Clwydian Range

The Clwydian Range is a series of hills in the north-east of Wales that runs from Llandegla in the south to Prestatyn in the north; the highest point is Moel Famau. The range forms the north-western part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Geology

The Clwydian Hills are formed from an upstanding block of deep sea sediments formed during the Silurian period as debris slurries originating on the nearby continental shelf. The older mudstones and siltstones of the Nantglyn Flags Formation form parts of the west-facing scarp slope and the overlying Elwy Formation, which consists of mudstones and siltstones deposited in deep marine conditions with numerous sandstone beds, forms most of the higher ground. Both formations are of Ludlovian age. The range's rocks are intensely faulted; the major Vale of Clwyd Fault is responsible for the impressive west-facing scarp of the Clwydian Range. It downthrows the rocks to the west and separates the younger Carboniferous and Permo-Triassic rocks of the Vale of Clwyd from those of the hills.
Ice from the Welsh ice-sheet moved eastwards over the Clwydian Hills during the last ice age, impinging on the Irish Sea Ice to the east of the range. Numerous glacial meltwater channels occur around the range whilst the valley of the River Wheeler which cuts the range in two was a significant drainage channel.

Geography

The hills in the Clwydian Range provide extensive views across northern Wales, to the high peaks of Snowdonia, eastwards across the Cheshire Plain to the Peak District, and towards Manchester and Liverpool in England to the northeast. The Offa's Dyke National Trail traverses the range's high ground from Llandegla to Prestatyn.
Image:Moel Arthur, Sir Ddinbych 02.JPG|thumb|right|Moel Arthur from Moel Llys-y-Coed
The hills, which are mainly heather-clad upland above pastures, have six Iron Age hillforts including Y Foel, Moel-y-gaer, Penycloddiau, Moel Arthur, a second Moel y Gaer and Foel Fenlli. There are several tumuli and cairns on the hills.

Summits

#	Peak	Elevation	Grid reference
1	Bryn Coed yr Esgob	211
2	Moel Hiraddug	265
3	Mynydd y Cwm	300
4	Moel Maenefa	290
5	Moel y Gaer	206
6	Moel y Parc	398
7	Penycloddiau	440
8	Moel Plas-yw	420
9	Moel Arthur	456
10	Moel Llys-y-coed	465
11	Moel Dywyll	475
12	Moel Famau	554
13	Moel y Gaer	339
14	Moel Fenlli	511
15	Moel Eithinen	434
16	Gyrn	384
17	Moel Gyw	467
18	Moel Llanfair	447
19	Moel y Plâs	440
20	Moel y Gelli	361
21	Moel y Waun	412
22	Moel yr Acre	400

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The Clwydian Range was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1985, one of only five in Wales. The original area was, but in 2011 the area was extended southwards by a further to include the Dee Valley, Moel y Gamelin, the Horseshoe Pass and Castell Dinas Bran, the towns of Llangollen and Corwen, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Chirk Castle and Valle Crucis Abbey.
The AONB now extends to.
A wide range of wildlife thrives in the range, including red kites and red foxes, which both prey on rabbits and voles. There is also one of the few Welsh populations of black grouse and there is a project to conserve the European water vole, which is suffering a large decline in numbers across the United Kingdom. Another project is trying to get rid of the non-native Himalayan balsam which has invaded the Alyn Valley area.

Recreation

The Offa's Dyke Path follows the Clwydian Range, although Offa's Dyke itself was not constructed on it. The Clwydian Way long distance footpath passes through the Clwydian Range, and the North Wales Path follows the foot of the scarp between Prestatyn and Dyserth.