Denbigh Moors

Hafod Elwy Moor National Nature Reserve, located in the moorland above the town of Denbigh in Denbighshire, North Wales, is part of the Mynydd Hiraethog Site of Special Scientific Interest, formerly managed by the Countryside Council for Wales and now under the jurisdiction of Natural Resources Wales. Established in 1999, it comprises an 82-hectare (200-acre) patch of upland moor lying between the lakes of Llyn Brenig and Llyn Alwen. A conifer forest planted by the Forestry Commission borders the moor to the south and east.With plant life dominated by heather and bilberry, the reserve provides important habitat for ground-nesting birds. Birds found in the area include the Northern wheatear, and some black grouse. The reserve is classified as a Category IV site by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning that the area regularly needs active interventions to support particular species. Conservation efforts focus on increasing black grouse populations. In addition to these ground-nesting birds, the reserve is home to merlins and other small birds of prey such as peregrine falcons, kestrels, and hen harriers.The reserve is open to the public, but has no facilities; except for one bridle path, it is difficult to traverse on foot. The nearest roads are the A543 and the B4501, with access via the Brenig Visitor Centre off the B4501.The name "Hafod Elwy" references a hafod, or Welsh summer farmhouse. According to local folktales, captured in a ballad, Hafod Elwy was home to a man named Ffowc Owen in the 1770s, who could not marry his true love and froze to death on the moor. A memorial cairn for Owen is said to be present on the moor.

The Alwen Reservoir (Welsh: Cronfa Alwen) is a 5 kilometres (3 mi) long reservoir near Pentre-Llyn-Cymmer in Conwy County Borough, Wales.

Mwdwl-eithin (532 metres (1,745 ft)) is the highest point on the Denbigh Moors (Welsh: Mynydd Hiraethog) of North Wales. This gently rising mountain lies about 10 miles (16 km) east of Betws-y-Coed. On its summit is a trig point and a ruined building which still provides shelter against a storm. A few metres away is a large raised stone cairn. The whole area is underlain by Silurian mudstone which was extensively glaciated during the last British glaciation. The whole area is now very wet moorland dominated by heather (Calluna and Erica spp.) and rushes. Three of the surrounding valleys and depressions have been used for drinking water storage reservoirs, Llyn Alwen, Llyn Aled and Alwen Reservoir.

Llyn Aled is a lake on Mynydd Hiraethog in the Conwy County Borough. It is situated north of the A543 and 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) to the north-east of the village of Pentrefoelas. It is a natural lake; however, a dam was built at its northern outlet to increase its size. It has an area of 112.7 ares (1.127 ha) and is 1,227 feet (374 m) above sea level. One can reach the lake via the A543. There are a number of varieties of fish in the lake, including pike. The lake was used by the Llyn Aled Sailing Club (Clwb Hwylio Llyn Aled), but the club closed down due to a dwindling membership and the proximity of the much larger Llyn Brenig. The Clwydian Way runs along the north side of the lake. Llyn Aled feeds the Llyn Aled Isaf reservoir. The lake is also the source of the River Aled, which flows northward.

Llyn Brenig is a reservoir located on Denbigh Moors in North Wales. The artificial lake, which was constructed between 1973 and 1976, was created by building an embankment dam across the Afon Brenig valley. It lies at 1,200 ft (370 m) above sea level on the border between the counties of Conwy and Denbighshire. It is used to manage the flow in the River Dee as part of the River Dee regulation system. The reservoir's purpose is to protect the water supply for North West England and north-east Wales, particularly Liverpool and its surrounding area. Its surface area of 920 acres (3.7 km2) makes it the fourth largest lake in Wales, behind Bala Lake (Llyn Tegid), Llyn Trawsfynydd and Lake Vyrnwy.

Llyn Alwen is a small natural upland lake on Mynydd Hiraethog in Conwy County Borough, Wales at SH 898 565. It lies on the rolling Silurian moorland to the north-west of Mwdwl-eithin and about 10 km to the east of Betws y Coed. The discharge from the lake flows under the A543 road to form the headwater of Alwen Reservoir. The area was used as a special stage during the 2015 Wales Rally GB.

