Rural Walks in Flintshire (pdf) - Flintshire County Council

15GreenfieldValleyA Medieval abbey, 19th century millsand a Victorian farmDistance: 4 km / 2.5 milesTime: 1 – 1.5 hrsParking and start: Greenfield Valley car park (SJ194774)on the B5121Grade: Easy, little climbing, good surfacesTen Minute Walk: Good surfaces with opportunity togo further if desiredFacilities: Greenfield toilets, tea rooms and museumopen April to October. Walks open all yearLivestock: NoneFurther info: Trail leaflet and information at VisitorCentre or shop (01352 714172)NB: Less rural than other walksAbaty o'r Oesoedd Canol, melinau o'r19eg ganrif a fferm o oes FictoriaPellter: 4 km / 2.5 milltirAmser: 1 – 1.5 awrParcio a man cychwyn: Maes parcio Dyffryn Maesglas(SJ194774) ar y ffordd B5121Graddfa: Hawdd, ychydig o ddringo, wyneb daTaith gerdded 10 munud: Llwybrau da a chyfle i fyndymhellachCyfleusterau: Caffi, canolfan gwybodaeth a siop, toiledauDa byw: DimRhagor o wybodaeth: Toiledau, caffi ac amgueddfa aragor rhwng mis Ebrill a mis Hydref. Llwybrau cerdded aragor drwy’r flwyddynD.S.: Llai gwledig na'r teithiau cerdded eraill50www.borderlands.co.ukAttractions for everyone in FlintshireLower Cotton MillMelin Gotwm IsafThe Walk1. From B5121 car park follow path signedAbbey Farm Museum.The car park was the site of a copper works wheresheets of copper were rolled to make cladding forships to protect their wooden hulls from parasiteattack. The pool that powered its wheel is allthat remains.At path junction, with Farm Museum ahead,turn R passing old school and EnvironmentCentre. Bear L uphill along lane.On the R is the pit for the waterwheel that poweredthe machinery for Abbey Mill that produced copperand brass wire for making nails and pins.2. Follow lane then take next R down steps andcross bridge to the Lower Cotton Mill site.The large rectangular ruin is all that remains ofthe six storey cotton mill built here in just 10weeks in 1785. The Cotton Twist Companyemployed up to 300 apprentices, many of themunder 10 years old. The cotton mill closed in 1840but it reopened as a corn mill in 1850, producingflour until the early 1900's.Continue around RHS of old mill then turn Lbefore iron gates to continue around back ofthe mill. Cross mill stream and go up steps. TurnR to rejoin lane. Where lane bears L by Flour MillPool reservoir, branch R keeping alongsidereservoir. At sculpted metal gates, bear R tomore ruins. Near reservoir overflow aboveMeadow Mill ruins, bear L up steps. Partwayup turn R onto metal walkway across reservoir.Then turn L up steps to car park.Meadow Mill was built in 1787 to manufacturecopper rollers for printing patterns onto cloth.Three enormous waterwheels, 20 feet in diameter,provided the power for the copper rollingmachinery. The buildings you see today date fromthe 1800s when there was a rubber grinding worksand tin plate works on site.3. Cross car park heading towards entrance,but turn L through metal KG before road. Passremains of clock tower on R then, after 10m,go R at path fork, past remains of the Batteryworks. Continue around RHS of Battery Pool.Where path forks again go L across top of poolto come out in Royal Oak car park.The Battery Works have a poignant history.Established in 1776, they employed local people toshape pots and pans. The products were made by'battering' sheets of copper and brass with largehammers. The goods were exported from Liverpoolto Africa and used to buy slaves who were thentaken to America to work in the cotton fields.The cotton was then brought back for processing,ensuring that the ships always had a full cargo.