Coed Nercwys / Nercwys Forest is a 322-acre site which can be found 15 minutes to the south of Mold, Flintshire. The Forest offers space for walkers, Cyclists and Horse riders, with several Heritage features to learn about as you explore the Forest – including ruined lead mine buildings, a shepherd’s cottage and a walled paddock.
We have been coming to Nercwys with the Dogs since 2018, it is a beautiful area which offers lots of varied terrain and is also very quiet, with the numbers of visitors rarely looking like those seen recently in near-by Loggerheads and Moel Famau Country Parks.
Coed Nercwys has a large, circular walking route which is 2¾ miles/4.5km long, taking about 2 hours. It can easily be walked in less time than this, but it is always good to give yourself extra time to enjoy the views and have plenty of photo opportunities (insta dog-mum life)! There are two routes clearly waymarked around the Forest, one for Walkers and the other for Cyclists – one heads clockwise and the other anti-clockwise along the same path. It is best to follow the path for your chosen activity to keep everyone safe. When you make it around the first half of the walk, the path will bring you back out onto the central fire/access road. There is a cut-through’ to the second half of the walk to the right, don’t go that way! This is a shorter route and cuts off a section which offers the best views of the walk – even on a cloudy day! Remember to turn left (blue arrow) – this takes you down towards the South Car Park, but then you turn right up to what we have expertly named, “the wiggily bit” – circled in red. Here is where you will find “Rock View”.
There is also the option to extend the walk by an hour and head up to Bryn Alyn which is the second largest limestone pavement in Wales – think of that famous scene in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows where Hermione is sitting on the edge of the stony cliff, but on a much smaller scale. We are yet to head up there, so I can’t give too much information about the place, but it is on the to-do list! This longer route will take you across farmland with potential livestock.
Nercwys is in an elevated position, offering incredible views across Flintshire (did someone say another photo opportunity?). Early morning walks in the Spring / Summer are just stunning, with the sunrise and clear skies offering views for miles. In the Winter, you can walk through snow-capped Christmas trees and hear the crack of frost on the ground – don’t forget the travel mug with a brew in to keep you warm on the way round!
Walking in all weathers has made us notice that even if you go in the middle of summer, it is always wet up there. I don’t mean that it is always raining, not at all, but it is always wet! Not sure whether this is thanks to Water-loving Labradors who always seem to find the boggiest, smellies puddles, but take appropriate shoes, remember the dog towels and be prepared for a smelly car on the way home…
A massive plus point for Coed Nercwys is that the parking is free. There are two car parks, which aren’t huge but manage the number of visitors well, and they are super easy to find on Google Maps (postcodes included at the end of this Blog). The North Car Park is usually the first to get busy, so it is always handy to know about the second car park which can be found on the south side of the forest. The mobile signal is a little hit and miss up, so make sure you have details of how to get to each car park before you head up there – it is always good to have a back-up plan! There are very limited public transport options to get up to Nercwys (bus routes only up to Nercwys Village, approx. 2mi from the Forest Site), so please take care when driving / walking / cycling. The roads are narrow without pavements in places, but there are plenty of passing places to use.
One of the many positives to Coed Nercwys for us as Dog Walkers was ‘no livestock’ [please see note about Bryn Alyn extended walk]. The Forest is one of the few places in the local area which can offer this as a guarantee when you are in the site, which is ideal for letting the dogs run around of the lead. Most Dogs we see up here are off-lead, so it may not be the ideal place for reactive / anxious Dogs. To keep livestock from the surrounding farmland out of the Forest, there are gates at both Car Parks, remember to close these securely behind you and not leave them open.
There are also no stiles / gates when walking on the site, which make it a great choice for able walkers of all ages, a real family outing. It also means you don’t have to worry about lifting a large soggy Dog over a stile half-way round the walk – perfect! There are several farms and livery yards in the local area, allowing Nercwys Forest to be a great choice for horse riders hacking out. If you are taking your Dogs up to the forest, please keep an eye out for horses, and always keep your dog under control – let’s keep this a space for all to enjoy.
Whilst we don’t live far away in Buckley, we always try to make the most of our trip to Nercwys and supporting local business. Most of the time we head up to Nercwys early doors on a Saturday morning, and then go into Mold afterwards to visit the market and pick up some bits. We have recently tried Ruben’s Coffee Shop on the Highstreet of the first time and it was brilliant (we are going to do a blog about Mold Market for you soon) – loads of room and seating, and Dog Friendly inside and out. Like Nercwys, parking in Mold is super easy, and there is a small fee. If you can, please try and take a trip into Mold before or after your walk / cycle, there are lots of independent retailers in the area who would be grateful for your support.
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