Cambria Sports Culture CIC Cymraeg

All walksMonmouthshire and the Lower Wye

Monmouthshire and the Lower Wye

The Three Castles Walk

Field paths linking White Castle, Skenfrith and Grosmont, three Norman castles held as a single lordship and still standing within a few miles of each other.

Distance
5.0 mi / 8 km
Time
2 hr 45
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

The waymarked Three Castles Walk is nineteen miles in full; the stretch from White Castle towards Skenfrith makes a good day. Field paths and lanes throughout.

Worth knowing

  • All three castles are free to enter and unstaffed.
  • White Castle keeps its moat and is the most complete of the three.
  • Lots of stiles and working farmland; boots and a map.

What you’ll see

The moated White Castle, hedged farmland, and the Black Mountains on the horizon.

Background

The three castles were held together from the twelfth century to guard the route from Hereford into Wales, and were granted as one lordship.