This is a beautiful circular walk with a few route options. The walk is well documented in many national walking guides, but local knowledge is a wonderful thing. We always start from home, in Newland and take the anti-clockwise route, but you don't have to. There are good pubs in both Newland (not usually open during the afternoon) and Redbrook (open all day), though I'd recommend Newland for good food.

Park in the centre of Newland at point NR01 and walk down the road to a stile / gate NR02. The lone young Oak tree in the field opposite is a sapling from the stump next to it. This was The Great Oak of Newland, and was the largest ever recorded Oak when it was destroyed in a blizzard in 1955. It's girth measured 45 feet. You don't enter this field, you walk around it. Use the stile at NR03 and then head on until you reach NR05. You may need to give NR04 a wide birth as it can get pretty boggy here as there's an spring popping up in the middle of the field. There is one of several boundary stones here too. As you emerge into the field at NR05 be very quiet as we have seen several deer in this particular field on many occasions. The first time I ever entered this field a herd were standing right in front of me.

Straight across the field and down a stony path to another stile and then the toughest stile on the route if you have a large dog is at NR08. We have to lift Sid over this one (and the following one). The path here goes through a beautiful garden with it's own lake. You come out onto the Redbrook road, almost at Offa's Dyke Path. Just before you reach the bridge you can cut behind the houses. Once round the corner, cross the road and head for the bridge across the River Wye if you fancy a drink at NR10.

This is almost the halfway mark, so if it's not long enough for you, you can insert the Redbrook to Penallt walk (to be added very soon) here.

Head back across the bridge. You can either cross the road to the shop or cut through Millennium Park, where there are seats to enjoy the river. You're looking for a flight of concrete steps behind a makeshift shop (currently unused) at NR11. At the top turn left up the road and past the houses on to a lane. Look hard in the last (and only) garden on your left. There are pieces of computer equipment laid out in the garden as ornaments. Keep left at NR13 and it's a case of following the track. There are always birds of prey in the valley, so just look up every now and then. When you reach NR18 turn right onto Laundry Lane and then up Savage Hill to the rear of the churchyard. If you want a wander around Newland just carry on down Laundry lane to the end of the road at NR20 and then turn left and walk up the main street to the starting point.

Options

To cut the return journey much shorter, take the signed path into the trees at NR12, leading to NR21. There should be some wooden steps about half way up. This is a strenuous route as it take the over-the-hill approach and there are many fallen birches in the pathway. You will also miss the beautiful valley, but it's useful if the weather turns bad.

At NR16 turn left after you've gone through the gate, then over the steam, up to the top of the field, past the ruins an on to NR17. This is a popular route with us born from avoiding cows, but you will miss the farm house and the waterfall.

Places of interest en route.

The Great Oak of Newland. The largest recorded Oak tree. See above.
The Ostrich Inn, Newland. 12th century pub serving traditional ales and draught Budvar. No draught stout. Good food, though not cheap. Closed in the afternoons. Food available lunchtime and evenings (not Monday). Very dog friendly, but can be busy at peak times. Garden is poor, though there are two tables on the front.
The Boat Inn, Penallt (Redbrook). This pub is in Wales and is mostly accessed on foot via an old railway bridge. Real ale's, Stella, Grolsh, stout etc. Unusual gardens amongst rocks and "waterfall". A few seats to the front by the river. Open all day. The downside is poor food, horrible toilets, miserable bar staff and a dog that can be a pest.
All Saints Church, Newland. 12th century church open to the public. Holds the brass Forest of Dean logo of a miner and loads of other stuff including information. Known as The Cathedral of the Forest.
Almshouses. A row of 8 houses built in 1617 for poor and underprivileged people in the village.
The Bell Inn, Redbrook. Very close to the Boat Inn. I don't use it, but may be worth checking out.

Staunton - Biblin's Footbridge - Monmouth - Staunton (9.5 miles circular) Download .gpx

Through the forest, with great views to the Black Mountains, past some interesting rock formations, along the banks of the River Wye to Monmouth and up the Wysis Way to close the loop.

