Twmpa [Lord Hereford’s Knob]

Twmpa, or Lord Herefords Knob, is a 690m Mountain in the Black Mountains range. It forms part of quite a dramatic wedge that includes Rhos Dirion and Hay Bluff.

The route I took takes you into a dip between Rhos Dirion and Twmpa, from here there are good views North and good views towards Twmpa and back to Rhos Dirion. This is a really nice section that I will definitely return to in better weather.

This section is good, soft grass paths, which is bit of a relief after the hard gravel pathway up until Rhos Dirion which becomes wearing on the feet after a while. There are some rocks jutting out in places on the ascent to Twmpa which make for good photos and possibly places to sit / stand and be photographed if you have company.

At this point in the walk I started to see more walkers, due to how close this mountain is to Gospel Pass which has road access and parking. There also seemed to be parking places North of here as well, with other routes up to this ridgeway that would provide great views of these mountains.

The summit is marked by a few cairns, very neatly constructed by some visitors to this mountain. There are good natural grass seats and shelter points from wind and rain erosion, so it is a great place to sit for a drink or a bite to eat. The views are extensive and worth a reflective pause as well.

Walking on from Twmpa leads you down into Gospel Pass and then up to Hay’s Bluff. The views here are really good and you’ll also find plenty of horses and people.

Definitely worth a visit, even if you park at Gospel Pass and just do a short walk.