A nice little walk this, starting at a small car park at the Queen’s Head pub (£2 for the day, pay by dropping your money into an honesty box in the porch) and ascending nearly 900ft up to a well-defined peak complete with cairn and the remains of an iron age hillfort – grassy ridges showing the location of old walls.

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The walk up gives you good views East towards the start of Hatterrall Hill (left) and Edmund’s Tump, middle in the distance. The hills behind that are all in England. | Tamron SP 20-40 @ 40mm, f8.

Sitting in the middle of some classic hills and the Black Mountains you have 360 degree views in every direction, making this a great hill to really take in what Monmouthshire has to offer.

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Bryn Arw, which has interesting text on it in most directions, and, left, the Skirrid. | Tamron SP 20-40 @ 40mm, f8.

Once you’d paid your £2, head up the steep lane and follow it all the way until it ends at a gateway onto common ground. You will see on the way up there are other places you could park, for free, if you want to avoid the £2 and a few hundred feet of ascent (the first and main parking area saves you 220ft).

Once you’re on the grassy common, turn left immediately and follow the path up alongside the wall, this curves round to the summit cairn. Nice and grassy walk, easy all the way up. I then walked down the other side of the hill – which gives you good views back to the summit – and along the main pathway / track back to the gate.

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Summit cairn looking north to the Black Mountains. | Tamron SP 20-40 @ 40mm, f8.
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Looking West. | Tamron SP 20-40 @ 20mm, f8.

You could easily continue this walk in every direction, given that the area is riddled with footpaths. You could extend the loop, or continue on the ridgeway onto the Black Mountains range.

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Black Mountains. | Tamron SP 20-40 @ 20mm, f11.

A good little walk this one, great views and the pub serves Coffee, cake, cider and real ales so you could easily start or end with that.

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Looking East. | Tamron SP 20-40 @ 20mm, f11.
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Looking at the Skirrid. | Tamron SP 20-40 @ 40mm, f8.

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