Posts tagged Wales
Permanently Cancelled UK parkrun events
 

While there are new parkrun events starting on most weeks, occasionally events are permanently cancelled. The most common reason is due to landowners withdrawing permission, either due to safety or capacity concerns.

There are currently 35 permanently cancelled parkrun events in the UK that were publicly accessible. A further 16 events on closed facilities (e.g. prisons), plus one overseas military base, are also permanently cancelled. There’s a few exceptions which are not included in these numbers and the details on this page.

  • Bakewell parkun started in 2018 and continued until the Covid pause in 2020. It was replaced by Monsall Trail parkun which starts in the same place but runs in the opposite direction. The old Bakewell course headed north to the turning point and The Monsal Trail course runs south to a different turn around point. Both start and finish at the old Hassop Station. I have not counted Bakewell as a cancellation as the event numbers continued through to the Monsall Trail stats.

  • Darley Abbey parkrun started in 2013 and continued until January 2016. It was replaced by Markeaton in March of the same year in a different location. I have not counted Darley Abbey as a cancellation as the event numbers continued through to the Markeaton stats.

  • Morden Hall, Greater London was held as a one-off on June 6th 2009 as part of the Wandle Valley Festival. Following the event, the National Trust grounds were deemed unsuitable for a permanent weekly 5k, likely due to concerns about the impact of regular footfall on the delicate nature of the park or congestion on the paths.

  • Middlesbrough Stewart, North-East England held 3 events on Wednesday nights.

  • There were 4 bespoke parkrun events that were held in 2011/2012. These were: Bramhall Park (6th Sep 2011), Harrogate (7th Jan 2012), Highbury Fields (26th July 2012), Oldham (16th Sep 2012).

The first UK parkrun event to be permanently cancelled was Little Stoke which ended on May 7th 2016. The most recent is Victoria Dock which closed on December 20th 2025.

Ipswich was the event that had the most event numbers before closing at 574. Wythall closed after only 1 event.

Many of these events retain a strong community who would love to see them return, either at the same venue or nearby. I’ll update this page if any return. Note that although Brighouse has been closed since February 24th I’ve received a lot of feedback that there are plans to restart it. I’ve not included it in the listings but I’ll add it in if it doesn’t come back.

Let me know if you have any corrections or additional information to add to this page either by commenting below or via my Contact page. I’m also looking to add photos of the cancelled events, especially the parkrun event name banner. I’ll donate £1 to parkrun for every correction, additional fact or photo used.

Red crosses indicate permanently cancelled public parkrun events. Orange crosses indicate permanently cancelled parkrun events on closed facilities.

Aston Hall

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. Historic County: Warwickshire

  • Inaugural: October 14th 2023. Final event: #34 on August 24th 2024

  • Reason for cancellation: Due a lack of core team. The local football club foundation had invested heavily into the event and made commitments in the process which were then never fully fulfilled. Unfortunately, there is no nearby running club and the local community also didn’t embrace the arrival of parkrun. This meant despite lots of effort by the ambassadors and local other parkruns no core team was ever built and most runners each week were tourists being no regular volunteer base could be established.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Lucas Farls, Paul France, Roderick Hoffman, Amy Louis, Anna McManus, Chris Reeler, Carlo Di Terlizzi, Jo Yarnall

Bodelwyddan Castle

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Wales. County: Denbighshire

  • Inaugural: August 18th 2018. Final event: #35 on June 29th 2019

  • Reason for cancellation: Closure of the castle and grounds to the public.

  • Replaced by: Nova Prestatyn (maybe not officially but many of the core team moved there)

  • Links: Event Home Page, Wikipedia

  • Photos by: Graham Holland

Caldicot

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Wales. County: Gwent / Monmouthshire

  • Inaugural: July 29th 2017. Final event: #7 on October 14th 2017

  • Reason for cancellation: Suspended due to railway works.

  • Replaced by: Rogiet

  • Links: Event Home Page

Castle Howard

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: North Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: September 14th 2019. Final event: #23 on March 7th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The owners (the Howard Family) felt the parkrun got in the way of their daily operation & opening hours. Also - dissolution of the core volunteer team.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Matt Johnson, Michael Ingham, Victoria Knight-Phillips, Siân Siân, Heather Thomas

Catterick

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: North Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: June 17th 2017. Final event: #135 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Catterick racecourse management decided they could no longer host it, citing reasons like public liability risks, potential disturbance to the on-site fishing club, and plans for their own redevelopment.

  • Replaced by: Thorp Perrow

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Gail Jazmik, Katherine Richards

Churchfields Farm

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. Historic County: Worcestershire

  • Inaugural: December 29th 2018. Final event: #41 on October 19th 2019

  • Reason for cancellation: Churchfields farm business model changed after Covid with an increase in weddings and other events which bought them more money than parkrun. The increase in numbers that this bought meant they could no longer accommodate parkrun. In addition in winter prior to the pandemic the underfoot conditions with it being on a working farm meant it had not run for much of it either

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Carlo Di Terlizzi, Andy Southall, Linda Wheeler

Cuerden Valley

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: North West England. County: Lancashire

  • Inaugural: August 10th 2013. Final event: #329 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to financial struggles and a belief by the Cuerden Valley Trust that parkrun, a national organization, should contribute financially to the park's upkeep.

  • Replaced by: many of the core team moved to Worden

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Gail Jazmik

Dallas Burston Polo Club

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Warwickshire

  • Inaugural: October 16th 2021. Final event: #83 on November 25th 2023

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to ongoing land improvements and development at the estate, which made the parkrun route unusable and unsustainable.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Carlo Di Terlizzi, Lynda Skerratt, Linda Wheeler, Rhiannon Williams, Julia Zimmek

Ellenbrook Fields

  • I completed this event on: June 17th 2017 with a finish time of: 25:52

  • Region: East of England. County: Hertfordshire

  • This event was also part of Chilterns parkrun

  • Inaugural: May 21st 2016. Final Event: #203 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Event organizers could not secure the necessary permission from the landowners to continue hosting the event after the COVID-19 pause.

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

  • Photos by: Roderick Hoffman, Claudia Selina

  • The final stetch of Ellenbrook fields course used the old De Havilland (1930's to 1990's) concrete runway.

Epworth Equestrian

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: Lincolnshire

  • Inaugural: July 29th 2023. Final event: #59 on October 12th 2024

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to low café usage.

  • Replaced by: Vermuyden Way

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Joanna Bailey, Jason Clift-Jones, Paul France, Amanda M-h, Lou Mann, Siân Siân, Alexander J. Thomas, Claire Wilke, Jo Yarnall

Fritton Lake

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East of England. County: Norfolk

  • Inaugural: May 5th 2012. Final event: #356 on March 30th 2019

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to the venue's new management who implemented charges for event use, which clashed with parkrun's free, volunteer-led model, leading to disagreements over costs, event scale, and health/safety responsibilities.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Lorna Salmon

Gainsborough

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East Midlands. County: Lincolnshire

  • Inaugural: May 30th 2015. Final event: #242 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Didn’t restart after Covid as some of the land had planning permission for housing, which went ahead.

  • Replaced by: Thonock Lane Farm

  • Links: Event Home Page

Gibside

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: North East England. Historic County: Durham. Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear

  • Inaugural: February 22nd 2014. Final event: #280 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and changes on the Gibside estate (National Trust property) making the original course unviable.

  • Replaced by: Chopwell Wood

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Siân Siân

Hanbury Hall

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Worcestershire

  • Inaugural: July 2nd 2016. Final event: #26 on December 31st 2016

  • Reason for cancellation: Its paths and terrain weren't suitable for the large numbers of runners, with concerns about safety on muddy, uneven ground, especially as it wasn't a public park.

