The final hill in Monmouthshire for me, Hatterrall Hill is a 531m hill that sits on the far bottom right of the Black Mountains range. This means the Offa’s Dyke and Beacons Way footpath passes closely by it and you have (pretty much) views of Wales on one side and England the other.

Framed by Hills
Edmund’s Tump on the left, Ysgyryd Fawr on the right. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

This is a good circular route, mixing some muddy lanes, country roads, wide grassy paths and some steep and muddy sections of descent. Wear good boots and take care on some of the downhill sections on the way back.

Bryn Arw
The walk starts with some classic country views. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

Parking is in a little car park near the Queen’s Head and is £2 which you need to pay at the pub – there is a little mailbox inside the porch which is accessible even if the pub is shut.

Sugar Loaf
The Sugar Loaf is always visible. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

There are numerous footpaths to chose so you can take different routes in the beginning, but you head to the Offa’s Dyke and Beacons Way footpath which is well marked and easy to follow.

Hatterrall Hill
The Offa’s Dyke and Beacons Way footpath takes you smoothly up towards the trig point. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

You come first to a trig point after a good section of ascent, before a longish walk to the summit which is marked by a small cairn. 

The Trig Point
The trig point provides great views, especially South. However, heavy rain limited my photos of it… | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

Views are good from early on in the ascent, taking in Edmund’s Tump, The Skirrid, the Sugar Loaf, Bryn Arw and the Black Mountains. 

The Black Mountains
Views of the Black Mountains north. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

The summit is fairly flat and covered in heather, with a small path to the cairn that offers a couple of routes down.

Hatterrall Hill
The cairn marking the summit with the Skirrid in the distance. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.
Hatterrall Hill
The cairn again. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

The footpath down is easy to follow, although a little overgrown in places with heather. It leads down to a strange lump that sits on the end of the hill, with enough prominence to be a hill in its own right, albeit a very small one in diameter.

Stormy Sugar Loaf
The distinctive small hill at the bottom of the hill. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

I walked to the top of this, following a little path that winds up and around it. Views from the top are very good as it falls away sharply in every direction.

View from the lump
View from the lump. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

I dropped down from here into the valley and followed a mixture of country lane and footpaths through fields back to the car. The valley was classic Welsh countryside and still offered great views of the Skirrid.

Green Valley
Green valley view. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.
Skirrid View
The rain was worth it for skies like this. | Pentax K 28mm f3.5 @ f8.

This was a decent hill and a good way to complete Monmouthshire, which has some of the best known hills in Wales, but also plenty of quiet ones like this.

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