A Grade B ride (because of the distance + one quite big hill) of just under 48 miles starting from outside Hooton Station and travelling up to Halkyn Mountain via Willaston, Burton, and Hawarden Bridge, then up through Shotton, Ewloe and Buckley, where there is a stop for a break by the common, before pressing on to Halkyn and then descending through Holywell and the Greenfield Valley for lunch at Basingwerk Abbey in Greenfield. Then back to Hooton along mostly flat roads through Bagillt, Flint, Connah’s Quay and Capenhurst. Here is the route on Komoot: Hooton to Basingwerk Abbey via Halkyn Mountain. Note that there are potential escapes to railway stations at Flint after 32 miles, Hawarden Bridge after 38 miles, or Capenhurst after 44 miles.
There is a very nice cafe (the Bake House) at Basingwerk Abbey and plenty of places to sit outside by the abbey to eat your own sandwiches.
There is one big hill in two sections of 500ft/150m each. The break for a snack and a drink is between the two sections. And there is a section in Flint (between Henry Taylor Street and Trelawny Avenue) where we will walk for 120 yards the wrong way down a one-way street because that route gives a nice view of the Estuary beforehand and avoids having to ride along the busy A548 through Flint.
48 miles, Grade B
Created by John Hampson