  • Links: Event Home Page

Hatfield Forest

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East of England. County: Essex

  • Inaugural: March 21st 2015. Final event: #131 on September 23rd 2017

  • Reason for cancellation: The venue couldn't sustain the growing event, mainly due to a lack of all-weather parking, leading to difficult conditions in winter and limited space.

  • Replaced by: Castle Park

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Roderick Hoffman

Heartwood Forest

  • I completed this event on: January 20th 2018 with a finish time of: 28:00

  • Region: East of England. County: Hertfordshire

  • Inaugural: June 29th 2017. Final event: #47 on October 6th 2018

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to challenges with sustainability, traffic, and potential negative impacts on the growing woodland.

  • Replaced by: Jersey Farm

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

  • Photos by: Roderick Hoffman, Lara Pocock

Henstridge Airfield

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: South West England. County: Somerset

  • Inaugural: September 8th 2018. Final Event: #167 on September 2nd 2023

  • Reason for cancellation: The Event Directors decided they no longer wanted to run it, and without their specific site knowledge for ensuring safety, the Landlord required the event to stop, as no one else with the necessary skills stepped up to take over.

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

  • Photos by: Jane Bell, Kay Boorman, Steve Callow, Hayley Southgate, Julia Zimmek

Inverness

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Scotland. County: Inverness-shire / Highland

  • Inaugural: September 3rd 2011. Final event: #432 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Original venue became unavailable

  • Replaced by: Torvean

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Gareth Llewellyn, Paul Watt

Ipswich

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East of England. County: Suffolk

  • Inaugural: September 8th 2012. Final event: #574 on January 18th 2025.

  • Reason for cancellation: Severe weather and overuse (high footfall) damaging Chantry Park, leading to a need to rest the venue and explore route changes, with organizers working with the council for a return, which eventually happened at a new location, Christchurch Park.

  • Replaced by: Christchurch Park which was previously the winter course for Ipswich.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Fiona Earl, Roderick Hoffman, Dominique Sellors, Robert Sprurgeon, Hailey Swailes, Paul Watt

Knockbracken Reservoir

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Northern Ireland. Historic County: County Down

  • Inaugural: February 29th 2020. Final event: #189 on June 28th 2025

  • Reason for cancellation: Organizers couldn't reach a compromise with the landowner, Let's Go Hydro, regarding the use of their private grounds.

  • Replaced by: Belvoir Forest

  • Links: Event Home Page, Dancing at Lunacy Blog Post

  • Photos by: Michael Conway, Linda Harley Gillespie, Jocasta Williams

Little Stoke

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: South West England. County: Gloucestershire

  • Inaugural: November 3rd 2012. Final event: #173 on May 7th 2016

  • Reason for cancellation: Stoke Gifford Parish Council demanded charges (initially £1 per runner, then for park maintenance), which parkrun organizers, said contradicted the event's free, volunteer-led ethos and would set a dangerous precedent, leading organizers to withdraw the event on safety and principle grounds.

  • Replaced by: Many of the Little Stoke core team went to Eastville, Three Brooks, Pomphrey Hill and Chipping Sodbury

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

  • Photos by: Louise Duggan, Roderick Hoffman, Claire Wilkie

Llanelli Coast

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Wales. County: Carmarthenshire / Dyfed

  • Inaugural: November 19th 2016. Final event: #161 on March 7th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Not due to a single event, but rather its operations shifted to become the nearby Sandy Water parkrun, though the original site faced issues like flooding and changing conditions over time.

  • Replaced by: Sandy Water

  • Links: Event Home Page

Mountbatten School

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: South East England. County: Hampshire

  • Inaugural: March 2nd 2019. Final event: #46 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The company who ran the Mountbatten School Site removed permission.

  • Replaced by: Ganger Farm

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

  • Photo by: Roderick Hoffman

Mulbarton

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East of England. County: Norfolk

  • Inaugural: March 16th 2013. Final event: #322 on February 8th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The core team couldn't secure necessary landowner permissions and found no viable permanent alternative location.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo By: Amanda M-h (notparkrun during “the pause”)

New Earswick

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: North Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: April 21st 2018. Final event: #241 on August 30th 2025

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to unresolved capacity issues and conflicts with other activities at the New Earswick Sports & Social Club, the venue's home, leading to unsafe overlaps, parking complaints, and inability to find a workable solution

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Joanna Bailey, Clare Griffiths, Amanda M-h, Hah Nah, Siân Siân, Claire Wilkie

Skegness Boating Lake

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East Midlands. County: Lincolnshire

  • Inaugural: December 28th 2019. Final event: #12 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: During covid the main carpark entrance for Skegness was moved, it now goes across the course path whereas previously it didn’t.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo By: Ali Sheppard

Storeys Field

  • I completed this event on: July 15th 2023 with a finish time of: 27:07

  • Region: East of England. County: Cambridgeshire

  • Inaugural: July 31st 2021. Final event: #206 on August 30th 2025

  • Reason for cancellation: A new road was built directly through its course in the Eddington development, making the route unsafe and unviable.

  • Replaced by: Brook Leys

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course page

  • Photos by: Jess Furber, Sarah Kimberley, Paul Miles, Terry Robert Spurgeon

Storthes Hall

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: West Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: January 19th 2019. Final event: #50 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The Storthes Hall Student Village, its host venue, closed down due to business challenges.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Viki Bee Clarke, Gail Jazmik, Finbar Morley

Stranmillis College

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Northern Ireland. County: County Antrim

  • Inaugural: February 2nd 2019. Final event: #54 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to increasing conflicts with the college's sporting activities, particularly football, meaning the event couldn't safely run when pitches were in use from late summer to mid-February, leading to a mutual decision to stop the weekly run

  • Links: Event Home Page, Dancing At Lunacy Blog Post

  • Photos by: Linda Harley Gillespie

Tees Barrage

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: North East England. County: County Durham

  • Inaugural: June 23rd 2012. Final event: #378 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Reportedly due to a runner tripping and injuring themselves then making a claim against the water authority who are the landowners. The landowners decided not to continue with permission to allow the event.

  • Replaced by: “Sure some of the core team set up Wynyard Woodlands as its replacement”

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Siân Siân

Tring

  • I completed this event on: November 22nd 2014 with a finish time of: 27:01

  • Region: East of England. County: Hertfordshire

  • This event was also part of Chilterns parkrun

  • Inaugural: November 1st 2014. Final Event: #293 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The Woodland Trust, which manages Tring Park, withdrew permission for the event for reasons that both the Landowners, local community and parkrun UK rejected.

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

  • Photo by: Ken Douglas, Roderick Hoffman, David McKillop, Claudia Selina

Victoria Dock

  • I completed this event on: April 28th 2018 with a finish time of: 24:23

  • Greater London Borough: Newham. Historic County: Essex

  • Inaugural: March 17th 2018. Final Event: #272 on December 20th 2025

  • Reason for cancellation: Per the Victoria Dock parkrun Facebook page: “Victoria Dock has always relied entirely on volunteers. Sadly, despite our best efforts, we’ve reached a point where we no longer have enough volunteers to continue the event sustainably. This has been the deciding factor in our decision to close.”

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

  • Photos By: Victoria Dock parkrun Facebook Page, Richard Gower

Wolford Wood

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Warwickshire

  • Inaugural: February 11th 2023. Final event: #60 on November 16th 2024

  • Reason for cancellation: Wolford Wood was a SSSI and badly affected by the weather so couldn’t run for much of the time and the landowners decided to end their support.

