Wales Coast Path terminus, Deeside
Wales Coast Path terminus, Deeside
Depending on your direction of travel, this is the start or finish of the Wales Coast Path. For long-distance walkers, this spot represents either the thrilling challenge ahead of walking 1,400km (870 miles) around the magnificent coastline of Wales, or the culmination of a wonderful coastal journey.
The path’s terminus is flanked by two standing stones of Halkyn marble, which is actually a type of limestone but has long been known as “marble” because it can be worked and polished in the same way as genuine marble. The limestone contains fossilised crinoids, which look like plants but are animals related to starfish.
Halkyn (about 10km north west of here) has a long history of quarrying. Tunnels where some rock was mined were used in the Second World War to store explosives, including bouncing bombs – the type which enabled the “dambusters” to destroy German reservoirs in 1943.
Near the standing stones is a third rock. This is Pennant sandstone from the Chepstow area. It was exchanged for the piece of Halkyn marble which you’ll see on display at the southern terminus if you walk to the far end of the Wales Coast Path!
As you walk the path, look out for HistoryPoints QR codes to scan with your smartphone at hundreds of places of interest. Use the navigation icon below to discover the next featured location along the path.
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