The Alyn Gorge is a

gorge A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...

section of the

River Alyn The River Alyn ( cy, Afon Alun) is a tributary of the River Dee, in north-east Wales. The River Alyn rises at the southern end of the Clwydian hills and the Alyn Valley forms part of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Nat ...

north between Loggerheads and

Rhydymwyn Rhydymwyn (the name in Welsh means 'Ford of the Ore' and takes its placename from the ford across the River Alyn now replaced by a small iron bridge) is a village in Flintshire, Wales, located in the upper Alyn valley. Once a district of Mold, it ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

. The west side of the valley rises gently to

Moel Famau Moel Famau is the highest hill in the Clwydian Range and the highest point (county top) of the county of Flintshire in Wales (both the historic county and the current council area). It lies on the boundary between Denbighshire and Flintshire. ...

, while the east bank is along parts a cliff with evidence of tram lines and old quarry workings. The path along the edge of the gorge is well maintained, with metal bridges and barriers across sites which are popular with climbers. The character of the gorge changes at

Cilcain Cilcain is a village and community, near Mold in Flintshire, north-east Wales. The village has an industrial history and includes the Millennium Woods, a post office, a public house, a parish church, a primary school (Ysgol y Foel) and a village ...

where a small bridge crosses the watercourse at . The water sinks into the river bed a hundred metres north from this place and enters the

cave A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word ''cave'' can refer to smaller openings such as sea ...

Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau Ogof Hen Ffynhonnau (sometimes known in English as Poacher's Cave) lies in the Alyn Gorge in Flintshire, Wales close to Ogof Hesp Alyn. It was discovered in 1978 after excavation allowed access to Dyer's Adit. Being below a dry river bed, the ...

and

Ogof Hesp Alyn Ogof Hesp Alyn (Welsh for: ''Dry Alyn Cave'') was discovered by North Wales Caving Club in 1973 in the Alyn Gorge near Cilcain, Flintshire, Wales. Reaching the end of the cave is a serious commitment involving 24 pitches and the draining of tw ...

, which were discovered in the 1970s after the watertable had changed due to the mine-workings earlier in the century. High on the east bank near these two entrances is the small cave of

Ogof Nadolig Ogof Nadolig is a cave in the Alyn Gorge near Cilcain, Flintshire, Wales. It is mostly crawling, long, and ends with a shaft up to the surface and a locked manhole cover. Nearby, but closer to the river, are the caves Ogof Hesp Alyn and Ogof H ...

. The Alyn Gorge and caves have been designated as a

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle of ...

(SSSI)

References

Canyons and gorges of Denbighshire Canyons and gorges of Flintshire {{Flintshire-geo-stub