Park in the designated area on the A4136 between Staunton and Monmouth. Very quickly you should be on the main track heading north through Highmeadow Woods. The land falls away quickly to your left with the treetops sitting below you. This give the very unusual scenario of having great views whilst in a forest. You should see a plaque on a rock marking the Everard Oak. You can safely forget your GPS until you reach the Suck Stone. At 60 feet by 40 feet this stone is pretty much unmissable. It's right next to the track and is thought to weigh around 30,000 tons. It may be the largest detached rock in Britain and was set here millions of years ago in sandstone. Just behind the stone is Near Hearkening Rock. The rock got it's name from it's ability to amplify sound due to it's concave face. The rock has some overhangs that are popular with rock climbers.

In the picture (below centre) Bob is sitting in front of the Suck Stone, just to give you an idea of it's size.

Find a path up to the rock and follow the route to the footbridge. This is a pretty impressive structure in it's own right, and resembles something from an Indiana Jones film. There's an unusually sculpted bench seat very near by.

There are usually swans close by and if you get here early enough there's often a great mist on the water. You might meet the odd fisherman on the banks of the river, as the Wye is known for it's fishing. In the summer you can walk over the footbridge and head east where a hand pulled ferry will take you back over the river at Symonds Yat.

You are now standing on the site of the old railway track. The track ran along the bank of the river all the way to Monmouth from here, and a fair way to the east as well. In places the track seems to have been immediately to the south of the well maintained path. It's nice to walk down the actual track where it's passable, as although it's only yards from the path, the close proximity of the cliff walls gives it a whole different feeling. I love to imagine how it would have been in it's hay day. It's would make a marvelous tourist attraction if it was still here to give pleasure rides now, but I guess I'm glad it's not, as I don't want to share this place with too many people. You can put the GPS away for most of the rest of the walk. Just follow the path and the river. I spotted an old ruined building at the quarry site and there are upright sleepers all along the path side, but little else to give away it's past.

Eventually you will leave the forest for open farm land. The protection of the trees is lost and the noise of the A40 penetrates the peace. You can see Wyastone Lodge to the north, which has a deer park. There are two paths running next to each other, but separated by a fence. Who knows which to take, it doesn't seem to matter. Here there are crop fields, great views of Little Doward hill, ramshackle stone barns and rabbits run through the vegetables. If it wasn't for the road it would be a magnificent place. The track turns into a road eventually, and I began to see the odd person jogging or walking their dog. The lane is quiet and peaceful as you approach Monmouth. Skulls are practicing from the nearby rowing club. Before you know it you're in an industrial area, though there doesn't seem to be a lot going on. In days gone by goods would have been being moved between the river and the railways here, but now one is used only for leisure and the other has gone.

You reach the A4136 at the end of the road and cross over by the May Hill Hotel where the railway station once stood. Up the road for 100yds to the signed Wysis Way. Through trees, then a road and back into trees again. The path is steep from here, but gives great views. There's a climb of about 600 feet, but it gets the heart pumping. You cross the road again and after a few minutes in the woods you should be back to the starting point.

Another beautiful walk which is particularly nice in the autumn. As long as you're aware of the two road crossings towards the end of the walk it's pretty safe to let your dog do it's own thing too. Bob managed to chase two rabbits, a squirrel and two deer on this walk. A good days work for a dog, I think you'll agree.

Options

You could park at Monmouth if you prefer to get the climb out of the way early on. There's plenty to see in this historic town and places to eat and drink of course.

The Kymin is a great place to visit. If you've ever noticed that white building right at the top of the hill, east of Monmouth, and wondered what it is, it is the Naval Memorial, which pays tribute to Britain's finest admirals. Nelson himself has visited it and the views are stunning. This can be reached from the Wysis Way, though it is a climb.

