It took a lot of deliberation but I finally decided to walk over the bridge rather than up the estuary to Chester – life is too short. So, here we are in Shotton and on our way over the railway bridge, through the playing fields and up onto Hawarden Bridge.

Over the other side are the signposts to guide us onto the cycle path and the link with the English Coast Path.

We walk down leafy lanes for a while until the path widens, running past an area of industrial buildings – most of them owned by Toyoto.

Another encouraging signpost – but when will we arrive at the border?

Emerging unscathed from the intricacies of crossing the A548 we find ourselves walking through a wide stretch of marshland some of which is being used as a rifle range. There are no red flags flying, or any other way of knowing when we should duck so we carry on regardless.

…………………and finally we are here! The border between Wales and England, marked by two large boulders one on each side of the path. The Welsh Coast path is finished and we’re on our way up north to the Lakes and Hadrians Wall – all being well.

On we go through what I now discover is called Burton Marsh, an area of wetlands owned by the RSPB. Someone has provided a lovely boardwalk to get us through the muddy patches.

Beautiful bullrushes sway in the wind…..

At some point we walk past a sheep shearing station – I’m not quite sure if this is discarded fleece or intended for further processing but it looks pretty mucky. In my hippy days gone by, living in a “commune” in Norfolk, I actually owned a spinning wheel, carding and spinning the wool and even dying it with natural plant dyes to knit lumpy sweaters and hats for various boyfriends. This was women’s work – the boys rode classic motorbikes hmm………………..

We are now approaching Little Neston, the site of the Ness Collieries, which were in operation from 1759 to 1927. Information boards talk of tunnels running as much as two miles under the River Dee to haul coal deep under the estuary. Surviving records talk of 9 year olds working in the mines, hauling trucks or leading the pit ponies. Several children died including 10 year old Joseph Taylor who with his friend John Lewis, died when they fell out of the basket in which they were being lowered to their work down one of the colliery shafts. Heartbreaking stories.

At a place called Denhall Quay we pass the pub which was the local watering hole for the miners…………..

We are now heading for Neston station and I can see there is a footpath marked on the map which will take us there – we decide to ignore the signs that say the path is closed due to unsuitable surfaces.

But maybe we should have listened……………………..

Eventually, after encountering stretches of deep mud and dense foliage, we decide to turn back and retrace our steps back to a spot called Old Quay, where a more suitable path wends its way up to the town and railway station.

Distance: 7 miles