< Visitor’s guide to Rhyl

The twin seaside resorts of Rhyl and Prestatyn, joined by seven unbroken miles of golden sands, have been welcoming visitors since the trains first arrived in the mid-19th century.

Each town has its loyal followers, families who come back year after year for a beguiling mix of traditional seaside fun and state-of-the art attractions such as Prestatyn’s Nova Centre or Rhyl’s SC2 waterpark.

But plenty of people like to experience both resorts. So if you’re visiting Rhyl but you fancy walking or cycling to Prestatyn, you need to know about the Central Prestatyn Coastal Defence Scheme.

Prestatyn’s existing defences are about 70 years old and could fail in the next 30 years, threatening more than 2,000 properties. Now work is underway to create a huge earth embankment set back from the front-line defences, following the boundary of Rhyl Golf Club. The existing concrete ramp onto the beach is also being extended and protected.

It means the promenade between Garford Road at the western end of the golf course and Green Lanes at the eastern end will be closed until September 2023. The promenade is expected to close again between September and December 2024. The entire £25 million scheme should be complete by December 2025.

Currently you can still reach the beach at Garford Road or via the footpaths through the centre of Rhyl golf course and from the end of Green Lanes. Contractors Balfour Beatty have employed beach marshals to keep the public safe and most of the beach open during the project.