steep down into the streets of Prestatyn, and straight down the High Street to the beach and the END.
Sue meets us with beer and wine, a fitting end to a great walk.
NEXT!!

Finished