Moel Famau — Welsh for 'Mother Mountain' — is, at 554 metres, the highest summit in the Clwydian Range, the chain of heather-clad hills that rises immediately east of Denbigh and the Vale of Clwyd. The peak sits within Moel Famau Country Park, some 2,000 acres of upland managed as part of the wider Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and draws an estimated 200,000 visitors a year.
The summit is crowned by the striking, roofless remains of the Jubilee Tower, begun in 1810 to mark the golden jubilee of King George III. It was originally designed as a three-tiered obelisk in an Egyptian-influenced style, but the structure was never fully finished, and a severe storm in 1862 tore away its upper levels, leaving the truncated ruin that still stands today — now as much a landmark in its own right as a monument to the king it was built for.
From the top, on a clear day, views stretch across the Vale of Clwyd towards Snowdonia in one direction and the North Wales coast in the other. The lower slopes of heather moorland give way to greener pasture nearer the country park's visitor facilities, making Moel Famau one of the most accessible proper hill walks anywhere within easy reach of Denbigh.
At 554 metres, Moel Famau is the highest point in the Clwydian Range and one of the most recognisable summits in North East Wales, crowned by the striking ruined Jubilee Tower. The tower was begun in 1810 to mark the Golden Jubilee of King George III, designed by the Chester architect Thomas Harrison as a three-tiered Egyptian Revival obelisk, but funding ran out before it could be completed, and a storm in 1862 brought down much of the unfinished upper structure.
What remains — the broad stepped base of the tower — still draws walkers to the summit for what are, on a clear day, exceptional views stretching from Snowdonia in the west to Liverpool, Chester and even Blackpool Tower to the east. The surrounding country park, managed by Denbighshire's Countryside Service, is also crossed by Offa's Dyke Path, making Moel Famau one of the most popular and accessible hill walks within easy reach of Denbigh.