Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksCaerphilly and the Eastern Valleys

Caerphilly and the Eastern Valleys

Llanhilleth Mountain

Open common between the Ebbw and Sirhowy valleys, with a medieval church on the hillside and ponies grazing the tops.

Distance
4.3 mi / 7 km
Time
2 hr 35
Ascent
300 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

The way up out of the village and onto the mountain and follow the ridge before returning. Open ground with no shelter.

Worth knowing

  • The old church of St Illtyd stands alone on the hillside above the village and is worth the detour.
  • The Ebbw Vale line reopened in 2008, which makes this reachable by train.
  • Ponies graze the common freely.

What you’ll see

Open common and ponies, the medieval church, and both valleys from the ridge.

Background

St Illtyd’s church has stood on the hillside since the medieval period, serving a parish that has moved down into the valley.