I can recall countless car journeys to Snowdonia in North Wales as a child.

‘Are we there yet’ bleated out at regular intervals as hours of English, followed by Welsh scenery drifted by.

As the A5 winds through the small towns of rural north-east Wales, one of the last places to receive this dismissive mantra was Denbighshire: a much overlooked county as I was to discover.

With friends I had the opportunity to explore this beautiful region’s history, picturesque vistas and most memorably, the outdoor activities it boasts.

Denbighshire – running from Rhyl on the north coast to Llangollen and Llandrillo on the county’s southern borders – is an area steeped in history. From being the oldest inhabited part of Wales (the Ice Age cave-dwelling hunters of Pontnewydd) to being home to Owain Glyndwr, the last true Prince of Wales.

I started the visit on a relaxed note. After dropping off my bags at the Bryn Howell Hotel I made my way slowly alongside the Llangollen Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to the town of Llangollen. After a wander around this charming town and some lunch in a beautiful setting at the Corn Mill, a beautiful old pub situated alongside the River Dee, I boarded a steam train at the heritage Llangollen railway.

As the steam locomotive hauls our restored carriage alongside the River Dee through an area of outstanding natural beauty I am swept away to another time.

We disembark at Carrog Station, which has been lovingly rebuilt to look exactly as it would have in the 1950s, and make our way to Conwy, the heart of Owain Glyndwr country.

Here we take a walk around the town accompanied by Green Badge guide Sarah whose local knowledge and passion for the area are contagious and I can’t help but absorb myself in the tales of Owain’s plight against the tyrannous English and in the Welsh storytelling tradition, which endures today.

The following day was all about outdoor activities, the real reason I had made this trip. After a leisurely ride aboard the Thomas Telford canal boat to Llangollen from outside our hotel we made our way to the Safe and Sound outdoor activity centre. We wrestled into our wetsuits after a short introduction to the centre from one of the friendly instructors before piling into a minibus to head to the river.

In the morning we tried our hand at kayaking. After ‘mastering’ the basics we were let loose a little to explore the waterway and play some well-devised games aimed at honing the skills we had learned in the first half of the session.

After a spot of lunch back at the activities centre we all got back on the minibus for our afternoon activity, gorge walking. I had never heard of gorge walking, and didn’t quite know what to expect, but the name sounded ominous.

As it turned out it was an incredible experience. We made our way into a steep-sided gulley with a river running at its base. This was our route down the mountain. We manoeuvred through rocky outcrops, sliding down natural water slides on our fronts and jumping into large pools. Slowly and carefully we made our way down and all I could think on reaching the bottom was ‘can we go again’.

Other activities on offer were climbing and abseiling, white water rafting, canoeing and a high-ropes course, all of which I am considering returning for.

On the drive back, exhausted from our day’s activities, I am in exactly the right mood to soak up the beauty of the area. Rolling hills turn to jagged mountains and all is scattered with beautiful greenery. North Wales is a beautiful part of the world and Denbighshire seems to have the best of it.

After a long soak we enjoyed dinner in Llangollen at the Manorhaus Boutique restaurant and hotel: a beautiful building with a striking, contemporary interior with the food to match.

On our last day in Denbighshire we decided to enjoy some mountain biking in the Llandegla Forest, or Coed Llandegla. Set in placid and atmospheric forest, there are routes to suite all abilities. We opted for the intermediate route, not wanting to shirk a challenge.

Although tough and tiring in sections, the terrain was excellent and the bike trails are clearly very well maintained. The forest is so vast we barely bumped into another group of riders too so there was an enjoyable feeling of isolation.

All the routes start and finish in a cosy visitor centre, a large wood cabin with great, simple food, perfect after a long and exhausting cycle.

On leaving Denbighshire, and absorbing the last of the unbelievable story-book scenery, I reflected on all those journeys where this area was nothing more than the way through.

Regretting all those missed opportunities I vowed not to just pass through Denbighshire. In future, I will stop here.

Getaway

Tom Dale stayed at the Bryn Howel Hotel, near Llangollen – see brynhowel.com, 01978 860 331.

Outdoor activities were provided by Safe and Sound Outdoors – sasoutdoors.co.uk, 01978860471 – and One Planet Adventure – oneplanetadventure.com For further information on Denbighshire visit discoverdenbighshire.co.uk