  • Replaced by: Fire Service College. Wolford Wool was started when Fire Service College became unavailable so was technically a replacement event itself.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Jane Bell, Cheryl Currant, Mike Lewis, Paul Miles, Rhiannon Williams

Wythall

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Worcestershire

  • Inaugural: September 16th 2017. Final event: #1 on September 16th 2017

  • Reason for cancellation: “Wythall Park Community Association have voted against allowing parkrun to continue at their venue, as it "would suffer disproportionate damage".”

  • Links: Event Home Page

Yeovil Montacute

  • I completed this event on: September 15th 2018 with a finish time of: 25:41

  • Region: South West England. County: Somerset

  • Inaugural: September 7th 2013. Final Event: #295 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Per the core team: “as the core team put it "Unfortunately we are a victim of our own success - the increasing numbers of people attending prior to the pandemic were having an increasing impact on the Trust’s ability to care for the Grade I listed parkland"

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

  • Photos by: Gail Benghiat, Kelly Croft, Yvonne Faulkner-Grant, Roderick Hoffman, Sue Freegard, Richard Gower

Permanently Cancelled junior parkrun events

Barking and Dagenham juniors

Bold Forest juniors

  • Region: North West England. County: Merseyside

  • Inaugural: 13 August 2017. Final event: #119 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Brentwood juniors

Brighouse juniors

Castle Park juniors

  • Region: North West England. County: Cheshire

  • Notes: This event closed before starting. There were no actual events held for the public.

Craigswood juniors

  • Region: Scotland. County: Lothian

  • Inaugural: 03 March 2019. Final event: #54 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Daventry juniors

Dixton juniors

Dover juniors

Lakes juniors

Llanelli Coast juniors

Melton Mowbray juniors

Northwich juniors

  • Region: North West England. County: Cheshire

  • Inaugural: 27 March 2016. Final event: #191 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Nostell juniors

Park Wood juniors

Peel Park juniors

  • Region: North West England. County: Greater Manchester

  • Inaugural: 12 May 2019. Final event: #39 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Poole juniors

Reculver juniors

Shelley juniors

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: West Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: 10 June 2018. Final event: #151 on 15 October 2023

  • Links: Event Home Page

Strathmartine juniors

West Smethwick juniors

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Staffordshire

  • Inaugural: 15 March 2020. Final event: #1 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Whiteley juniors

Permanently Cancelled parkruns on closed facilities

Altcourse

  • Historic County: Lancashire. Ceremonial County: Merseyside

  • Inaugural: November 16th 2019. Final event: #15 on March 14th 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Bear Brook

Camp Bastion

Cromhall

East Sutton Park

Elmley

Fort Road

Freckleton Road

  • Region: North West England. County: Lancashire

  • Inaugural: November 26th 2022. Final event: #71 on November 9th 2024

  • Links: Event Home Page

Grove

Hollesley Bay

  • Region: East of England. County: Suffolk

  • Inaugural: June 29th 2019. Final event: #36 on June 25th 2022

  • Links: Event Home Page

Onley

Peregrine

Portrack

  • Region: North East England. County: County Durham

  • Inaugural: August 20th 2022. Final event: #104 on December 28th 2024

  • Links: Event Home Page

Prescoed

  • Region: Wales. County: Monmouthshire / Gwent

  • Inaugural: November 13th 2021. Final event: #11 on March 26th 2022

  • Links: Event Home Page

Sands Lane

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: East Riding of Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: February 22nd 2020. Final event: #50 on July 15th 2023

  • Links: Event Home Page

Swinfen

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Staffordshire

  • Inaugural: May 11th 2019. Final event: #48 on March 14th 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Wayland

  • Region: East of England. County: Norfolk

  • Inaugural: April 14th 2018. Final event: #93 on March 14th 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Contributors

The great people of the parkrun Tourism community who provided input to this page. Photo credits are listed above in the relevant event section.

Tan Ratty Blot, Richard Borrowdale, Kevin Botto, Catherine Brook, Liz, Burkey, Shane Chapman, Jason V. Clift-Jones, Joanne Collins, Cheryl Currant, Ken Douglas, Nicola Douglas, John Flannery, Nicola Francis, Martin Gebbett, Linda Harley Gillespie, Roderick Hoffman, Neil Holloway, Olly Hughes, Matt Johnson, Chris Lillywhite, Anton Mirafsari, Anna McManus, Finbarr Morley, Rob Ogelsby, Charlie Pearce, Ian Penson, Jonathan Webb, Becky Weaver-Clarke, Jocasta Williams, Yvonne

https://www.richardgower.com/blog/parkrun

More parkrun posts

parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

Featured and popular parkrun posts:

Richard gowerRun, parkrun, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland Comments
Trig Pillar Extremes

If you’ve searched for or stumbled across this page then you probably already know what an OS Trig Pillar is. If you don’t then this article from the Ordnance Survey is a good place to start.

Over 6,000 Trig Pillars were erected across the country from 1936 to 1962. The first known person to have visited all of them was Rob Woodall who completed his 14-year personal quest in April 2016. At the time of writing this I’ve also been visiting Trig Pillars for over 14 years but so far I’ve bagged less than 5%. While I don’t have the need to bag them all, I’d be happy with an “interesting 10%”. These would include all of the pillars on the UK County Tops and, as it’s close to home, all of South East England. After a geeky pub conversation somewhere in Scotland after a County Top climb, I also took an interest in the extremes: the oldest, the newest, the furthest north, east, south and west. This post shows the results of my research so far into what are those extreme Trig Pillars.

Let me know if you have any corrections to the information on this page or any suggestions for other extreme Trig Pillars. I’ll donate £1 to one of the outdoor causes that I support for any edit made.

Trig Pillar Compass Club

The spreadsheet below shows the same Trig Pillars as in the map above. Note that those highlighted in yellow are ones that I’m less confident in. Comment below if you can confirm or correct any of these.

Other Extremes

Thanks to Mark Brace and Ross Lockley for their contributions to this page.

Back to Trek Index
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern IrelandComment
parkrun County Completion Names

parkrun Completion names are unofficial titles for having completed all of the parkrun events in a county. “LonDone” is one of the most popular and there’s frequent discussions on others in the various parkun social media groups. Below are the ones that I’ve noted over the years. For most I’ve forgotten or don’t know the original source so please comment below to claim credit. Also comment below if you have any other county completion names to fill the gaps. I’ll donate £1 to parkrun Forever for and name added to the main list.

County names in bold link to a completion page showing the parkrun events for that county. I do one of these pages once I’ve completed at least 3 events in that county. If you would like to speed up the process, Buy Me a Coffee and I’ll create a new page for your chosen county and dedicate it to you.

English Counties

Shows both Historic and Ceremonial Counties. Ceremonial counties with a distinct name to the Historic County are indicated with a *. Where a county has been sub-divided (e.g. Sussex into East and West), I’ve shown the combined name.

