All walks › Dee Valley and Llangollen
Dee Valley and LlangollenVelvet Hill and Valle Crucis
A grassy cone above the Horseshoe Pass with a Cistercian abbey below it and the Pillar of Eliseg, a ninth-century cross shaft, in the field alongside.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 50
- 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
Climb Velvet Hill from the pass road for the view, then descend to Valle Crucis abbey and the Pillar of Eliseg, returning by lane or hillside.
Worth knowing
- The Pillar of Eliseg is a ninth-century cross shaft with a worn inscription tracing the kings of Powys.
- Valle Crucis is one of the best preserved Cistercian ruins in Wales and has an entry charge.
- Velvet Hill is short, steep and grassy, and slippery when wet.
What you’ll see
The abbey ruins, the pillar, the Eglwyseg escarpment and the Dee valley.
Background
Valle Crucis was founded in 1201 by Madog ap Gruffydd Maelor. The pillar predates it by three centuries and gave the valley its name.