All walks › Hay & the Black Mountains
Hay & the Black MountainsLlangattock Escarpment
A limestone cliff line above the Usk valley, with old quarries, a tramroad and one of the largest cave systems in Britain underneath your feet.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 40
- 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 from the village to the escarpment and follow the level tramroad along beneath the cliffs, then return by a higher or lower path to make a loop. The tramroad section is easy walking with continuous views.
Worth knowing
- The caves are for experienced cavers only and entrances should be left alone.
- The tramroad is nearly level, which makes this feel much easier than the ascent suggests.
- Peregrines nest on the crags; give them room in spring.
What you’ll see
Limestone cliffs, quarry workings, the Usk valley below and the Bannau beyond.
Background
The quarries fed limekilns and the ironworks at Brynmawr, and the tramroad carried stone down to the canal at Llangattock. The Agen Allwedd cave system beneath runs for many miles.