You can cross the Biblin's Footbridge and visit King Arthur's Cave. The cave's are great to explore and if you look out, you may find one or two more around here.

Places of interest en route.

The Everard Oak A tree/plaque placed in appreciation of John Everard
The Suck Stone. At 30,000 tons you'd better believe it's big.
Near Hearkening Rock Good for rock climbing
Gosling Ash The tallest broadleaf in the forest and named after a boy from Newland who discovered it and went on to be Director General of the FC.
Bench Sculpture This is right next to the bridge and is in memory of a local man.
Biblin's Footbridge Brilliant rope bridge across the Wye (OK, so it's wire).

I always thought the Black Mountains were in Wales, but the wonderful Black Hill is in Herefordshire, England. To it's west lies the Olchon Valley and then the ridge of Black Darren where the border with Wales runs along Offa's Dyke Path. To the east is yet another Golden Valley. This must be the least original name in the UK. You'll need to plan a route to the parking area at SO 28840 32857. This is really the only coordinate you should need. There are a couple of picnic tables here and room for a dozen cars, but it can get quite full.

As this is a ridge walk you'll have all the hard work to do initially, but once the 800' climb is out of the way you can just enjoy the views. There are a couple of rocky places near the peak which my older dog needs a hand getting through. It can also be pretty windy up here, so if the wind is coming from the north I would reverse the direction of the walk so you are protected by the hills whilst the wind is in your face.

Options

You can head a little further north to the crash site of an Oxford PW242. I know very little about this incident, though judging by it's source, it is probably a wartime crash.

Hay Bluff trig point is a little further on.

There are a few simple detaours available through the Olchon Valley.

See gpx download for coordinates.

This walk takes in a stretch of the railway line which I covered here. It also has an optional tunnel or two for the more adventurous, so don't forget a good torch if you fancy this option.

Park at Redbrook. There's excellent parking very near the start of the walk. Head north up the road along the river and very soon after you pass the last building (an Osteopath which used to be a pub) you will see a path heading into the trees. This takes you onto the lower railway track. The other runs parallel up a steep embankment. The path runs along the wide, leafy track with the river close by on your left hand side. Once in Wyesham, take the narrow road immediately after a house. You'll soon be doubling back on yourself. You will also be climbing pretty steeply through the trees. Once at the summit you come out into open land and join Offa's Dyke Path. There are great views to the south east and to the west in places. When you have descended a fair way and reach a fork in the path by a house, bear right. If you want to take the tunnel route you must enter the gate in front of you, otherwise follow the track to the road which leads back to Redbrook. Once through the gate the first tunnel is behind you. You just passed over it. It's completely open at this end (blocked at the other) and is pretty short. After investigating the tunnel you should be able to find a way through the railway cutting and you will very soon reach the real tunnel. The gate may appear locked, but it's not. It's a bit messy (polystyrene) in the tunnel. It's about 800 feet long, and curves to the right. The far portal is partially blocked, but an average sized person can easily squeeze out at the far end. Double back once out of the tunnel and scramble down the embankment at an appropriate point as the path just goes to a garden. We met the owners en route, who were very friendly and told us to go ahead and pass through their premises.

When I woke at 04:00 and couldn't get back to sleep I decided to get going. I cursed that the bread machine wouldn't finish it's cycle until 06:00, so I gathered together the necessary items for a day in the mountains and then Bob and I drove the 40 miles to Blaen-y-glyn, barely seeing another car, to arrive at the empty car park just after 06:00. The sun was just coming up so we pushed on up the first of many climbs in the semi darkness. There are a lovely flight of waterfalls here, but it was too dark for photos. I'd last been up here nearly 5 months earlier. That was my first visit. The climb seemed much shorter and easier today, though I had missed the path that time. You need to come back out of the car park over the cattle grid to get to the proper path. Looking at the track data I still can't believe we climbed 800 feet in just over half a mile, then continued climbing for another 370 feet.

