A WOMAN has walked through Flintshire as part of a mammoth charity trek of the entire coastline of Great Britain.
Daisy Lawn, 28, set off from Chester on Saturday, August 6, with her Spanish rescue dog, Ona, her only companion, in a walk she thinks could take four years to complete.
She completed her walk of Gwynedd earlier this week, having explored Denbighshire, Conwy and Anglesey last month.
Her walk is in aid of “Rewilding Britain”, which aims to tackle the climate emergency and extinction crisis and reconnect people with the natural world.
Originally from Aberystwyth, and having lived in Leeds for eight years before starting this walk, Daisy’s only previous memory of North Wales was visiting Betws-y-Coed with her family as a youngster.
But she said she has been “absolutely blown away” by the picturesque views the area has offered.
Daisy said: “My Spanish rescue dog and I have undertaken a walk of the entire coastline of Great Britain, islands and all, starting with North Wales.
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“We set off from Chester and have been absolutely blown away by the beauty of the North Welsh coastline.
“I grew up in Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion before moving to Cumbria, so exploring North Wales has all been new territory for me.
“It's not everywhere that you can sit cooking in your tent whilst watching porpoises not that far away!”
In terms of favourite memories, Daisy ranks Anglesey as her personal highlight, but also recalls happy times spent by the sea in Criccieth and Llandudno, too.
Not only has she been struck by the beauty of the area, but also by the kindness of people she has met along the way.
Daisy added: “We've been charged by a bull in Anglesey and had whitebait jump out of the sea at us at Criccieth, escaping the mackerel who were themselves evading the dolphins I could see further out.
“I've watched a group of old friends play 'Bad Moon Rising' from my tent, as a huge orange full moon rose above Llandudno’s West Shore beach.
“And I’ve woken up to find the tide halfway inside my tent at Morfa Aber Nature Reserve!
“I think Anglesey has been the highlight; I really loved Anglesey. I just found it really beautiful; all those little coves.
“A lovely lady in Bangor said she would pick up my backpack of a morning, and drop it off of an evening as I went around Anglesey, so I had that freedom to walk around without my backpack.
“I've been wild camping most nights, of course being respectful of the land and leaving no trace that I was ever there.
“And occasionally, a kind local has invited me inside, so I can charge my phone and wash my clothes.”
With an enormous challenge ahead of her, Daisy’s main motivation to complete it is to raise funds and awareness for Rewilding Britain, a cause particularly close to her heart.
She added that, in fact, the biggest challenge so far been “shopping with a dog in tow”, rather than the actual walk itself.
Daisy said: “I expect this walk will take me around four years to complete, walking through all four seasons.
“So far, the biggest challenge hasn't been the walking itself, but keeping stocked up on food - shopping with a dog in tow is difficult whilst moving through such remote areas, with few click-and-collect services.
“But so far, we've managed just fine, and I'm learning a lot more about what goods can be foraged - picking field mushrooms, greens and berries. I even carry a little creel for catching crabs.
“I wanted to do this walk for Rewilding Britain because it saddens me that my home is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world.
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“We rank in the bottom 10 per cent globally, but people don't realise this because from above we look like such a green island.
“Change starts at home, and I wanted to support a cause that's making such positive changes to these beautiful places that are so important and loved by us all.
“Rewilding projects tend to lock heads with farmers, whereas Rewilding Britain stood out to me as it understands that farming is a huge part of who we are as an island.
“And it supports farming and farming processes whilst helping rural and coastal communities prosper through nature-based enterprises.”
Daisy, who has since arrived in Powys, said she hopes to return to the North Wales coast again soon to more of a “beautiful part of the world”.
She added: “As I circumnavigate Great Britain, I'm hoping to visit coastal rewilding projects and farmers using wildlife-friendly practices, to document and share what I learn along the way.
“Ona and I have just crossed the border into Powys and are already noticing the scarcity of Welsh chatter, signage and accents around us - just as I was picking up my Welsh again too!
“I miss it already, and can't wait to be back to explore more of this beautiful part of the world.”
You can follow Daisy’s journey at: www.walkingthecoastline.com.
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