  • Berkshire: Complete Berk or Total Berk

  • Bristol*: Brist-all

  • Buckinghamshire: Buck'ed Up

  • Cambridgeshire: Camb-which

  • Cheshire: The Cheshire Set

  • Cornwall: CornwAll

  • Cumberland:

  • Cumbria*: Done-bria

  • Derbyshire:

  • Devon:

  • Dorset: The Dor Set

  • Durham:

  • Essex: PIED. Parkruns in Essex Done

  • Gloucestershire: Glos’d Over

  • Greater London*: LonDone

  • Greater Manchester*: Greater Ran-Chester

  • Hampshire: Champshire

  • Herefordshire:

  • Hertfordshire: King/Queen of Herts

  • Huntingdonshire:

  • Kent: Total Kent, Gar-Done of England

  • Lancashire: Rankashire

  • Leicestershire: Flaw-Leics

  • Lincolnshire: No Missing Lincs

  • Merseyside*: Mersey-Beat

  • Middlesex:

  • Norfolk: That’s All Folks (for both Norfolk and Suffolk)

  • Northamptonshire: Northamp-done-shire

  • Northumberland: North-done-berland

  • Nottinghamshire: Get Nott’ed, Notting-done

  • Oxfordshire:

  • Rutland: Rutland-ed

  • Shropshire:

  • Somerset: The Somer-Set

  • Staffordshire: Fully Staffed

  • Suffolk: PISD: Parkruns in Suffolk Done. That’s All Folks (for both Norfolk and Suffolk)

  • Surrey: SurreyALList

  • Sussex: Sussexful

  • Tyne and Wear*: Full Tyne

  • Warwickshire:

  • West Midlands*: West Didlands

  • Westmorland:

  • Wiltshire: Complete Bustard

  • Worcestershire:

  • Yorkshire: Yorkshire Pud-done

Others:

Northern Irish Counties

Historic Counties:

  • Antrim

  • Armagh

  • Down

  • Fermanagh

  • Londonderry

  • Tyrone

Other:

  • All of Northern Ireland: Northern Entireland

Scottish Counties

Historic Counties

  • Aberdeenshire

  • Angus

  • Argyll

  • Ayrshire

  • Banffshire

  • Berwickshire

  • Bute

  • Caithness

  • Clackmannanshire

  • Dumfriesshire

  • Dunbartonshire

  • East Lothian

  • FifeInverness-shire

  • Kincardineshire

  • Kinross-shire

  • Kirkcudbrightshire

  • Lanarkshire

  • Midlothian

  • Moray

  • Nairnshire

  • Orkney

  • Peeblesshire

  • Perthshire

  • Renfrewshire

  • Ross and Cromarty

  • Roxburghshire

  • Selkirkshire

  • Stirlingshire

  • Sutherland

  • West Lothian

  • Wigtownshire

  • Zetland (Shetland)

Other:

  • All of Scotland: Allba

Welsh Counties

Historic Counties:

  • Monmouthshire

  • Glamorganshire

  • Carmarthenshire

  • Pembrokeshire

  • Cardiganshire

  • Brecknockshire

  • Radnorshire

  • Montgomeryshire

  • Denbighshire

  • Flintshire

  • Merionethshire

  • Caernarfonshire

  • Anglesey

Preserved Counties:

  • Gwent: Gwent there and done it

  • South Glamorgan

  • Mid Glamorgan

  • West Glamorgan

  • Dyfed

  • Powys

  • Gwynedd

  • Clwyd

Other:

  • All of Wales: Plugged the Leek

More parkrun posts

parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerEngland, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland Comments
Coety Mountain: Blaenau Gwent & Torfen High Points

Approach to Coety Mountain from Forge Side Road

Coety Mountain

Also known as: Coity Mountain / Mynydd Coety (Welsh)
Significance: High Point for the Welsh Principal Area of Blaenau Gwent
Member of: Marilyns
Parent Peak: Pen y Fan. NHN = Sugar Loaf
Elevation: 578m
Date climbed: August 19th 2023
Coordinates: 51° 45' 55'' N, 3° 6' 53'' W
Links: Wikipedia: Blaenau Gwent, Coety Mountain, Peakbagger

Coety Mountain East Slope

Significance:  Unitary Authority High Point for Torfaen
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Coety Mountain. NHN = Coety Mountain
Elevation: 574m
Date climbed: August 19th 2023
Coordinates: 51° 45' 56'' N, 3° 6' 50'' W
Links: Wikipedia (Torfaen), Peakbagger


For both peaks:

Route Start & Finish: Parking space before the cattle grid near Varteg Road Cemetery, Varteg Road, Pontypool, NP4, UK
Route Distance: 10.1 km (6.2 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 276m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): N/A
Other routes touched (cycle): N/A but NCN 492 passes very close to the start of the walk.
OS Trig Pillar: TP5042 - Mynydd Varteg Fawr
Pubs / Cafes on route: N/A
Map: Ordnance Survey OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern Area Map
Links: Blaenavon, Blaenavon World Heritage Site

Coety Mountain is the high point of the Welsh Principal Areas of Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen within the Historic County of Monmouthshire. The Blaenau Gwent / Torfaen border runs along the ridge of the mountain with the 2 high points very close together.

The quickest way to bag the high points is an out-and-back from the Whistle Inn Halt at the north-western end of Blaenavon. Instead I chose a longer circular route from the south-eastern end of town to include the Mynydd Farteg Fawr Trig Pillar. There’s a parking space for a couple of cars near the cattle grid by the cemetery on Varteg Road, or, if not available you can also park along Forge Side Road.

From Varteg Road follow Forge Side Road in a north-westerly direction until you reach a footpath on the left by an old access road to a mine. Follow the path to the left of the mine as it curves up the hill towards the south-east. At a path junction take the path that leads to the north-west and follow that for about 250m. There’s no direct path from here to access the top of the ridge so I found a safe spot and headed up through the bracken. When you reach the top of the ridge take a left to follow the path to the Trig Pillar.

After the Trig Pillar retrace your steps to where you reached the top and continue following the path for ~2.4 km to the top of Coety Mountain. Keep an eye on the GPS though as the path disappears before the summit. The top of Coety Mountain is obvious but you’ll need to follow the GPS to reach the East Slope which is the high point of Torfaen.

After the high points make your way down to a track that leads to an old mine. Around 100m to the north-west of the mine you can pick up a path that leads to the south-east. Follow this for ~3.6km until you reach the point where you left the path earlier to reach the Trig Pillar. From here retrace your steps to the start of the walk at Varteg Road.

While in Blaenavon it’s worth spending a bit more time there to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site attractions and the Historic Railway. I completed the walk just in time to take a ride on the old steam train that follows the track connecting the Whistle Inn Halt and Varteg Road. You’ll get a great view of Coety Mountain and Mynydd Farteg Fawr on the trip.

Blaenavon's Heritage Railway

Back to Welsh County Tops Index
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Monmouthshire, Wales, UNESCOComment
Wentwood: Newport High Point

Significance: High Point for the Welsh Principal Area of Newport
Member of: Marilyns
Parent Peak: TBC. NHN = Mynydd Twyn-glas
Elevation: 309m
Date climbed: August 20th 2023
Coordinates: 51° 38' 40'' N, 2° 51' 8'' W

Route Start & Finish: Cadeira Beeches car park, Usk Road, Llanvaches, Newport, NP26 3AZ
Route Distance: 2.6 km (1.6 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 37m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: N/A
OS Trig Pillar: TP6796 - Wentwood
Pubs / Cafes on route: N/A
Map: Newport & Pontypool/Casnewydd a Pont-y-Pŵl Map | Caerleon & Usk | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 152
Links: Wikipedia: Newport / Wentwood, Peakbagger

Wentwood is the high point of the Welsh Principal Area of Newport within the Historic County of Monmouthshire. The Trig Pillar that marks the summit can be reached on a 2.6km out-and-back walk from the Cadeira Beeches car park. There’s an even closer parking spot just to the east of the Trig Pillar accessible from the north/south road that connects the A48 with Usk Road. I was there early on a Sunday morning and there was plenty of room to park so I made this one a very quick drive-by on the way to the more interesting Coety Mountain.

