Updates

It is inevitable that on a long-distance route such as the Dee Way, details will change over time. You can help fellow walkers by letting us know of any modifications to the route, which we can initially publish on this web site and then incorporate into future editions.
Please email any such information to:
kittiwake@btconnect.com
or you can write to:
The Dee Way
3 Glantwymyn Village Workshops, Glantwymyn,
Machynlleth SY20 8LY

Date Section Update
14/06/20110A revised edition is now available. This contains all the updates listed below.
17/03/20116Flintshires Coastal Unit is progressing work in stages on the new Wales Coastal Path, which now reaches the edge of saltmarsh at Flint. However plans to extend the Coastal Path further across the saltmarsh as part of a continuous off-road route to Connah’s Quay are dependent on sensitive long standing birdlife issues being resolved.
17/03/201118In response to problems in summer in a few maize fields within their area Wrexham County Borough Council Highways Department agreed to send a letter to relevant landowners to remind them of their responsibility to ensure paths are not obstructed by crops.
17/03/201137Note : forestry operations will take place in stages during the next 5 years to remove conifers in Coed Penaran and return the land to blanket bog moorland. The forestry road through Coed Penaran now passes a small quarry. /No unauthorised access beyond this point/ on a sign refers to the quarry and not the road.
17/03/201137The road now extends for a further mile to grid ref. 822275 at the edge of cleared forest, offering new options. Route A follows the original route to the source then returns down the extended forestry road. Route B takes the easier approach of following the forestry road to its end less than 1/2 mile from the source, crossing 200 metres of cleared forest to join the infant river to the source, before returning the same way.
17/03/20110In the current economic climate village shops and pubs are under threat of closure. If planning to call at a pub on route I suggest you contact it in advance to check its opening times and whether it serves food.
17/01/20110We have been extremely pleased with this publication for route finding, background information and attention to detail. The varied scenery and history we have encountered has made this one of the most interesting (long distance walks) we have carried out. We are obliged to you for undertaking publication of such guides which help groups like us enjoy our walking. J C Lamprell Group Leader Club Longpath
22/11/20100'The Dee Way is worth to be a National Trail'. Thomas Witzel. 21 November 2010
23/09/20104Between Shotwick and Saughall I followed the path S.E. along the edge of several fields. Crops were growing, the grass and weeds were long and the path was just about discernable. I don't think many had been that way for a while. There were also lots of midges attacking me! I don't know what the alternative route suggested is like but I think it is probably better than this route. But Shotwick church was well worth a visit. In any case this section of the route has the problem of crossing two major roads and is rather distant from the Dee (presumably to avoid the industry). I wonder if there is an alternative route nearer the course of the river which might avoid some of the problems of this section. A Pugmire.
23/09/20103Having walked from Burton to Puddington, I had to walk back to Burton to get a bus, and the following day get a bus to Burton then walk to Puddington again (so I walked that mile three times1). It is better to stop at Burton (a delightful village) and start at Burton for the next stage of the walk. A Pugmire.
23/09/20102To get a bus from Thurstaston Visitor Centre you need to walk along Station Road to the village near the church, turn right and left and there is a footpath across fields to a bus stop. The same can be done in reverse to get to the Visitor Centre to start there. A Pugmire.
21/09/201037It was a great walk. The instructions were as clear as possible. The problem is trying to do field bashing without a 1:25K map showing the field boundaries. I had copies of relevant section of 1:50K maps and a compass, but really a walker either needs the 1:25K maps (tricky having them all for a long distance route) or else there needs to be some indication of the field boundaries in the guide book.
21/09/20103On leaving Shotwick, missed the kissing gate 'set back up on the right' on the first attempt. It was a bit overgrown, found it when we walked back along the road. Basically my fault. What caught me out was that north of Shotwick all the paths were well worn. The path from the overgrown kissing gate to the A550 didn't appear to have been walked by anyone for at least a few months.
21/09/201017Tried the shorter route, on the west bank. OK as far as one field past Old Lower Hall. Then - maize. There had been maize fields on the previous days walk, but it had always been possible to follow the instructions. Space had been left for the path either around the edge or through the field. The maize fields south of Old Lower Hall were impenetrable. No way through, and planted right up to the ditches round the edges of the field. The ditches and crop edges were overgrown with bindweed and brambles. Was able to escape easily up the track from Old Lower Hall which reaches the minor road between Lower Hall and Higher Hall without any obstacles. No barbed wire or farmyards. Technically not a right of way of course, but there was no alternative. The minor roads south from there were traffic
21/09/201017One further problem that day. Lost the 'official' route at 'angle left across wettish scrubland to follow the hedge boundary on your left to a stile in the corner'. We had found the 'waymarked gateway' in the previous sentence but could not find the stile, and the hedge boundary we were looking at was on the wrong compass bearing. Ended up walking by the compass to the old railway embankment and walking west along it to rejoin the route near the river. Also, walking to the bridge at Bangor we simply walked along a very long field. The path right by the river was too overgrown.