Once on the top it's plain sailing for quite a while. We just enjoyed the sunrise, the views and the odd little stream / waterfall.

The ground was pretty good considering it's March, but there are a few minor detours to be had when it gets too boggy to walk at a decent pace. Once we'd reached the crossways to Fan y big, we decided to head east to bag the missing trig point at Craig Pwllfa. I know it sounds odd to bag a trig you know isn't there, but it has to be done. Besides the views made it worth while. Last time we had taken the lower path to the memorial of a Canadian Wellington Bomber crew who crashed here in WW2. Today we headed south from the trig to the memorial and paid our respects from the ridge. It's amazing to imagine what it would have been like on that night 65 years ago. It's also amazing how much of the aircraft is still around the memorial.

We enjoyed a beautiful walk along the ridge to Fan y big. I love the way the shadows glide on the hillside here, as there were a few clouds in the sky.

We'd enjoyed the flatness and now it was time to pay the piper. There's a good stretch of climbs here as you come to the three highest peaks in South Wales. Cribyn, Corn Du and Pen y fan are a wonderful sight. It had been pretty windy up until now and I'd had to wear hat and gloves, so we stopped at the low point for a cuppa and breakfast (a hot cross bun). After having not seen a single person all morning there was now a tent near me and three lads had stopped who were joining the route from the dam. At this point you can head back along the side of the reservoir and through the forest. In fact, this is what I did last time I was here. After a quick phone call home to check in we set off again. Straight away the Welsh lads were up (including one with bright red hair). They were like mountain goats and not wanting to be passed I pushed hard up the relentless hill. Once on Cribyn, it's the same all over again up Pen y fan. The highest summit was shrouded in mist, so there was no view, but it didn't matter as there were great views from everywhere else. As soon as I'd left the mist lifted from this point too.

Corn Du was a bit of a disappointment for me the first time I came up here. It barely qualifies as a peak as there's such a tiny dip from Pen y fan. I could just make out the Tommy Jones obelisk on the path below. The inscription reads This obelisk marks the spot where the body of Tommy Jones, aged 5, was found. He lost his way between Cwm Llwch farm and the Login on the night of August 4th 1900. After an anxious search of 29 days his remains were discovered on September 1st. Erected by voluntary subscription. The story behind this still sends a shiver down my spine today. The peaks on all three of these mountains are marked by cairns and the trig point on Pen y fan (named Brecon Beacon for some reason) was dismantled in the early 1990's to allow an archeological dig to take place!

It started to get busier after this point, partly due to the time of day and partly because many people do the reservoir circuit.

Annoyingly I'd not marked the crash site of an A10 Thunderbolt near here. So after a great flat walk high above the south edge of Upper Neuadd Reservoir we grabbed Twyn Mwyalchod trig point, ate lunch and descended the extremely steep and muddy slope to the dam. After a stretch of road and forest we were back at the car. We tagged on a couple more miles by visiting the flight of waterfalls near Allt Forgan. The river was so full I managed to slip in whilst trying to cross the slippery stones. But we had come prepared and after a change of socks and shoes we headed home for a very large Chinese takeaway which had been well earned.

Pen y fan stands at almost 3000 feet. I'm not sure of our total climb as I didn't reset the GPSr at the start of the walk, but I would imagine it's also around 3000 feet.

Options

The route is easily split into two halves. I have included the routes for the full walk, the start to Fan y big then along the reservoir and the circle around the reservoir taking in the well know peaks. All are great walks, but I find the Fan y big section quieter.

You can not easily get from the Craig Pwllfa missing trig to the Wellington memorial, but it is well worth a visit. I have not visited the Spitfire crash site yet myself, so can't vouch for this.

Parking is available by the dam (TP005) for the shorter reservoir walk.

The waterfalls can easily be found from a path (via a stile) near the entrance to the main car park.

