Region: South Wales — Black Mountains, Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, Wales
Places To Stay: Base yourself in Hay-on-Wye for bookshops, pubs and easy access to Gospel Pass, or stay in Talgarth if you want a quieter base on the southern side of the range. Looking for more Welsh walks? Head to my ‘Wales Hiking Guides‘ page to see all regions and routes.
Staying overnight? Check my guide to the Best Places To Stay in the Brecon Beacons
Below are a few ideas for day tours around the Brecon Beacons / Black Mountains area. GetYourGuide makes it easy to book + see more here.
For a bigger selection of Brecon Beacons accommodation, Booking.com has plenty of cottages, lodges and hotels to browse.
Llanthony Priory is a partly ruined former Augustinian Priory, in the secluded Vale of Ewyas, a steep-sided once-glaciated valley within the Black Mountains area of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire. Above the priory sits ‘Hatterall Hill & Ridge’ on the border of England & Wales, which this route takes you on, before making your way down close to Black Mountain South Top, and returning to the priory, for a great welcome at the cafe/bar.
Getting There: Directions, GPX and Map
- Start/Finish: Llanthony Priory is close to Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, one route is to follow the A465 road to Hereford, leaving at Llanvihangel Crucorney, and following the lane all the way to the priory. The lane is narrow in places and there isn’t enough room for 2 cars, and as a note this lane will take you all the way to Hay on Wye. The priory can be found here – https://maps.app.goo.gl/9N2AonUC6mHG4wYy9
- Transport: No public transport to Llanthony Priory. From Abergavenny or Hay-on-Wye you’ll need to arrange a lift/taxi.
- GPX: Download the GPX file here.
- Route Finder: Follow this route on my Outdooractive profile.
Travel Data: I use eSIMs to stay connected — quick setup and no roaming faff when I’m heading further afield. Sim Local has been solid in Europe with good prices and coverage.
Hike Profile
- Distance: ~11 km (7 miles) circular
- Duration: 4–5 hours
- Highest Point: 690 m
- Difficulty: Moderate, due to a short steep climb, muddy terrain and the weather can be difficult.
- Terrain: Well-worn pathways most of the way around, good walking shoes are a must.
Route Overview (Clockwise from Gospel Pass)
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Hike Description
We start at ‘Llanthony Priory‘, which has a main car park, and an overflow car park in the field to the left. It has to be one of the most unique starting points in Wales, and you will be blown away by how beautiful this place is. There are toilets in the main car park for anyone to use and a cafe/bar which we used at the end with facilities for customers.
The start to this walk is behind the priory, and is accessed through the overflow car park, where there is a clear path heading away from the priory towards the mountain behind. Carry along the path until you come to a large tree stump with a sign stuck to it, and you will see that it’s pointing to the left and directing you to ‘Hatterall Ridge’. When you look back you will get a dramatic view of the priory set against the mountain on the other side, it’s so beautiful.
With the priory now behind you and you have taken a left turn at the sign, you will need to step over one more gate and then the path to the ridge appears in front of you. This is the only steep section on the walk and it does zig-zag but you will need some determination to keep going.
As in most of the cases, this wasn’t a challenge or a race, so we took our time, we rested when we needed to, and in honesty the views behind you are so beautiful, it was great to be able to sit on rocks and ledges and just look down at the priory and through the valley.
We did this walk early March and as you will see the ground and water was frozen at the top, which did make it a bit tricky but the atmosphere it created up there made it totally worth it. At the top of the climb, just follow the path straight ahead and you will soon come to the trig point of ‘Pen y Garn Fawr’ standing at 610m.
Staying overnight? Check my guide to the Best Places To Stay in the Brecon Beacons
The trail you are walking is a part of the ‘Offa’s Dyke Path‘, which is 177-mile-long trail that was named after the Dyke King Offa which divided his Kingdom of Mercia away from rival kingdoms in what is now Wales. In many of my walks on this website, you will join many different trails as many crisscross, it would be a great challenge to say you have completed one of these trails.
Keep walking and eventually you will come to another standing stone on the path, but it isn’t a trig point this time, but a small directional stone with ‘Olchon Valley’ carved into it. We stopped here and had a little break, and once we got going again, we walked on a little further to stand at ‘Black Mountain South Top’.
You just get a view of the path going into the distance, then you can turn around and head back to that stone, and then turn off right to follow the path that way. You are now heading to the edge of this mountain and going to snake your way down to the road.
The path down zig zags and you will need to be careful as it is very uneven, and steep in places, but you look up and you can an incredible view down through the valley, which is the way you will be heading to get back to Llanthony Priory.
Eventually, and I say eventually as it is quite a walk down, it will take some effort especially on the front of the legs, and you will need to be using 3 or 4 limbs in places, just to be that extra careful. You will come to a stile, and just the other side is a farm lane, and you will stay on this lane for around 1.5 miles.
You can follow the road all the way back to the Priory, but you know what the farm lanes are like, you get a lot 4×4’s, tractors and cars and it can be a little dangerous. So, at a certain point you will cross over the river you have been following down, but before you go over that bridge there is a path that cuts left through the trees. It is a solid path, but we preferred it as we got off the road and it will cut a little off the distance.
Back at the Priory, we went into the cafe for a hot drink, and had a look around this beautiful place to start and end a walk. Say hi to the couple who run the Priory for me, say Welsh Man Walking gave you the route, they’ll love that.
Places to Stay in Hay-on-Wye & Talgarth
For a wider choice of accommodation near Gospel Pass, Booking.com has a huge variety to browse through.
Recommended Stays
This lovely, old stone building is at the foothills of the Black Mountains amid beautiful countryside and views of the Brecon Beacons. It has a restful feel, comfortable rooms and a free Wi-Fi zone.
The Castle Hotel in Talgarth is housed in a historic building, offering a unique and charming atmosphere.
AllTrails: Trail Guides & Maps for Hiking, Camping, and Running | AllTrails ‘Plus’ 30% OFF – Read my ‘Full Review‘ for more details.
Staying overnight? Check my guide to the Best Places To Stay in the Brecon Beacons
Practicalities
- Season: All year, but the tops are very exposed – expect strong winds and winter conditions when it’s cold.
- Footwear: Proper walking boots or grippy trail shoes – it can be wet, muddy and steep in places.
- Water & food: Nothing on the route itself; stock up in Hay-on-Wye or Talgarth. Use a Water-to-Go bottole.
- Parking: Free parking At Llanthony Priory – can be busy on weekends.
- Dogs: Yes, but keep on a lead around livestock and on the farmland sections.
- Good for: Big views, border history, long ridge days, and anyone who likes a mix of wild open tops and tucked-away valleys.
Black Mountains Circular FAQs
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Walk this route yourself in 3D!
The video is a 3D walkthrough of this route; it’ll give you a great idea of what to expect before you set foot on the mountain.
I’ve created 3D videos of my walks and shared them with the Outdooractive and Welsh Man Walking communities.
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