Back to Welsh County Tops Index
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Monmouthshire, WalesComment
Merthyr Common & Pen March: Merthyr Tydfill & Caerphilly High Points

Pontsticill Reservoir and view to the Brecon Beacons

Merthyr Common

Significance: High Point for the Welsh Principal Area of Merthyr Tydfil
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Cefn yr Ystrad. NHN = Pen March
Elevation: 531m
Coordinates: 51° 47' 25'' N, 3° 20' 6'' W
Links: Wikipedia (Merthyr Tydfil), Peakbagger

Pen March

Significance: High Point for the Welsh Principal Area of Caerphilly
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Cefn yr Ystrad. NHN = Cefn yr Ystrad
Elevation: 535m
Coordinates: 51° 47' 27'' N, 3° 19' 56'' W
Links: Wikipedia (Caerphilly), Peakbagger

For both peaks:

Date climbed: August 19th 2023
Route Start & Finish: Red Cow Inn, Main Road, Pontsticill, Merthyr Tydfil, CF48 2UN
Route Distance: 6.6 km (4.1 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 284m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Taff Trail
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 8
Pubs / Cafes on route: Red Cow Inn at start and finish
Map: Brecon Beacons National Park / Parc Cenedlaethol Bannau Brycheiniog Map | Western Area | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL12
Links: Pontisticill, Pontsticill Reservoir, Brecon Beacons National Park

This walk covers the high points of both the Welsh Principal Areas of Merthyr Tydfil and Caerphilly.

To start the walk I parked outside the Red Cow Inn at Pontsticill and followed the road down the hill to cross over Taff Fechan (river) to meet the Taff Trail. Cross the road opposite the water treatment plant to join a footpath that leads up the hill in a north-easterly direction. The path crosses under the Brecon Mountain Railway to meet a path junction at the 350m contour line. Take a right and keep to the path now heading south-east. At the 440m contour line, approximately 1.4km into the walk, leave the path and cross open land towards the high points. This is where I found it essential to follow my GPX track as it’s easy to get lost up there.

The route to the high point roughly follows the border of Merthyr Tydfil and Powys until you reach a dry pond that marks the Merthyr / Powys / Caerphilly county tri-point. The Merthyr Common high point is to the west of the pond and Pen March to the east. There’s nothing to mark either and neither feels like an achieved summit as the ground in Powys to the north of the border is higher.

My original plan for this walk was to include the Trig Point at the summit of Cefn Yr Ystrad. It was now late in a full day of high-point bagging, getting cold and the route to the Trig Pillar was boggy. I decided to leave Cefn Yr Ystrad for another day, return to Pontsticill and rest for more high-points the next day.

2 Peaks and a County Tri-point

Map base = Esri Topo

Back to Welsh County Tops Index
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Brecknockshire, Glamorganshire, WalesComment
Mynydd y Betws: Swansea High Point

Penlle'r Castel

Significance: High Point for the Welsh Principal Area of Swansea
Member of: Marilyns
Parent Peak: TBC. NHN = Garreg Lwyd
Elevation: 373m
Date climbed: August 19th 2023
Coordinates: 51° 46' 2'' N, 3° 56' 15'' W

Route Start & Finish: Parking spot at junction of 2 small roads at marker 48 of the Gower Way
Route Distance: 1.3 km (>1 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 55m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): The Gower Way
OS Trig Pillar: TP5000 - Mynydd Bettws
Pubs / Cafes on route: N/A
Map: Swansea/Abertawe Map | Neath/Castell-Nedd & Port Talbot | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 165
Links: Wikipedia: (Swansea / Mynydd y Betws / Penlle'r Castell), Peakbagger

Mynydd y Betws is the high point of the Welsh Principal Area of Swansea within the Historic County of Glamorganshire.

It’s a misleading name as the Swansea high point is at Penlle'r Castel, an historic ruin on the summit of Mynydd y Gwair. There’s a nearby Trig Pillar called Mynydd Betws and, according to the map I was using, another summit called Mynydd y Betws with an elevation of 341m. I decided to bag them all just to be sure. My plan was to do them in a circular walk from the start of the access road to the farm near the Trig Pillar. It was wet and windy when I arrived so I decided to bag the Trig Pillar and the 341m peak first, then drive closer to the path to Penlle'r Castel.

The best place to park for access to Penlle'r Castel is at a path junction by marker 48 of The Gower Way on the east side of the hill. If you’re driving there from the south you’ll likely come up the Rhydypandy Road. This passes very close to the western side of the summit shortly before a sharp bend in the road and a steep descent. There’s no safe parking space here, so continue down the hill, then take a right at the first junction to find the parking spot at Gower Way marker 48. Note that the road junction you will have just taken is the tri-point of the counties of Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot.

From the parking spot follow the Gower Way to the remains of Penlle'r Castel. My map had the 371m point a little further to the south-west so I continued along the path, almost to the Rhydypandy Road. Retrace your steps to return to the parking spot.

Back to Welsh County Tops Index
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Mountain, Glamorganshire, WalesComment
Tair Onnen: Vale of Glamorgan High Point

Tair Onnen Trig Pillar

Also known as: Tair Onen (Pantylladron)
Significance: High Point for the Welsh Principal Area of Vale of Glamorgan
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Craig y Llyn. NHN = Garth Hill
Elevation: 137m
Date “climbed”: August 19th 2023
Coordinates: 51° 27' 24'' N, 3° 23' 17'' W

Route Start & Finish: Parking space near entrance of ConeMasters Limited, St Hilary Offices & Depot, Tair Onen, St Hilary, CF71 7UA
Route Distance: 1.2 km (>1 mile)
Route Elevation change: +/- 5m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: N/A
OS Trig Pillar: TP6301 - Tair Onen
Pubs / Cafes on route: N/A
Map: Cardiff & Bridgend / Caerdydd a Pen-y-Bont Ar Ogwr Map | Vale of Glamorgan / Bro Morgannwg | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 151
Links: Wikipedia (Vale of Glamorgan), Peakbagger

Tair Onen is the high point of the Welsh Principal Area of Vale of Glamorgan within the Historic County of Glamorganshire.

This High Point can be bagged with a very short walk from the parking space near entrance of ConeMasters Limited. From the parking space walk south and cross the A48. Don’t take the footpath over the stone wall that’s immediately opposite the junction. Instead cross through the gate into the field on the right and follow the left hand edge of the field heading south. When you reach the solar panel farm take a right and follow the path following the northern edge of the solar farm. You’ll soon reach the highest point of the path where you can cut into the field to bag the Trig Pillar and county high point. Fortunately there were no crops growing when I was there but be careful not to damage anything during growing season. Return to the parking spot via the same route.

Back to Welsh County Tops Index
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Trig Pillar, Glamorganshire, WalesComment
Garth Hill: Cardiff High Point

Approaching the summit of Garth Hill

Also known as: Mynydd y Garth (Welsh), The Garth
Significance: High Point for the Welsh Principal Area of Cardiff
Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: TBC. NHN = Cefn Eglwysilan
Elevation: 307m
Date climbed: August 19th 2023
Coordinates: 51° 32' 36'' N, 3° 17' 40'' W

Route Start & Finish: The Taffs Well Inn, Cardiff Road, Taff's Well, Cardiff, CF15 7PR
Route Distance: 6.2 km (3.6 miles)
Route Elevation change: +/- 260m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: N/A … the Taff Trail runs past Taff’s Well Station
OS Trig Pillar: TP3324 - Garth
Pubs / Cafes on route: The Taff’s Well Inn (start), The Gwaelod-y-Garth Inn (600m in)
Map: Cardiff & Bridgend / Caerdydd a Pen-y-Bont Ar Ogwr Map | Vale of Glamorgan / Bro Morgannwg | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map 151
Links: Wikipedia: Garth Hill / Cardiff / Taff’s Well, Peakbagger

Garth Hill is the high point of the Welsh Principal Area of Cardiff within the Historic County of Glamorganshire.

