The unmistakable Jubilee Tower (pictured) sat atop the summit of Moel Famau is to undergo refurbishment works it has been announced.

Flintshire and Denbighshire County Councils are working together to develop a programme of work to reconsolidate parts of the Jubilee Tower as some areas of the tower are beginning to deteriorate and access onto the tower has become increasingly difficult.

The Jubilee Tower was last repaired in 1969, but since then it has received very little attention – despite being one of the most visited spots in both counties – getting over 200,000 visitors every year. The Jubilee Tower celebrated its 200th birthday in October, 2010.

In 2009 Flintshire and Denbighshire Councils with support from the Clwydian Range AONB commissioned specialist conservation architects TACP to examine the condition of the building and to make recommendations for its repair and reconsolidation. Now, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Heather and Hillforts Project, work can begin to take place.

It is hoped that one of the original corner bastions can be revealed – probably for the first time in over 100 years. The original base of the tower has been covered up as parts of the tower collapsed over the years. A preliminary excavation last year showed that at least one of these bastions is still intact and work will start in the next few weeks to reveal it.

Over the next few weeks the tower will be shrouded in scaffolding as the repairs get underway – but there will be opportunities to look closely at what is happening with a series of guided visits to the site. The work is anticipated to last until the end of May.

Image source: http://www.flintshire.gov.uk/

I happened to find out this morning that there’s a race horse named Moel Famau.

Pictured (source) is the 3 year old filly that is trained by acclaimed race horse trainer Nicky Henderson. I don’t know a jot about race horses but she looks like a thoroughbred to me! I wonder how the syndicate that owns the horse picked the name?

It seems the horse will participate in National Hunt races …but won’t have to jump over anything quite so high as Moel Famau!

Here’s a great image from flickr user Ministry capturing a firework being launched from the summit of Moel Famau on New Year’s Eve. Click the image or click here to see a larger version of the photo along with a narrative about the event.

Did you go to the event …what did you think? Feel free to leave a comment below.

Moel Famau walker Kevin Boyce writes:

Have not been to Moel Famau in years, but a day out today from Merseyside with springers. Can I comment on hard work of the couple doing the dry stone wall rebuilding work, still along way to top. real skill in windy cold mist. Still time to smile and say hello. A better view than my office. Top people keep the faith. Great walk today, finished off with a cuppa and a slice of buttered borrowdale tea bread heaven. Dogs very still sshhh!

The photo above wasn’t taken today I should add! The image was taken by Eirian Evans and was previously published on geograph.

A reader of the site asks:

“Can anyone tell us who are the group  singing Gospel songs and wearing white hooded garments two thirds of the way up Moel Fameau recently? Just curious!”

If you know the answer, please leave a comment below.

As previously mentioned, Moel Famau isn’t quite high enough to be classed as a mountain. But as site reader M A Cameron points out there’s a sort-of solution: once there are 91 people at the summit, you’ve got the extra 182 feet needed for Moel Famau to become a mountain 🙂

The Clwydian Range AONB website has a good report on their news page of the Diamond Jubilee beacon that was lit last Monday as part of the Diamond Jubilee. Apparently some 2,000 people walked up to the summit and congregated around the Jubilee Tower.

Councillor Carolyn Thomas, Chairman of the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty said: “It was a memorable event and a wonderful local celebration of the Diamond Jubilee. I would like to thank all those who attended to take part in such an unforgettable community celebration”

A reader who was walking on Moel Famau at the weekend asks:

“I was bitten by a tiny black insect on Saturday. It resembled a lady bird..but black no marks…smaller that an lady bird. My hand is like a balloon now. Any idea what it was? I was on the roadway on the yellow walk..not in the heath land.”

Any suggestions as to what could have done that? Please a comment below.

Many thanks to Adam Kent for sending in this photo of what he believes is a red-legged partridge. Adam took a photo of the bird on Moel Famau back in autumn 2010 and wonders if such a bird has ever been seen before on Moel Famau?

If you know any more please leave a comment below.

I couldn’t make the trip myself due to a prior engagement but it seems I missed quite a spectacular show up on the summit of Moel Famau last Sunday.

Judging by a couple of the comments others readers on the site have left on this post it seems that traffic was something of a problem?

The BBC north east Wales team have published a great set of photos of the evenings events – make sure that you take a look at them all right here.