Sunday Walk - Crickhowell Circular (via Mynydd Llangatwg and Craig y Cilau) [Crickhowell Trip] [Extra Walk]

Length: 18.9 km (11.7 mi), with options to shorten or lengthen 

Ascent/Descent: 680m 

Net Walking Time: 6 hours 

Toughness: 6 out of 10 

 

Meet at 10.00 at Crickhowell Square Bus Stop (or join in Llangattock if you are staying there)

 

From the centre of the rightly popular town of Crickhowell, the route leads across the Usk River and the Monmouth & Brecon Canal up steeply through quiet pastures-with-views up to the easterly end of the Llangattock Escarpment and the fascinating limestone pinnacle of the Lonely Shepherd, overlooking the Clydach Gorge. From there you follow the escarpment westwards, past ex-quarries, surreal looking grassy spoil heaps, a couple of raised bogs and some extensive cave systems leading deep into the underlying limestone layers.

 

The natural amphitheatre of the Craig y Cilau escarpment with its spectacular high limestone cliffs and extensive cave systems, is negotiated with some easy walking along a former tramroad contouring the dramatic grassy ledge with some superb sweeping views across the Usk Valley to The Black Mountains, from the Mynydd Llangorse and Mynydd Troed via Table Mountain and Pen Cerrig-Calch to Sugar Loaf. You continue through the Craig y Cilau National Nature Reserve, where the Eglwys Faen cave system allows for some optional caving and down the slope to the raised bog of the Waun Ddu.

 

A very scenic descent and re-ascent leads through the beautiful Cwm Onnau and across into the very lush Usk Valley, from where you contour through more pastures with extremely fine views of the Central Black Mountains back down to the canal and via Llangattock village to Crickhowell with its many tea options.

Walk Options:   

A Morning Shortcut cuts 1.5m and 40m ascent. 

A rougher version of that shortcut, up a long and steep bouldery track, cuts another 1.4 km. 

Cut out the out-and-back to the Lonely Shepherd limestone pinnacle with views: cut 1.4 km. 

Caving (for beginners) can be done in the Eglwys Faen complex. Bring your headtorch and an extra layer or two! Good profile soles necessary, scrambling experience reassuring. And mind your head! 

An Afternoon Shortcut, cutting the ascent out of the Cwm Onnau and into the Usk Valley, cuts 2.8 km. 

An Extension of the route, higher up the Cwm Onnau adds 2.0 km and 35m ascent. This starts with 20 minutes along the grassy verge of a busy road though.

Lunch: Picnic. Best location: on the grassy ledge below the Llangattock Escarpment, with views across the Usk Valley. 

Tea: Plenty of options in Llangattock and Crickhowell. Check the pdf or the webpage for details.

 

For walk directions, maps, height profiles and gpx/kml files click here.

#2026-09-27T10:00 t=swc.370