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Screaming kids (my worst nightmare) dirty toilets and showers, not enough water taps, excessive noise, loud music, litter, grumpy staff........

I may consider going early or late season but certainly not during any school holidays and definitely not in August as was my first thought - read the reviews if you haven't already

Thinking about it though, I could stay at my usual site just a few miles away - lovely and quiet - and just drive to the abbey to get some pics.

Quote: Screaming kids (my worst nightmare) dirty toilets and showers, not enough water taps, excessive noise, loud music, litter, grumpy staff........

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Can't say I experienced any of those to be honest, I did find that there wasn't enough toilets and showers for the size of the campsite (which may account for the condition during peak times of the year) but I found the staff quite helpful. I'd forgotten to bring a Spork for example so had no way of eating the food I picked up in Llangollen. The woman at reception went and got one from the on site cafe and told me not to worry about returning it for example.

Having said that the Abbey is separate from the camp site itself and run by CADW so you'd have no problem visiting it from the other sites nearby.

Quote: Hi Hudson, are you sure you were following the right path?

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In places no because the route isn't too well signposted to be frank. For example at the ford at World's end the route heads up the mountain. The route to follow is fairly obvious but there is no footpath marker at that spot at all, only a obvious path leading away from the ford up a slope. When you get to the top of the slope (which was hardly easy since that was also slightly overgrown) there's a broken stile over a fence with a footpath marker that had the middle third of the marker snapped off giving the impression that the footpath no longer existed because there simply couldn't be any way I had taken a wrong turn at that point. It might be entirely possible that the path is defunct, but you'd expect that council to update the route description if that was the case.

However in that particular spot I photographed the path had only a short while earlier crossed a stream and got gradually narrower and overgrown until it ended in that view. I pushed my way through to the other side (if its not obvious from the photo those plants were considerably taller than I am and I'm 5ft 10) to find no waymarkers anywhere nearby so I had to keep on walking until I eventually realised that I was heading away from the main route so took a parallel paved track to world's end instead.

I think the problem is that the route is basically a bunch of unrelated footpaths that just happen to follow a theme. So to someone like me who is more used to following waymarked footpaths it was fairly easy to pick up the wrong path. I think that I need to learn better navigation skills!

Quote: If so, to whom can we complain? I don't suppose they have the resources to deal with it anyway :( At Edinburgh Uni, there's a conservationist student group which does such things as clearing paths. I've been meaning to join them for a while.

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I think each council have some sort of officer responsible for such matters so I presume it would be them.

Anyway when I get time I'll post the second day's walk which followed the Llangollen canal and a section of the Offa's Dyke Path.

Wow PH - you should be patting yourself on the back there lad!! 24 miles!! Crikey, Well Done!

I stayed at Abbey Farm with my Son at August Bank holiday last year and was pleasantly surprised by the rural-ness of the site. We had many a happy hour near the stream on the far side by the toilet/shower block. We also tried the farm shop produce and I can highly recommend their lamb chops!!

We also did the Aquaduct Walk on the Canal, well some of it.... I chickened out in the end, I didn't like the idea of there being no side on one side of the aquaduct!  Lovely area though and will be returning one day!

Top Photo's Btw!!

Wendy :o)

Quote: Originally posted by windywendy on 29/7/2011

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We also did the Aquaduct Walk on the Canal, well some of it.... I chickened out in the end, I didn't like the idea of there being no side on one side of the aquaduct!  Wendy :o)

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Tigermouse, that is so very true, but you see I am quite clumsy at times and knowing me, I would fall out of the canal also!!

Very brave to go over in a narrowboat! I would have to get out and walk underneath until I got to the other side!!

Love Waterways, love bridges, but wouldn't combine the two!! Fantastic engineering, but would rather admire them from a little distance!!

Wendy :o)

 Great Pictures PH , and brilliant narrative of your walks. Yes It Is a Lovey area .

And a very Well done for the distances you walked .

P.S . I was In LLandegla on Wednesday and Thursday ,Camping :

 I also had a walk through the forest . The visitors center appears to be orientated for Mountain bikes .Lots of main Cycle routes .However there are tracks and trails ,at various distances  for walkers .   It rained and was mist enshrouded and went cool at night . Cheers