All walks › Llandrindod & Radnorshire
Llandrindod & RadnorshireThe Whimble
You will have noticed this one from the road: a near-perfect cone of a hill that catches the eye from every direction in eastern Radnorshire. Steep, short, and the summit view takes in most of mid Wales.
- Distance
- 4.3 mi / 7 km
- Time
- 2 hr 30
- Ascent
- 320 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
Climb out of New Radnor onto the open ground and make for the obvious cone; the ascent is direct and unmistakable once you are on the hill. A circuit is possible by dropping north and returning on the tracks below Bache Hill. Keep out of Harley Dingle itself.
Worth knowing
- Harley Dingle is an active military testing range. Do not enter it, and take the warning signs seriously.
- There is no path to speak of on the final cone, just grass and bilberry. It is steeper than it looks from the road.
- Best in late summer when the bilberries are ripe and the ground is dry.
What you’ll see
Bilberry, skylark and wheatear, with a long view south to the Black Mountains and west into the Cambrians.
Background
Local tradition says a dragon sleeps beneath the Radnor Forest, ringed by four churches dedicated to St Michael. Lose the fourth church and the dragon wakes.