Preseli Hills
Nevern Castle and the Pilgrims’ Cross
A tenth-century Celtic cross in a churchyard of ancient yews, with a bleeding tree, a pilgrims’ cross cut into rock and a castle in the woods above.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 50
- Ascent
- 180 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
From the church, paths climb through the woods to the castle earthworks and the rock-cut cross, returning by the river. Steps in places.
Worth knowing
- The Great Cross in the churchyard is thirteen feet high and around a thousand years old.
- One of the yews weeps a red sap and is known as the bleeding yew.
- The pilgrims’ cross is cut into a rock face on the path up to the castle.
What you’ll see
The Great Cross, the bleeding yew, the rock-cut cross, and the castle earthworks.
Background
Nevern was a stop on the pilgrim route to St Davids and the rock-cut cross marks where pilgrims knelt.