Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksBannau Brycheiniog: Black Mountains

Bannau Brycheiniog: Black Mountains

Partrishow

Tiny church up a lane that barely qualifies as one, holding a medieval rood screen that survived the Reformation intact.

Distance
3.7 mi / 6 km
Time
2 hr 20
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

From the church, lanes and paths climb onto the open hillside above and loop back. Steep and narrow throughout.

Worth knowing

  • The rood screen is carved from Irish oak and is one of very few in Britain to survive complete.
  • There is also a pre-Reformation stone altar and a wall painting of a skeleton.
  • The lane in is single track with almost no passing places. Park considerately.

What you’ll see

The church and its screen, the holy well below, and the Black Mountains above.

Background

The church escaped the Reformation and the Victorians largely untouched, which is why the screen and altar are still there.