All walks › Caerphilly and the Eastern Valleys
Caerphilly and the Eastern ValleysTwmbarlwm
The pimple on the skyline that half of Gwent grew up looking at, with a Norman motte on top of an Iron Age fort and a view over the Severn to Somerset.
- Distance
- 3.7 mi / 6 km
- Time
- 2 hr 10
- Ascent
- 280 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
Tracks climb from Cwmcarn through the forest onto the ridge and up to the summit mound. Return by the forest drive or the open hillside.
Worth knowing
- The mound on top is a Norman motte built inside a much older hillfort.
- Locally called the Twmp. It is visible from most of Newport and much of the Severn estuary.
- Cwmcarn’s forest drive and mountain bike trails share the area; watch for bikes on the tracks.
What you’ll see
The summit mound and ramparts, the Severn estuary, and the eastern valleys spread below.
Background
Legend attributes the mound to a Silurian chieftain’s grave. It is more likely an eleventh or twelfth century Norman motte reusing the Iron Age defences.