21/09/201021The fields between the wood and the access lane to the A539 had been ploughed, but the soil was not too clayish, and it was easy enough to walk round the edge of the fields. The large footbridge over Shell Brook is indeed in place. Really didn't like the look of the official path along the river (chewed up by cattle hooves and flooded and eroded by the river). Took the higher line up the field, over only two gates to the lane to Sodylt Hall. Presumably this is the route the council hopes will become a permissive path.
21/09/201030Delighted to see two pubs in the village. Disappointed to find both are closed on Tuesday lunchtimes. They only open nearer the weekend. Public toilets permanently closed. One bright point - the village shop was open and made very good sandwiches to order. Llandrillo has a pub and restaurant. Both are closed on a Tuesday! The restaurant is only open at the weekend. I think the pub opens from Wednesday to the weekend. Again the shop saved us. It was open till 7:30pm, and the Thai lady sold frozen Thai meals that we were allowed to microwave back at the B&B.
21/09/201037Terrain more difficult than expected on the approach to Coed Penaran. Forest track was great until the sign saying 'authorised personnel only'. We obediently turned onto the public right of way running south, but there were no other tracks and this was taking us south, away from the source. We returned to the sign. The forest was completely silent. Quarrying and logging are not quiet jobs. We carried on up the track. Sure enough, nothing was happending. We forded the Dee ( the ford was about 6 inches deep) but were disappointed by the difficulty of the terrain on the 'other bank of the river'. It would have been easier to simply walk up the river, accepting the water over the top of our boots. I don't object to walking across moorland without a path, but this was worse. It was a forest th
21/09/201037The problems were not quite over. The return leg proved difficult to follow. There is some new fencing, and I was unable to interpret the gates and fences in the instructions. Eventually I turned onto an appropriate bearing under Moel Caws, and rejoined the route at Llwyn Gwern farm, where there are no waymarks and two fierce but caged dogs. Caught the bus alright.
21/09/201037Endeavoured to walk the final section of the Dee Way to the source on Sunday 1st August 2010. The route is fine up to SH840270 were the Dee Way/logging road parts from the way-marked path. Here the Forestry Commission have put a "No entry to unauthorised personnel" sign on the Dee Way/logging road whilst they quarry and crush stones for road making a little further along the way. No diversion has been posted. However, there was no activity, and no increased danger beyond what you'd expect in the hills and forests, at the work site on Sunday.
21/09/201037Further along the Dee Way/logging road where it crosses over the ford at SH834269, the area of cleared forest to the left, mentioned in David Berry's text, has grown somewhat over the last few months, and has made walking along the river bank here very difficult. However, if you keep on the main track of the logging road it eventually brings you out quite close to the forest edge near the source(s) of the river. You can see the young river valley and Dduallt when you reach the current end of the surfaced part of the road. There has been much logging around the edge of the forest from here.
04/08/201037Endeavoured to walk the final section of the Dee Way to the source on Sunday 1st August 2010. The route is fine up to SH840270 where the Dee Way/logging road parts from the way-marked path.
04/08/201037However, if you keep on the main track of the logging road it eventually brings you out quite close to the forest edge near the source(s) of the river. You can see the young river valley and Dduallt when you reach the current end of the surfaced part
28/09/20090Then I rode the bike to the day's starting point and walked the route back to the car, drove the car back to collect the bike and returned home.
28/09/20090Sometimes I put the bike on the back of the car and drove to the day's finishing point.
28/09/20090This is the first time I have used buses but they are so plentiful in the area covered, and so well identified in the text that I gave it a go and it worked well.
28/09/20090I used a combination of car, bicycle and bus to locate myself for a series of day walks throuhout the summer.
28/09/20090For your information I have just completed the sections from Chester to the river's source.
28/09/20090Interestingly the bike ride routes were shorter than the walking routes hence extra energy expenditure was minimal.
28/09/20090I suppose an easier option would be to drive to the start and bus back to the car on completion.
28/09/20090The routes were very interesting and varied and the information proved accurate and informative.
28/09/20090David Berry has obviously walked the Dee Way and I had every confidence in his instructions, especially the last three miles when the river was getting smaller and smaller and smaller.
28/09/20090Having located the source I decided to keep high above the river rather than return along the same route which had proved to be very boggy following many days of rain.
28/09/20090To this end I edged around the nearby forest and with good fortune joined the logging path back to the previous point on the route.
28/09/20090Meanwhile I now intend to walk the Prestatyn to Hoylake sections and, because this book is so good, then do the alternate routes suggested.
28/09/20090Long distance linear walking is now no longer a problem with a book like this and I wish you well. Peter Brown
28/09/20090As a long term fan of Kittiwake walking books may I congratulate you for producing The Dee Way which I think is superb.