Colwyn was a local government district with borough status from 1974 to 1996, being one of six districts in the county of Clwyd, north-east Wales.

Llansannan is a rural village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. It lies on the bank of the River Aled and is about 8 miles to the south of Abergele and 9 miles (14 km) to the west of Denbigh. The population was 1,291 in 2001, with 67% able to speak Welsh. The figures for the 2011 census were: population 1,335 with 63% able to speak Welsh. The community includes the hamlets of Bylchau, Rhydgaled and Y Groes, and the lake Llyn Aled and reservoir Aled Isaf on Mynydd Hiraethog. Llansannan is in the traditional county of Denbighshire.

The Clocaenog Forest is in west Denbighshire and east Conwy, Wales on Mynydd Hiraethog. It takes its name from the village of Clocaenog, near Ruthin.

Nantglyn is a small village and community in Denbighshire, Wales. The population of the community taken at the 2011 census was 323. It is situated in a rural location about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) away from the nearest town, Denbigh. Nantglyn is located on a small river, the Lliwen. This river and its parent, the Afon Ystrad, provided the water to power several corn and fulling mills in the parish. According to tradition, a monastery was founded here by Mordeyrn, grandson of Cunedda Wledig. The community includes Cader.

Pentrefoelas is a village and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales. The village lies on the A5 road between Betws-y-Coed to the west and Cerrigydrudion to the east. The Afon Merddwr river, a tributary of the River Conwy, flows through it. The community had a population of 356 at the time of the 2011 census, 70% were able to speak Welsh. It has an area of 53.86 km2 and covers a large region around the village including part of Mynydd Hiraethog, Llyn Alwen and part of Alwen Reservoir. It is in the electoral ward of Llangernyw. The community includes the small settlement of Rhydlydan. The name of the village comes from pentre (Welsh for "village") and a nearby hill, Foel Las ("green bare-topped hill"). The hill is the site of a motte built around 1164 in the time of Owain Gwynedd. Old Voelas House (or Plas Foel Las), mansion of the Wynne family, was built at the foot of the hill in 1545. It was demolished in 1819 and a new site was established two kilometres to the west. The current Voelas Hall was built in 1961 and was designed by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis.Other buildings around the village include: Plas Iolyn, home to Rhys Fawr ap Maredudd, his son Robert ap Rhys (the chaplain to Cardinal Wolsey), his grandson the 16th-century MP Elis Prys (known as Dr Coch and notorious for his oppression of the district) and his great-grandson, the poet Tomos Prys. It is now a farmhouse. Gilar, built in the 16th century for the poet Rhys Wyn ap Cadwaladr (fl. c. 1600), perhaps by his father Cadwaladr ap Maurice after receiving a substantial grant of land from Henry VIII in 1545–1546, which included the land later occupied by Plas Iolyn and Old Voelas House. The village had a chapelry of Ysbyty Ifan built in 1766 and known as Voelas Chapel. The Parish Church was built on the same site in 1857–1859. The Pentrefoelas watermill (Melin Voelas) for grinding flour dates from 1815 and was restored by Clwyd County Council as part of a heritage scheme. The ironwork for the external overshot waterwheel was originally cast by the Llanrwst Foundry probably sometime in the 19th century

Gwytherin is a village in Conwy county borough, Wales. It lies in a small valley through which the River Cledwen flows and has been winner of 'Best Kept Village' on four occasions. Its church is dedicated to Saint Winefrid (Welsh: Gwenfrewy gwenfrewi; Medieval Latin: Winefrida). In the centre of the village opposite the Lion Inn is the Church of St Winifred which was built and dedicated to her in 1869. The church is believed to have originated in the mid-600s CE up by Prince Eleri who then went on to set up a double monastery in the village. He was the Abbot to the monks, and his cousin's daughter, St. Gwenffrewi, was the Abbess to the nuns. In the churchyard are three ancient yew trees and a row of four ancient standing stones approximately one metre high and aligned roughly east to west. The first stone carries a carving and what appears to be a 'W'. The church is one of the major places visited on the North Wales Pilgrims Way.