I first did this walk on 24/6/2006 with Cath and Bob on a rare weekend without Will. We were inexperienced then, but I knew it would be much easier this year (25/8/2007) desite having a bad chest infection which really affected my asthma. The hardest decision here is where to start. I don't like to park at Whitecastle, so I decided to park at Grosmont as I wanted to get the big climb out of the way early on as it was going to be a hot day. It's pretty much a straight 1,200' ascent and of course I was loaded down with plenty of water as well as my other essentials. I have to say that the views from the top of the hill can only be described as outstanding. The route of the walk has changed over time and it doesn't take in the trigpoint any more, but be sure to visit it if you do the walk. We missed it last year, but it's probably the highlight of the walk.

As you start to descend the Marilyn there is a seat to sit and admire the view from. It's the sort of view I could just sit and look at all day long on a day like this, but there's another 20 miles to go, so that's not an option today. Although the walk is waymarked it can be difficult to follow in places, mainly due to vegitation in the summer, so I have marked many of the places where I felt it was possible to go wrong on this walk. I know we added a couple of miles on last time through retracing our tracks after we'd missed a sign. During the first stage I had a couple of encounters with cows. One herd were too young and frisky to risk walking through. They were also crowding around the stile waiting to jump on us, so we had to divert, but otherwise we arrived at Whitecastle without incident.

The first stage is very much hills, streams, cows, sheep, V-footbridges and superb views, whereas the second stage from Whitecastle to Skenfrith is much flatter and a much larger proportion is on roads. It's also the longest stage. There's a kiosk by Whitecastle where you can buy water and basic provisions, but it's only open at peak tourist times. This is the only one of the three castles which charges an admitance fee. Be warned that the lady in the kiosk can talk for Wales. Despite the heat there were plenty of streams, so Bob managed to keep well watered. I had brought several litres of water and it turned out that I needed them all. Throughout the whole of the walk everything is go green in the summer. As I look though the 179 photos I took I am just amazed at the amount of green and blue, with very little else.

I find I get complacent about the number of birds of prey I see these days. They still fascinate me, but you can see them at almost any time in an area like this. I really must learn to identify them though. Everyone you meet on this walk is so friendly. A farmers dogs were bothering Bob and he heard me shooing them off, but rather than get grumpy about it he called the dogs and asked me if I'd got enough water as it was such a hot day. I've found this to be a typical response in this area. I don't think too many people take on this walk and the locals all know where you're going. I met only a pair of walkers all day. We stopped to swap notes and they were walking a 9 mile linear walk along Offa's Dyke Path. There is also much arable land on the second stage.

Water supplies were running out by the time we reached Skenfrith, but the pub has an outside loo, which is great for filling up on water. There is also a great little kiosk shop here selling ice cold drinks, hot drinks, ice cream, cakes and sweets. I sat for 15 minutes with my feet in the river by Skenfrith Bridge. This place is the only touristy place on the walk and it was very busy today as it is also a Bank Holiday weekend. We stocked up with drinks and moved on in the knowledge that the last stage was relatively short. I remember how my feet were in agony by this stage last year, but a decent pair of shoes meant I had no such problems this time. This stage is possibly the greenest of them all. We love to walk in this area as a family as it's so peaceful and unspoilt.

Poor Bob was very thirsty on this stretch as any streams there were had dried up. We had to stop in the shade a couple of times while I tried to feed him water. I felt so sorry for him when he ran down to a steam bed to find it dry. He looked up as if to say "Where's the water? I'm so hot!" . After a couple of moderate climbs we had a superb view of Grosmont again and knew we just had to descend the hill. Bob tried to drink the stream dry at the bottom, but we had forgotten that there was a sting in the tail. We'd dropped 850', but now we had to climb 150' back up the road to the village. A local was in his front garden and said to me "You don't expect that climb at the end do you? Never mind, the pub's open. You've earnt it." How right he was, but we headed home to see the family after a quick call home to get a Stella or two put in the freezer. This walk has to be one of the best there is. There are many places to stay if you want to spread it over two days too. I will be back again within the year, without any doubt.