The Three Castles Walk is a waymarked long-distance footpath and recreational walk in north-east Monmouthshire, Wales, linking Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castles.
The Three Castles Walk is a waymarked long-distance footpath and recreational walk in north-east Monmouthshire, Wales, linking Skenfrith, Grosmont and White Castles.
The Three Castles Walk covers 31.2 kilometres (19.4 mi) [1] on a circular route.
The route links Skenfrith Castle ( 51°52′42″N2°47′25″W / 51.8783°N 2.7903°W ), Grosmont Castle ( 51°54′55″N2°51′58″W / 51.9154°N 2.8661°W ) and White Castle ( 51°50′46″N2°54′08″W / 51.8460°N 2.9021°W ). [1] It follows woods and hills and takes the walker over Graig Syfyrddin (Edmunds Tump), from which there are views of the Welsh Marches, the mountains of South Wales, including the Black Mountains, and the Forest of Dean and beyond.
The Three Castles Walk links with the Offa's Dyke Path (at White Castle) and the Monnow Valley Walk (at Skenfrith and Grosmont).
Offa's Dyke Path is a long-distance footpath loosely following the Wales–England border. Officially opened on 10 July 1971, by Lord Hunt, it is one of Britain's National Trails and draws walkers from throughout the world. About 60 miles (97 km) of the 177-mile (285 km) route either follows, or keeps close company with, the remnants of Offa's Dyke, an earthwork traditionally thought to have been constructed in the late 8th century on the orders of King Offa of Mercia.
The River Monnow marks the England–Wales border for much of its 42 miles (68 km) length. After flowing through southwest Herefordshire, England, and eastern Monmouthshire, Wales, its confluence with the River Wye is approximately 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) south of Monmouth.
White Castle, also known historically as Llantilio Castle, is a ruined castle near the village of Llantilio Crossenny in Monmouthshire, Wales. The fortification was established by the Normans in the wake of the invasion of England in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, it comprised three large earthworks with timber defences. In 1135, a major Welsh revolt took place and in response King Stephen brought together White Castle and its sister fortifications of Grosmont and Skenfrith to form a lordship known as the "Three Castles", which continued to play a role in defending the region from Welsh attack for several centuries.
Llanvapley is a village in the community of Gobion Fawr, in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, United Kingdom. Llan has replaced the (earlier) Eglwys (1254). This village lies 4 miles north east of 2023’s Best Places to Live listed town, Abergavenny.
Skenfrith Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Skenfrith in Monmouthshire, Wales. The fortification was established by the Normans in the wake of the invasion of England in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, the castle comprised earthworks with timber defences. In 1135, a major Welsh revolt took place and in response King Stephen brought together Skenfrith Castle and its sister fortifications of Grosmont and White Castle to form a lordship known as the "Three Castles", which continued to play a role in defending the region from Welsh attack for several centuries.
Grosmont is a village and community near Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales. The population taken at the 2011 census was 920. The wider community (parish) includes the villages of Llangattock Lingoed, Llangua and Llanvetherine.
Grosmont Castle is a ruined castle in the village of Grosmont, Monmouthshire, Wales. The fortification was established by the Normans in the wake of the invasion of England in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, it was originally an earthwork design with timber defences. In 1135, a major Welsh revolt took place, and in response King Stephen brought together Grosmont Castle and its sister fortifications of Skenfrith and White Castle to form a lordship known as the "Three Castles", which continued to play a role in defending the region from Welsh attack for several centuries.
Graig Syfyrddin or just The Graig, is a 423m high hill near Grosmont in north-eastern Monmouthshire, Wales. The summit knoll is known as Edmund's Tump. The hill consists of an isolated mass of the micaceous sandstones of the Brownstones Formation, a unit of the Old Red Sandstone well known from the nearby Black Mountains, of which it can be considered an outlier in both the geographical and geological sense.
Monnow Valley Walk is a 40 miles (64 km) long-distance footpath in north-east Monmouthshire, South Wales, with short sections in Herefordshire, England and Powys. It links Monmouth and Hay-on-Wye, following the River Monnow and the foot of the Black Mountains. The trail is linear running through the valley of the River Monnow, from Monmouth, near its confluence with the River Wye, to the headwaters below Hay Bluff. At this point, the walk links up with the Offa's Dyke Path National Trail, sharing the same route to the finishing points at Hay-on-Wye.
Llantilio Crossenny is a small village and much larger former community, now in the community of Whitecastle, in Monmouthshire, south east Wales, in the United Kingdom. It is situated between the two towns of Abergavenny and Monmouth on the B4233 road. The community included Penrhos, and Llanvihangel-Ystern-Llewern.
Cross Ash is a village in Monmouthshire, south east Wales. It is located on the B4521 road between Abergavenny and Skenfrith, some six miles north east of Abergavenny. The Welsh name for Cross Ash is Croesonnen, although it is not currently in official use.
Skenfrith is a small village in Monmouthshire, south-east Wales. It is located on the River Monnow, close to the border between Wales and England, about 6 miles (9.7 km) north-west of Monmouth.
The Beacons Way is a waymarked long distance footpath in the Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales. It is a linear route which runs for 99 miles (159 km) east to west through the National Park, and passes many of the most important landmarks and mountain peaks in the mountain range. It also includes a few of the towns in the park as well as popular attractions such as Carreg Cennen Castle near Llandeilo at the western end of the path.
The Church of St Bridget (or St Bride) lies at the north end of the village of Skenfrith, Monmouthshire, Wales. It is an active parish church and a Grade I listed building. The church is dedicated to St Brigit (Welsh: Sant Ffraid), to whom 17 churches are dedicated across the country.
B4347 road is a road in Monmouthshire, south-eastern Wales, and crosses the border into Herefordshire, England. The road begins at 51°49′38″N2°45′0″W in Rockfield, to the northwest of Monmouth as a continuation of the B4233 road. It passes through the village of Skenfrith. The road ends at the junction with the B4348 to the west of Kingstone, Herefordshire at 52°1′25″N2°55′21″W. The road crosses the River Monnow.
Monmouthshire is a county and principal area of Wales. It borders Torfaen and Newport to the west; Herefordshire and Gloucestershire to the east; and Powys to the north. The largest town is Abergavenny, with the other major towns being Chepstow, Monmouth, and Usk. The county is 850 km2 in extent, with a population of 95,200 as of 2020. The present county was formed under the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994, which came into effect in 1996, and comprises some sixty percent of the historic county. Between 1974 and 1996, the county was known by the ancient title of Gwent, recalling the medieval Welsh kingdom. In his essay on local government in the fifth and final volume of the Gwent County History, Robert McCloy suggests that the governance of "no county in the United Kingdom in the twentieth century was so transformed as that of Monmouthshire".
The Three Castles was a former medieval lordship, comprising the fortifications of Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle in Monmouthshire, Wales. The castles were established by the Normans in the wake of their conquest of England in 1066, to protect the route from Wales to Hereford. Possibly commissioned by William fitz Osbern, the Earl of Hereford, they initially comprised earthwork fortifications with timber defences. In 1135, a major Welsh revolt took place and in response King Stephen brought the castles together to form the lordship, which continued to play a role in defending the region for several centuries.
Three Castles was a medieval lordship in Monmouthshire, Wales, comprising the fortifications of Grosmont, Skenfrith and White Castle.
Grosmont Town Hall is a municipal building in Grosmont, Monmouthshire, Wales. The structure, which is the meeting place of Grosmont Community Council, is a Grade II listed building.