With all of the English, Welsh and Northern Irish Historic County Tops in the bag, I had now turned my attention to the modern day counties and Unitary Authorities. The Wife was away and I had a free weekend in hand so I drove to Cardiff for 2 days of bagging the High Points of the South Wales Principal Areas. I had already bagged Werfa (Mynydd Llangeinwyr) on a separate trip back in 2019, so I had 8 to complete in this trip.

After spending the night in Cardiff and ticking off Cardiff parkrun I headed north along the a River Taff to the small village of Taff’s Well. Taff's Well is a village in the south-east of Rhondda Cynon Taf, about 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Cardiff. It is known locally as the "Gates to the Valleys". The village is named after the River Taff, which flows through it, and the warm spring within Taff's Well Park. The spring is the only thermal spring in Wales, and is thought to rise from the carboniferous limestone. The water is tepid, with a temperature of around 18 degrees Celsius. Taff's Well was a popular spa resort in the 19th century, and people would travel from all over the UK and Europe to bathe in its waters. The spa closed in the early 20th century, but the spring is still a popular local tourist attraction.

Taff’s Well Station is an obvious place to start the walk but as I was driving I managed to save 1 km each way by parking on the road outside The Taff’s Well Inn. From here there’s a path that crosses the River Taff before climbing steeply up to Main Road. Take a right onto Main Road and then, just in front of The Gwaelod-y-Garth Inn, take a left up Route des Alpes road. Continue up Route des Alpes, gradually ascending for 1 km until you reach a path that takes a sharp right hand turn towards the north-east away from the road. Continue up the path and curve round to the north-west to the trig pillar at the summit.

For the descent retrace your steps to the start but take a few moments, 1km from the summit, to visit the cliff edge view over Taff’s Well and along the Taff Valley toward Cardiff. Shortly after the view-point there’s a path leading directly down to Route des Alpes road. I decided to take this rather than the longer route I came up with. It turned out to be very steep and, after a lot of recent rain, very slippery. I got down but mostly by sliding down on my arse grabbing hold of any heather I could find. It’s definitely a shorter route but not necessarily quicker and, if I were to do it again, I would avoid it in favour of returning via the same route I had come up on.

One peak completed … now on to Tair Onnen in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Back to Welsh County Tops Index
Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Glamorganshire, Wales Comments
UK National Parks, National Landscapes (AONB) and NSA High Points

If bagging all of the UK Historic and Present-Day County tops plus the Unitary Authorities isn’t enough for you, there’s also the high points of the National Parks, National Landscapes (AONBs) and National Scenic Areas (NSAs).

Contact me if you spot any mistakes and I’ll donate £1 to one of my supported causes for each correction made.

UK National Parks High Points

Of the 15 UK National Parks 10 have a high point that is also an Historic County Top. One other, Whernside is the high point of the Ceremonial County of North Yorkshire and was the high point of the Administrative County of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The highest National Park Peak that’s not also a County Top is Ben More (not to be confused with Ben More Assynt) in the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

UK National Parks

  1. Cairngorms National Park (Scotland): Ben Macdui (1,309 metres).

  2. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park (Scotland): Ben More (1,174 metres).

  3. Snowdonia National Park (Wales): Snowdon / Yr Wyddfa (1085 metres).

  4. Lake District National Park (England): Scafell Pike (978 metres).

  5. Brecon Beacons National Park (Wales): Pen y Fan (886 metres).

  6. Northumberland National Park (England): The Cheviot (815 metres).

  7. Yorkshire Dales National Park (England): Whernside (736 metres).

  8. Peak District National Park (England): Kinder Scout (636 metres).

  9. Dartmoor National Park (England): High Willhays (621 metres).

  10. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (Wales): Foel Cwmcerwyn (536 metres).

  11. Exmoor National Park (England): Dunkery Beacon (519 metres).

  12. North York Moors National Park (England): Urra Moor - Round Hill (454 metres).

  13. South Downs National Park (England): Black Down (280 metres).

  14. New Forest National Park (England): Piper’s Wait (128 metres) or Telegraph Hill (127 metres).

  15. The Broads National Park (England): Strumpshaw Hill - South Slope (40 metres).

England, Wales and Northern Ireland National Landscapes High Points

National Parks and National Landscapes are both protected areas in the United Kingdom, but they have different designations and management structures. National Parks are designated by the UK government for their outstanding natural beauty, cultural heritage and recreational opportunities. They are managed by National Park Authorities and have specific planning policies to protect their landscapes and wildlife. On the other hand, National Landscapes are also designated by the government for their outstanding natural beauty but are managed by local authorities and partnerships. They have different planning policies compared to National Parks. National Parks tend to be more remote and wilder, while National Landscapes are often found close to populated areas and include cultural heritage and agricultural landscapes. Both National Parks and National Landscapes are intended to be enjoyed and appreciated by the public but the management, planning policies, and protection of the areas can differ.

National Landscapes were previously called Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) until On 22 November 2023.

There are 46 National Landscapes in the UK of which 16 are the county tops of the Historic Counties that they are in. St Boniface Down is the high point of both the Ceremonial County of the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Wight National Landscape.

There were 2 National Landscapes that I couldn’t find a high point for when researching this: Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape and Lagan Valley National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Let me know if you know what these high points are and I can update the list.

  • North Pennines National Landscape (England). Cross Fell (893m).

  • Mourne Mountains National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Slieve Donard (850m).

  • Nidderdale National Landscape (England). Great Whernside (704m).

  • Sperrins National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Sawel Mountain (678m).

  • Clwydian Range and Dee Valley National Landscape (Wales). Moel Fferna (630m).

  • Ring of Gullion National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Slieve Gullion (576m).

  • Forest of Bowland National Landscape (England). Ward's Stone (561m).

  • Llŷn Peninsula National Landscape (Wales). Yr Eifl (561m).

  • Antrim Coast and Glens National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Trostan (550m).

  • Shropshire Hills National Landscape (England). Brown Clee Hill (540m).

  • Malvern Hills National Landscape (England). Worcestershire Beacon (425m).

  • Cornwall National Landscape (England). Brown Willy (420m).

  • Somerset - Quantock Hills National Landscape (England). Wills Neck (386m).

  • Binevenagh National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Binevenagh (385m).

  • Tamar Valley National Landscape (England). Kit Hill (334m).

  • Cotswolds National Landscape (England). Cleeve Common (330m).

  • Mendip Hills National Landscape (England). Beacon Batch (325m).

  • Blackdown Hills National Landscape (England). Staple Hill (315m).

  • Wye Valley National Landscape (England / Wales). Trellech Beacon (313m).

  • North Wessex Downs National Landscape (England). Walbury Hill (297m).

  • Surrey Hills National Landscape (England). Leith Hill (294m).

  • Dorset National Landscape (England). Lewesdon Hill (279m).

  • Cranborne Chase and the West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (England). Win Green (277m).

  • North Devon Coast National Landscape (England). Berry Down near Combe Martin (269m).

  • Chiltern Hills National Landscape (England). Haddington Hill (267m).

  • East Devon National Landscape (England). Gittisham Hill (259m).

  • Kent Downs National Landscape (England). Toy's Hill (248m).

  • Cannock Chase ANational Landscape NB (England). Castle Ring (242m).

