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All walksLlandrindod & Radnorshire

Llandrindod & Radnorshire

The Warden, Presteigne

Woodland on the edge of town above the River Lugg, with a bowling green at the top that has been played on for centuries and a border you can step across without noticing.

Distance
1.6 mi / 2.5 km
Time
45 min
Ascent
70 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 town, climb into the woods on the well-used paths and work your way up to the level ground at the top. Come down on the river side and return along the Lugg. Several linked paths make it easy to lengthen or shorten.

Worth knowing

  • The far bank of the Lugg is England. Nothing marks it, which is rather the point.
  • Bluebells through the beech woods in late April are the reason to time a visit.
  • Presteigne has more good places to eat than a town this size has any right to.

What you’ll see

Beech and oak woodland, the Lugg running clear over gravel, and buzzards over the fields beyond.

Background

The Warden has been common ground for the townspeople for generations. The bowling green is among the oldest in continuous use in Wales, and the town below kept the county gaol and courthouse when Presteigne was the county town of Radnorshire.