All walks › Llandrindod & Radnorshire
Llandrindod & RadnorshirePilleth and Bryn Glas
Owain Glyndŵr destroyed an English army on this hillside in 1402, above a church that still sits alone in the fields. The ground reads like a battlefield if you stand in the right place.
- Distance
- 2.8 mi / 4.5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 40
- Ascent
- 200 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, climb the open slope of Bryn Glas behind it, then contour round and return by the field paths lower down. The stand of Wellingtonias near the top marks the burial pits.
Worth knowing
- Go up and look back down the slope. The reason the English lost becomes obvious the moment you see the ground from above.
- The church is usually open and worth a look.
- Very exposed on the top with no shelter at all. Not a place to be caught in weather.
What you’ll see
The Lugg valley, the dark line of Wellingtonias, and a great deal of sky.
Background
On 22 June 1402 Glyndŵr’s forces held the high ground while Edmund Mortimer’s army climbed towards them; Welsh archers in Mortimer’s own ranks turned on him partway up. Mortimer was captured and later changed sides. The trees were planted over the grave pits in the nineteenth century.