  • High Weald National Landscape (England). Crowborough Beacon (242m).

  • Isle of Wight National Landscape (England). St Boniface Down (241m).

  • Anglesey National Landscape (Wales). Holyhead Mountain (220m).

  • South Devon National Landscape (England). Blackdown Camp (199m).

  • Gower Peninsula National Landscape (Wales). The Beacon at Rhossili Down (193m).

  • Howardian Hills National Landscape (England). Yearsley Cross (174m).

  • Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape (England). Wolds Top / Normanby Hill (168m).

  • Arnside and Silverdale National Landscape (England). Warton Crag (163m).

  • Strangford and Lecale National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Scrabo Hill (161m).

  • Causeway Coast National Landscape (Northern Ireland). Carnduff Hill (114m).

  • Norfolk Coast National Landscape (England). Beacon Hill (105m).

  • Northumberland Coast National Landscape (England). South Hill (75m).

  • Dedham Vale National Landscape (England). Broom Hill (69m).

  • Solway Coast National Landscape (England). Pudding Pie Hill (56m).

  • Isles of Scilly National Landscape (England). Telegraph on St Mary’s (49m).

  • Chichester Harbour National Landscape (England). c. two locations with 9m spot height (9m).

To be verified … couldn’t find these originally but have been identified by Joel Adcock.

  • Suffolk Coast and Heaths National Landscape (England): Holbrook Park, (~44m)

  • Lagan Valley National Landscape (Northern Ireland). In garden of private property on Tullyard Rd, Lisburn BT27 5JN (164m)

Scottish NSA High Points

National Landscapes and National Scenic Areas (NSA) are both designations used in the United Kingdom to protect and promote areas of exceptional natural beauty. However, there are some key differences between the two. National Landscapes are designated by the UK government and are considered to be the most important landscapes in the country, with the highest level of protection afforded to them. NSAs, on the other hand, are designated by the Scottish government and, while they also offer protection to areas of exceptional natural beauty, they do not have the same level of legal protection as National Landscapes. Additionally, National Landscapes are managed by local authorities, while NSAs are managed by Scottish National Parks. Both National Landscapes and NSAs are intended to be enjoyed and appreciated by the public, but the management and protection of the areas can differ.

There are 40 National Scenic Areas (NSA) in Scotland, of which 8 are the county tops of the Historic Counties that they are in. There were 12 NSAs that I couldn’t find a high point for when researching this (scroll down to see). These are mostly in coastal areas without notable high points. Let me know if you know what these high points are and I can update the list.

  • Ben Nevis and Glen Coe NSA: Ben Nevis (1344m).

  • Cairngorm Mountains NSA: Ben Macdui (1309m).

  • Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon NSA: Ben Lawers (1214m).

  • Glen Affric NSA: Càrn Eige (1183m).

  • Deeside and Lochnagar NSA: Lochnagar / Beinn Chìochan (1156m).

  • Glen Strathfarrar NSA: Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais (1083m).

  • Kintail NSA: Sgurr Fhuaran (1068m).

  • Wester Ross NSA: An Teallach (1062m).

  • Knoydart NSA: Sgurr na Cìche (1040m).

  • Assynt-Coigach NSA: Ben More Assynt (998m).

  • Loch Lomond NSA: Ben Lomond (974m).

  • Cuillin Hills NSA: Sgùrr nan Gillean (964m).

  • North West Sutherland NSA: Foinaven (909m).

  • Loch Shiel NSA: Beinn Odhar Bheag (882m).

  • The Trossachs NSA: Ben Ledi (879m).

  • North Arran NSA: Goat Fell (873.5m).

  • Upper Tweeddale NSA: Broad Law (840m).

  • Small Isles NSA: Askival (812m).

  • South Lewis, Harris and North Uist NSA: Clisham (799m).

  • Jura NSA: Beinn an Òir (785m).

  • Trotternish NSA: The Storr (719m).

  • South Uist Machair NSA: Beinn Mhòr (620m).

  • Hoy and West Mainland NSA: Ward Hill (481m).

  • Knapdale NSA: Cruach Lusach (466m).

  • Scarba, Lunga and the Garvellachs NSA: Scarba (449m).

  • St Kilda NSA: Conachair (430m).

  • Eildon and Leaderfoot NSA: Eildon Hill (422m).

  • Lynn of Lorn NSA: Barr Mòr (127m).

To be verified … couldn’t find these originally but have been identified by Joel Adcock.

  • Dornoch Firth NSA: unnamed summit (387m)

  • East Stewartry Coast NSA: Bengairn (391m).

  • Fleet Valley NSA: Ben John (354m)

  • Kyle of Tongue NSA: Ben Hope (927m)

  • Kyles of Bute NSA: Meallan Riabhach (484m).

  • Loch na Keal, Isle of Mull NSA: Ben More (967m)

  • Loch Tummel NSA: Meall Tairneachan (787m)

  • Morar, Moidart and Ardnamurchan NSA: Meall nan Each (490m)

  • Nith Estuary NSA: Criffel (569m).

  • River Earn (Comrie to St. Fillans) NSA: Either slope of Beinn Fuath (~650 metres) or Mor Beinn (640m)

  • River Tay (Dunkeld) NSA: Creag Dhubh (498m)

  • Shetland NSA: The Sneug (418m)

More High Points

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, National Park, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern IrelandComment
The National Trails of England & Wales

The National Trails are 16 long distance walking routes administered by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales. The National Trails website is the best place for further information on each. I’ve experiences a few of them on various adventures although it’s only the Ridgeway and South Downs Way that I’ve fully completed so far.

The above map is a collaboration between Michael Jones and myself based on research and an original design by Michael. Let me know via the Contact form if you spot any errors and I’ll donate £1 to one of my causes for any error corrected.

Note that the England Coast Path is still in development. Currently open sections are shown in the map above.

The England Coast Path will be around 4,500km long when it is complete.

More Information on The National Trails

Tube-Style Maps

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Richard gowerTrek, Coast, National Trails, England, WalesComment
The Welsh County Tops

Compared to England, the Welsh Counties have had few changes over the years. There’s 3 main groupings of Welsh County:

  • Historic Counties. Also referred to as Traditional or Ancient Counties.

  • Principal Areas. Also referred to as Present-Day Counties. Established by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994.

  • Preserved Counties. Established by the Local Government Act 1972 and used for local government and other purposes between 1974 and 1996.

This post shows the highest point in each of Wales’ counties based on the above groupings. As the Venn diagram shows there is a lot of overlap between the different types of county.

Contact me if you spot a mistake on this page or you have new information and I will make a donation to one of my causes.

