 Gronant Dunes Coastline
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Prestatyn is surrounded by some magnificent countryside - the coast of North Denbighshire offers gorse covered hillsides, sweeping beaches and delicate sand dunes. The town is also an ideal base from which to discover the Snowdonia National Park.
Enjoying the Countryside
There is an abundance of walks and cycle rides in and around Prestatyn. Further information on walks, rambling and cycling in the area is given on the Sports Activities page. Also, a number of leaflets are available for free, or to purchase, at Tourist Information Centres. These include: The North Wales Path from Bangor to Prestatyn, Prestatyn Hillside Wildlife Walks, Prestatyn to Dyserth Way, Gwaenysgor - Trelawnyd - Golden Grove - Prestatyn Hillside - Gwaenysgor - Graig Fawr. The extensive network of footpaths around the area (shown on the Ordnance Survey Landranger Map 116 [1:50,000] and the Ordnance Survey Pathfinder Maps 737 and 755 [1:25,000]) provide an ideal way to explore the countryside. Also, for a guide to days out in beautiful countryside within an hour's drive from Chester, please visit fresh-air.info.
Countryside Service
Denbighshire County Council has a Countryside Service Team who organise a programme of projects designed to protect and enhance the countryside and heritage of our County and increase our understanding and enjoyment of it.
They work across the County providing free advice and practical help on issues relating to access, land management, heritage and nature conservation. They actively encourage the involvement of individual volunteers and community groups in the management of their own environment. They provide opportunities for people to get out and experience the countryside and understand it as a living, working environment.
The Countryside Service are also responsible for managing countryside and heritage sites owned by the County Council. In Prestatyn, these include:
Gronant Dunes Coastline
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Countryside Manager
Tony Hughes, Head of Countryside & Leisure Services - Tel.: (01824) 708260; E-mail: tony.hughes@denbighshire.gov.uk
Warden Service
Howard Sutcliffe, Principal Countryside Officer - Tel.: (01352) 810614; E-mail: howard.sutcliffe@denbighshire.gov.uk
David Shiel, Senior Countryside Warden, Clwydian Range AONB - Tel.: (01352) 810614; E-mail: david.shiel@denbighshire.gov.uk
Garry Davies, Senior Countryside Warden, North Denbighshire - Tel.: (01745) 356197; E-mail: garry.davies@denbighshire.gov.uk
Archaeology
Fiona Gale, County Archaeologist - Tel.: (01824) 708262; E-mail: fiona.gale@denbighshire.gov.uk
Wildlife, Nature & Habitat Conservation
Moira Young, County Ecologist - Tel.: (01824) 708263; E-mail: moira.young@denbighshire.gov.uk
Forestry & Woodlands
Trefor Thompson, Principal Countryside Officer - Tel.: (01824) 708264; E-mail: trefor.thompson@denbighshire.gov.uk
Coed Cymru - promotes the use, protection and enhancement of broadleaved woodlands
Mike Hughes, Coed Cymru Officer - Tel.: (01824) 708265; E-mail: mike.hughes@denbighshire.gov.uk
Visitor Services
Huw Rees, Principal Countryside Officer - Tel.: (01352) 810614; E-mail: huw.rees@denbighshire.gov.uk
Vanessa Cooke, Countryside Officer - Tel.: (01352) 810614; E-mail: vanessa.cooke@denbighshire.gov.uk
Tourist Information, Offa's Dyke Centre - Tel.: (01745) 888021
Denbighshire Countryside Service is part of Culture & Leisure/Lifelong Learning, Denbighshire County Council. The Countryside Council for Wales supports and grant aids the staff and work of Denbighshire Countryside Service.
The Clwydian Range AONB
The Clwydian Range is a chain of hills between the Vale of Clwyd and the Dee Estuary. The 22 mile ridge extends from Prestatyn in the North to Llandegla in the South and covers an area of 64 square miles. The AONB contains wonderfully contrasting scenery with a mix of moorland, limestone crags, woodland and rolling farmland. Approximately 26 miles of the Offa's Dyke National Trail passes through the area.
The Clwydian Hills reach heights of over 1800ft (550m). Moel Hiraddug was the northernmost of a line of hillforts which once crowned peaks of the range, many of which still provide a spectacular sight. One and a half miles east of Graig Fawr is the massive Bronze Age burial mound on Gop Hill, the largest prehistoric cairn in Wales, which can easily be reached from Trelawnyd (Newmarket).
