Wrexham County Borough 91- a walk down Alyn Waters/the Park Wall , the quarry and the landfill site

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As we drove I found myself telling Glenn all about the Park Wall and the country park that now filled the space between Gwersyllt, Bradley and Llay. It was not always a country park . I had less than fond memories of walks from my home village along the park wall to Cefn Y Bedd . I thought it was never ending . A high wall I could not see over . If I were lucky I would only have to walk along part of its length . Some days thought my gran made me walk from Gwersyllt to Bradley where the wall was lower . I still don't remember what was the other side of the wall . It seemed mysterious. I later found out that it was the wall that surrounded the old Gwersyllt Hall . No doubt my gran remembered the old hall . It was only demolished in 1910.

So why had we ended up in Gwersyllt . Today was one of those days . It felt cooler than it had felt for a number of days . A week ago we were sweltering under extremely high temperatures . Our windows were thrown open in the morning to let in as much cool air as possible before the heat built up. Then the blinds were closed to keep the warmth out . The days have started to feel shorter and the nights are longer. At times it is beginning to feel Autumnal . Even the trees are starting to change colour . The rowans are full of orange berries which are sure signs that Autumn is on its way.

Why did we end up at Alyn Waters ? We had a plan . We needed an International Driving Permit and wanted to find a quiet Post Office to get one . The main one in town felt as if it would be heaving . We picked Gwersyllt and hoped it would be quiet . There was ample parking and it seemed a much easier option . We needed the permit for Turkey as they do not accept our normal driving licences . They are cheap £5.50 for a licence that last five years . We hunted out a photograph and hoped it still looked up to date . We picked up the driving licence and headed in . With no ado the lady behind the counter said we needed the 1968 convention one and started to fill it in . She filled in names and the date of issue . She stamped all the right places and stuck the photograph in the back . Before we knew it we were out clutching the permit in our hands . One more job done and just a few more left to do before we go on holiday . Another step closer to Turkey . Or so we thought . But more of that later . For today we are still on target for Turkey . That is once the MAXXAIR fan is fitted and working .

Our short drive from the Post office took us along the Park Wall to Alyn Waters Country Park . The Park Wall still stretches for miles . From Cefn y Bedd down the Mold Road to Gwersyllt . From Gwersyllt done to Bradley .. A large wall to keep the neighbours out . So what was over that wall . McAlpines the road builders bought the land and quarried it leaving a large hole . That hole eventually was filled in by the local council who used it as a landfill site . I remember the seagulls that spent time flying over the refuse . That too had long gone . The ground repurposed and capped with soil, grass and dotted with vents that worked to release the methane gas produced by the decomposition of the refuse materials . Perhaps they should use the methane to heat something locally . The local swimming pool, local houses . An answer to global warming perhaps

We drove down the long drive to reach the parking area. What a good place this would be for motorhomes to overnight we thought . Charge £10 a night , There is a cafe on site serving drinks and light lunches . A toilet and playgrounds for the kids . The car park cost us £1 for the whole day . It was possible to pay by cash, card , on the Just park app or by buying a season ticket which allowed access for a year to this site and to Nant Mill in Coedpoeth . The cafe was small and well thought out . Coffee was fine and the choice of food basic but good . The young lady serving us apologised . She had overfilled the small espresso cup and a lot of it had spilled into the saucer . She offered to bring me another one . I declined . I was not worried about a bit of spilt coffee .

Our walk took us down to the river Alyn . We stuck to the main paths as the rest were not very clearly signposted . The walks were busy in parts . It is the school holidays and families were out with the children enjoying the playgrounds and paddling in the river . It took me back to childhood . We walked amongst the native oaks and the brown ferns . The Rose Bay Willow herb pink stood out amongst the Autumnal colours . The river was clean apart from one culvert where the stones were stained a copper colour . We ended up in a much quieter part of the woodland . A crossroads took us to the main road back to Bradley or across following the river to the golf driving range . So many paths to walk . I did not recognise where we walked as the river I knew was much wider and further down stream . A river with fishes in it . A river with pebbled banks . A river that produced some kind of electricity in the 50's . A river bank where I used to go skimming stones .

The walk back was uphill . We seemed to walk forever . Going back took longer than walking down to the river . The fields opened out and we could see Hope Mountain and the vents in the landfill site so we knew we were on the right track to get back to the cafe . People passed us . Ladies with their dogs . Mums with prams . We stopped to check the way home talking to an elderly pair of ladies . Keep the sun on your right shoulder one said . Apparently her father always told her that . My gran always told me keep following my nose if I wanted to get home .

The last part of our walk was along the edge of the valley with sculptures dotted around . One a metal display of flower heads, a frog , a couple of newts . Birds of varying types that probably lived in the Alyn Valley . Round balls that looked like musket balls . They made us think . They made us stop and admire them . They made us talk about them .

So all in all the trip to the Alyn Valley had served many purposes . A walk in the sunshine , a bit of exercise , a time to think and to chat . An opportunity to speak to others and have a coffee . The chance to get that all important International Driving Permit . So yes a journey more home than away but a good one . To the next one wherever that might be .

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