Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksCardiff and the Vale

Cardiff and the Vale

Monknash and the Heritage Coast

Down a wooded valley to a wild stretch of the heritage coast, past a monastic grange and one of the oldest pubs in Wales.

Distance
3.7 mi / 6 km
Time
2 hr 10
Ascent
150 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

Follow the valley from the village to the shore and return along the coast path and fields. Gentle with one climb.

Worth knowing

  • The Plough and Harrow was part of the monastic grange and parts date from the twelfth century.
  • The grange barn and dovecote ruins stand behind the pub.
  • The beach here is rock and shingle and largely deserted.

What you’ll see

The grange ruins and dovecote, the wooded valley, and the wave-cut platform at the shore.

Background

Monknash was a grange of Neath Abbey, farmed by lay brothers, and the barn was one of the largest in medieval Wales.