All walks › Monmouthshire and the Lower Wye
Monmouthshire and the Lower WyeRaglan Castle and the Fields
The last great castle built in Britain, more palace than fortress, with quiet field paths around it and the Skirrid on the skyline.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 2 hr
- Ascent
- 120 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 castle, field paths and lanes loop through farmland and back. Gentle throughout with plenty of stiles.
Worth knowing
- The Great Tower was deliberately undermined after the Civil War siege of 1646 and half of it still stands.
- Raglan was built for show as much as defence, with a moat and formal gardens.
- The countryside around is quiet arable and pasture with big skies.
What you’ll see
The castle and its moated tower, rolling farmland, and the Black Mountains west.
Background
Raglan held out for eleven weeks against Fairfax in 1646, the last significant castle to fall in the Civil War.