Welshpool & the Border

Breidden Hill and Rodney’s Pillar

A steep wooded hill standing alone above the Severn plain, topped by a monument to an eighteenth-century admiral. Sharp climb, enormous view.

Distance: 3.7 mi / 6 km
Time: 2 hr 30
Ascent: 330 m
Difficulty: Demanding
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

Climb steeply through the woods to the ridge, follow it to the pillar, then descend on the far side and return by lanes. Steep and rooty in the ascent.

Worth knowing

The climb is relentless for the first half hour and then eases considerably.
The quarry on the eastern side is active. Stay on the marked paths.
On a clear day you can see the Wrekin, the Berwyn and most of the Shropshire plain.

What you’ll see

The Severn winding across the plain, the Shropshire hills, and the Berwyn to the west.

Background

The pillar was raised in 1781 to Admiral Rodney, reportedly by Montgomeryshire landowners who had supplied oak for his fleet.