The centre of the traditional Welsh market town of Holywell has changed little since Victorian days, containing more than 60 listed buildings and every Thursday and Saturday hosts popular open-air markets.

Holywell, the “Lourdes of Wales”, takes its name from world-famous St Winefride’s Well, one of the Seven Wonders of Wales. Henry V walked here from Shrewsbury to give thanks for his victory at Agincourt and it was rebuilt in its present magnificent form around 1500 by Margaret Beaufort.

Take some time to visit the well, it's well worth a visit.

A little further down the B5121 is 70-acre Greenfield Valley Heritage Park, where you will find the remains of 18th century mills for spinning cotton, drawing wire, rolling copper and forming metal. There are also five lakes teeming with bird life, meandering woodland walks, a visitor centre, museum and farm.

More ancient still is Basingwerk Abbey, founded in 1132 and for 400 years home to Cistercian monks. Joining the A548 coast road, you travel for a short distance alongside the Dee Estuary before heading inland through the country lanes near Mostyn. The two families that made their mark here are the Pennants and Mostyns. Thomas Pennant, born in Whitford in 1726, was the greatest Welsh travel writer of his day, while the Mostyn line includes Vice Admiral Savage Mostyn (1712-1757), who introduced the uniform into the navy.

At Leisure Tour Sign 20, it’s well worth a detour left to the pretty village of Whitford with its church built of sandstone from nearby Gwespyr.

At Leisure Tour Sign 21, standing alone in a field beside the road, is mysterious Maen Achwyfan, one of the very finest early British sculptured stone crosses.

Curving back towards the coast, you pass Trelogan, where famous Welsh tenor David Lloyd was born, and the tiny village of Glan Yr Afon, boyhood home of the Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams.

At Leisure Tour Sign 28, consider a detour right to the Gronant and Talacre Dunes Site of Special Scientific Interest, home of rare natterjack toads and little tern - also take a little time out at Talacre beach.

From Gwespyr, you rise steeply inland to finish in lovely Llanasa.

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