Pennant Walk 3 - Distance 6m (max), allow half a day
Downing
[Start Point OS Ref: 147782]
Start: In Whitford Village, park at roadside by church or possibly in now redundant village pub carpark and opposite church at crossroads proceed down Upper Downing Road.
Enter drive through gates and proceed down drive to right turn just before gate to Upper Downing (Downing Uchaf) through kissing gate.
Down track (muddy at times) over stream (1) and up beside mews building to T junction. Turn left down a broad pathway and note the ruins of Downing Hall on your left. (2)
Proceed down the original main route from Downing to the main road and sea.
Notice the Giant Redwoods on either side of track just before the Gates.
Footpath to kissing gate on left of drive at bottom lodge. (3)
Exit kissing-gate onto road and turn right. Walk to T-junction 25 yds and turn left past ‘Frog’ sign and up hill past Fisheries.
At the top of the hill turn right onto Mertyn Downing Lane at Bryn Oer Cottage.(4)
Walk on past Mertyn Downing, the home farm of the Downing Estate, a Grade 2 listed building dating from the English Civil War, and turn left just beyond a small copse.(5)
Go through Kennels farm gate; through iron gate and along fence in big field named Cae Gwar with magnificent views to the left.
Over stile at end of field. Turn left along hedge 50 yards to iron gate, with evidence of old stile overgrown on left.
[For short-cut down to road turn left through narrow gap and keep left along overgrown fence until stile. Over, turn right and go straight downhill to right of farmhouse for bridge and public footpath sign. Turn right down road to T at coast road]
Turn right at iron gate and follow fence to stile (Possibly better alternative, go through iron gate and turn right along fence – access easier)
At stile, walk joins Kinsale Golf Club at broad track from right – follow track past house on left across golf course. Over stile at end of golf course and turn left down steep wooded path to metal gate with view to sea and end of the Wirral with Kinsale Hall ( now a school) on your left. (6)
[Short cut (14) – down main drive to road, and a) turn right and at T junction with main road, turn right and look for footpath on left of stream to old steamer and the sea, or b) turn left along road and left at (12)]
After 15m turn right; stile with TP marker and cross field. On left of large holly bush, over stile and footbridge.(7) Turn left and follow the hedgerow round to a stile on left of gateway. Follow track across field and straight down through trees to main road.(A548)Stile on left.(8)
Turn left along road. View on right of old steamer ‘Duke of Lancaster’ and SOLITAIRE in concrete at market carpark; The Old Tavern Inn (9) and small shop on right. (Other possible refreshment facilities in Abakhan buildings.)
After the pub, look on right for stream and Public Footpath sign. Take path on left of stream towards the ship, under low bridge (wet when tide is high).(10)
Turn left and follow raised footpath to the sea. Turn left along the seashore towards Mostyn docks.
Turn left inland (11) over the railway bridge towards main road and Mostyn church.
At the main road, cross and turn left, taking the next road right up to Christchurch Mostyn. Follow the path behind the church and soon turn sharp right up a steep path with a handrail leading to the village of Maes Pennant.
Cross the road and go through the gate to path through beautiful meadows (once the grand approach to Downing Hall).(12) Keep straight uphill until you emerge at the bottom lodge of Downing Estate.(13)(3)
Now retrace your steps up the grand approach and right at Downing Hall ruins back to Whitford village.
Click here to download a copy of this walk.
Click here to download an abbreviated Walk 3 for families (July 2012). It’s shorter, mostly downhill and has refreshment stops and activities for the kids.
Credits:-
- Original Walk by John Clark
- Last updated by: Ryan Jenner 23/09/2010
- Photos: Norman Closs-Parry
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