The Range has always been recognised as an area of high landscape value. In 1985 this was formally recognised with the designation of the area as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The AONB imposes few restrictions on those people living and working within the area. It provides a framework for balancing the needs of its various users.
Denbighshire Countryside Service carries out many projects and management tasks within the AONB, on behalf of Denbighshire County Council's partnership with Flintshire County Council and the Countryside Council for Wales. The majority of land within the AONB is privately owned. Projects go ahead with the cooperation of the landowner. Environmental education, linked to the National Curriculum, and aimed at primary schools is provided by the Countryside Service. The Service also manages a team of trained local volunteers. They provide essential help and give local people the chance to learn new skills and be involved in the management of their own environment. Further information on volunteer activities can be found below.
Additional information on the Clwydian Range AONB is available on the Countryside Agency and Denbighshire Countryside Service websites.
Clwydian Ranger Bus Service
The Clwydian Ranger is a network of Summer Sunday and Bank Holiday scenic, recreational bus services to and within the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is designed to offer car-free access to this lovely area of countryside from July through until September. The Ranger network allows local people and visitors from Prestatyn and other areas to enjoy a day out in the countryside without a car, or to park at Prestatyn, catch one of the buses to an outward point on a trail, including Offa's Dyke, and walk back without having to retrace one's steps.
A ticket for a full day's travel for an adult costs only £3.00 (concessions available for children, senior citizens and families), offering travel throughout the picturesque Clwydian Range AONB, or even over the spectacular Horseshoe Pass to Valle Crucis, and the popular town of Llangollen.
Services from Prestatyn include the Green Line to Denbigh, Llyn Brenig, Bala, Corwen and Llangollen (with connections to Dolgellau and Barmouth) and the Blue Line to Denbigh, Ruthin, Loggerheads Country Park, the Horseshoe Pass and Llangollen. Connections to other Clwydian Ranger Services are available at Loggerheads. New this year is a Coast Rider service from Prestatyn to Bodfari, Mold and Wrexham. This offers early and late journeys, allowing a longer day for walkers on the Clwydian Hills and Offa's Dyke Path. A number of Clwydian Ranger journeys will normally be operated by a vehicle fitted with a rack to carry up to two cycles (for no extra charge). If you would like to make use of this, it is best to book ahead by ringing (01978) 753598 during office hours to secure a place.
For full details of the Clwydian Ranger service, you can view the 2003 leaflet in PDF format (you will require Adobe Acrobat Reader to do this). This year, the service is running between 6th July and 28th September. Information is also available on Flintshire County Council's TravelWeb Clwydian Ranger section, or alternatively you can contact Denbighshire's Public Transport Group on (01824) 706968.
Voluntary Countryside Work
Denbighshire Countryside Service Volunteers
Denbighshire Countryside Service Volunteers are affiliated to the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers, the UK's leading practical conservation charity, which carries out over 1,000 volunteer days per year. You can access the latest Denbighshire Practical Tasks Programme for details of what is planned by the Countryside Service Volunteers in the coming months. If you feel that you can spare some time to help but cannot make the dates advertised in the programme, please contact one of the Wardens listed under "Countryside Service" above. Also, if you are a keen walker and would like to help improve the local footpath and bridleway network, why not spend a day with Denbighshire's Rights of Way Warden? For further information on this, contact the AONB Warden.
Marine Conservation Society Volunteer Projects
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is the UK Charity dedicated to protecting the marine environment and its wildlife. The society organises volunteer clean-ups and surveys around the country, including the annual Beachwatch in September.
National Aquatic Litter Group Projects
The National Aquatic Litter Group brings over 30 organisations together to tackle litter in the aquatic environment. One member organisation is the Environment Agency, which has established the BeachBeat survey for volunteers.
Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS) Projects
ENCAMS (formerly the Tidy Britain Group) is an environmental charity, which aims to achieve litter free and sustainable environments by working with community groups, local authorities, businesses and other partners. The group organises volunteer litter picks around the country. To find out more, please visit the ENCAMS Website.
  
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Virtual Prestatyn Website Prestatyn Business Association, Tai Tywyn Business Centre, Sandy Lane, Prestatyn, LL19 7SF, UK. Tel. +44 (0)1745 887755 Fax +44 (0)1745 889704 E-mail mail@prestatyn.org.uk | |||
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