All walks › Bannau Brycheiniog: Black Mountains
Bannau Brycheiniog: Black MountainsLlanthony Priory and the Hatterrall Ridge
Augustinian priory ruin in a narrow valley, with a steep climb to the ridge that carries Offa’s Dyke Path along the English border.
- Distance
- 5.0 mi / 8 km
- Time
- 3 hr 5
- Ascent
- 420 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 east from the priory to the Hatterrall ridge, follow it north or south, and drop back into the valley. Steep on both ascent and descent.
Worth knowing
- The priory ruins are free and open, with a pub in the undercroft of the old cellarium.
- The ridge is the border; you can stand with a foot in each country.
- The valley road is single track for miles and slow.
What you’ll see
The priory arches, the Vale of Ewyas, and the ridge with England spread out east.
Background
Llanthony was founded around 1100 and was never rich, being too remote. The poet Walter Savage Landor later bought and bankrupted the estate.