Colabe one

Slow Way not verified yet. Verify Colabe here.

A good route along the coast, although the start is a bit weird. Starting at Colwyn Bay station, we turn left onto a road that runs alongside the always busy A55 which becomes a good tarmac footpath, and for some reason we ignore the arch under the railway to the promenade and we continue up the footpath and join the road, crossing the slip-roads and in to Colwyn Bay. Turning onto a residential road and turning past schools, we find a footpath running downhill through trees. Following it beneath the road and rail bridges, we finally reach the promenade and begin our march east to Abergele.

It's a straightforward route from here: a continuous coastal walk along a tarmac or concrete path. At Colwyn, we start alongside a road, but that soon narrows into a path hugging the coast, with either the railway or road on our right. Despite the closeness of busy infrastructure, it can be peaceful walk. There is a slight climb and descent as we get to a jetty serving a quarry, and again as we walk up towards the A55 before dropping down down onto the coastal path once more. A mixture of grass, scrub, massive concrete coastal defences and groynes accompany us along the way.

From Llanddulas we find ourselves walking alongside pebbly car parks and caravan parks, the route becoming either unpaved drive or tarmac footpath, distant Gwrych Castle watching us from the hills above Abergele. Eventually we pass the car parks and shops of the Abergele beach, and then past the station. Around the roundabout and under the bridge, we enter Pentre Mawr Park for a short while on its tarmac paths and road, before heading down the main road. We then take a couple of steps up on the right to access a footpath running through the churchyard, passing the lovely old church, and out onto the main road with shops and the little bus station, and the end of end of the route.

Apart from the strange wobble at the start, a good route making the most of a good coastal path.

Almost a very good route, let down a little by the plotting of the route out of Colwyn Bay (you can't take that straight line across the A55) and unnecessary detours at each end. I walked 90% of it but used the shorter COLABE 2 routes out of Colwyn Bay and into Abergele. I will add a more detailed review with pictures there.

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