All walks › Welshpool & the Border
Welshpool & the BorderBeacon Ring, Long Mountain
An Iron Age hillfort on the ridge east of Welshpool, planted inside with trees in the shape of the letters E R for the 1953 coronation.
- Distance
- 4.0 mi / 6.5 km
- Time
- 2 hr 15
- Ascent
- 220 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Follow Offa’s Dyke Path onto the ridge and along to the hillfort, then return by lanes and field paths on the lower ground. Well waymarked on the trail section.
Worth knowing
- The planted initials are only really legible from the air, which has not stopped anyone trying from the ground.
- Offa’s Dyke Path runs directly through the fort, so waymarking is good.
- Henry Tudor is said to have camped here on his march to Bosworth in 1485.
What you’ll see
Hillfort ramparts, the planted trees, and a view deep into Shropshire.
Background
The fort dates from the Iron Age. The trees were planted in 1953, and the site remains one of the best viewpoints on the whole Offa’s Dyke Path.