Wales’ Historic County Tops

The 13 Historic Counties of Wales were used for administrative purposes for centuries with different times of origin. They were replaced by the Principal Areas which were established by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. More details on the Historic Counties of Wales

  1. Snowdon. 1,085 metres. Completed. Historic County = Caernarvonshire. Present Day County = Gwynedd.

  2. Aran Fawddwy. 905 metres. Completed. Historic County = Merionethshire.

  3. Pen y Fan. 886 metres. Completed. Historic County = Brecknockshire. Present Day County = Powys.

  4. Cadair Berwyn. 830 metres. Completed. Historic County = Denbighshire. Present Day County = Denbighshire.

  5. Moel Sych. 827 metres. Completed. Historic County = Montgomeryshire.

  6. Fan Foel. 781 metres. Completed. Historic County = Carmarthenshire. Present Day County = Carmarthenshire.

  7. Plynlimon. 752 metres. Completed. Historic County = Cardiganshire. Present Day County = Ceredigion.

  8. Chwarel y Fan. 679 metres. Completed. Historic County = Monmouthshire. Present Day County = Monmouthshire

  9. Great Rhos. 660 metres. Completed. Historic County = Radnorshire.

  10. Craig y Llyn. 600 metres. Completed. Historic County = Glamorganshire. Present Day County = Neath Port Talbot.

  11. Moel Famau. 555 metres. Completed. Historic County = Flintshire. Present Day County = Flintshire.

  12. Foel Cwmcerwyn. 536 metres. Completed. Historic County = Pembrokeshire. Present Day County = Pembrokeshire.

  13. Holyhead Mountain. 220 metres. Completed. Historic County = Anglesey. Present Day County = Isle of Anglesey.

Wales’ Present Day County Tops

These 22 Principal Areas, also referred to as the Present Day Counties, were established by the Local Government (Wales) Act 1994. Ten of these areas share a County Top with a Historic County that it replaced. These are shown in the list above. The list below shows the 12 high points of Present Day Counties that are distinct from the Historic County Tops. More details on the Present Day Counties of Wales

  1. Carnedd Llewelyn. 1,064 metres, Conwy

  2. Craig Berwyn. 790 metres, Wrexham

  3. Craig y Lynn Boundary. 590 metres, Rhondda Cynon Taff. Completed

  4. Coity Mountain. 581 metres, Blaenau Gwent

  5. Coity Mountain East Slope. 578 metres, Torfaen

  6. Mynydd Llangeinwyr /Werfa. 568 metres, Bridgend. Completed

  7. Pen March 535 metres. Caerphilly

  8. Merthyr Common. 530 metres, Merthyr Tydfill

  9. Mynydd y Betwys. 373 metres, Swansea

  10. Wentwood. 309 metres, Newport

  11. Garth Hill. 307 metres, Cardiff

  12. Tair Onnen. 137 metres, Vale of Glamorgan

Wales’ Preserved Counties

There are 8 preserved counties of wales, each fully containing between 1 and 5 of the Principal Areas (“Present Day Counties”). There are no high points that are unique to the Preserved Counties as all are County Tops of Principal Areas and some are also Historic County Tops. More details on the Preserved Counties of Wales

The high points of the Preserved Counties are:

  • Clwyd: Moel Famau

  • Dyfed: Plynlimon

  • Gwent: Coity Mountain

  • Gwynedd: Snowdon

  • Mid Glamorgan: Craig Y Lynn Boundary

  • Powys: Pen y Fan

  • South Glamorgan: Craig y Llyn

  • West Glamorgan: Myndydd y Betwys

More High Points

Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Trig Pillar, WalesComment
Sugar Loaf
Trig Pillar at the top of Sugar Loaf

Trig Pillar at the top of Sugar Loaf

Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Waun Fach
Elevation: 596m
Date climbed: 6th May 2021
Coordinates: 51° 51' 46'' N, 3° 3' 28'' W
Route Start & Finish: The Dragons Head pub, Llangenny, Crickhowell, NP8 1HD
Distance: 8.7 km (5.4 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 502m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Other pubs / Cafes on route: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP6243 - Sugar Loaf
Map: OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern area
Links: Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Llangenny

This was the second of three trig-bagging walks in the Black Mountains on a spring trip to the Brecon Beacons. We were on the last day of good weather before a long stretch of rain so we picked this one based on recommendation from a friend who lives nearby.

Many people start their Sugar Loaf trip from Abergavenny and there’s lots of footpath options between the town and the summit. The approach from Llangeny is a great alternative, especially if you’re travelling there from the North or West.

From the Dragon’s Head car park, cross over the (river) Grwyne Fawr, taking a left on the road that runs parallel to the river. Take the first road on right and walk up the hill in a north-easterly direction. After ~1.25 km from the start continue along the footpath through a farm rather than keeping on the road that curves to the right. Once past the farm you’ll follow the edge of a field upwards towards a path T-junction. Take a right here heading south. This path will curve round the brow of a hill before heading north east up to the summit of Sugar Loaf.

On a clear day the views from the summit are excellent so it’s worth spending a bit of time there to take it all in. To return to the start, take the north-westerly path which curves round to the west. After 3km from the summit the path enters a farm where you’ll take a right onto the road. Soon after this take a left onto another road, another left at the end and continue to the junction where you’ll meet your earlier route up. Take a right here and retrace your steps to the bridge then the Dragons Head pub.

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Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Brecon Beacons, National Park, National Trust, Brecknockshire, Monmouthshire, WalesComment
Waun Fach and The Dragon's Back
Top of the Dragons Back

Top of the Dragons Back

Member of: Marilyn, Hewitt, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Pen y fan
Elevation: 811m
Date climbed: 5th May 2021
Coordinates: 51° 57' 46'' N, 3° 8' 35'' W
Route Start & Finish: The Dragons Back pub, Pengenffordd, Talgarth, Brecon, LD3 0EP
Distance: 11.7 km (7.3 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 574m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Other Pubs / Cafes on route: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP3548 - Gwynydd Bach
Map: OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern area
Links: Wikipedia / Peakbagger

This was the second of three trig-bagging walks in the Black Mountains on a spring trip to the Brecon Beacons. It was my birthday and, having missed out on our normal big trip due to Covid, I wanted a special mountain. It may not be well known, a County Top or on many bucket lists, but as the highest peak in the Black Mountains, that would be enough significance for this year.

The car park next to the Dragon’s Back pub is an obvious place to start. The honesty box for the £2 charge gives warnings of tough-to-remove stickers to be stuck to windscreens if the charge is not paid. Despite the CCTV cameras above it, it’s unlikely they would know you’ve put money in there. After a year of not touching any cash I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we actually had some coins in the car.

Take the footpath that starts at the north end of the car park and follow it in a south-easterly direction for just over 3.5 km. Here you’ll reach a ridgeline with several different footpath interactions. Take the path that heads north, continuing to ascent, then curves to the east. Follow this path for approximately 2km to the summit of Waun Fach. There used to be an OS Trig Pillar here, but it’s been replaced by a low, flat stone with a metal OS roundel on it.

From the summit, take the northerly footpath, descending steadily for 1.5 km. At the path junction take the left hand path, heading south west, descending along the Dragons Back. We had very good visibility which gave us some amazing views across to the National Park to Pen y Fan and beyond. The highlight at the end of the trip is the path through the ruins of Castel Dinas. The steep ascent up to to the castle right at the end of the trip was a bit daunting though given we were low on energy at the time.

I’d been hesitant about doing this one having read and heard of tough navigation and boggy conditions at the top. The path at the summit seemed relatively new so have probably addressed the bogginess issue. I’d say that the navigation is no tougher than similar mountains in the area so you’ll be fine with the usual preparation, clothing and skills for the hills.

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Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Brecknockshire, Wales Comment
Mynydd Llangorse
View to Llangorse Lake from the western side of Mynydd Llangorse

View to Llangorse Lake from the western side of Mynydd Llangorse

Member of: Marilyn
Parent Peak: Mynydd Troed
Elevation: 515m
Date climbed: 4th May 2021
Coordinates: 51° 55' 57'' N, 3° 13' 27'' W
Route Start & Finish: Parking outside Llangorse Multi Activity Centre, Gilfach Farm, Llangorse, Brecon, LD3 7UH
Distance: 6.5 km (4.0 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 285m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Beacons Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP5020 - Mynydd Llangorse
Map: OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern area
Links: Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Llangorse Lake, Llangors

This was the first of three trig-bagging walks in the Black Mountains on a spring trip to the Brecon Beacons. With a short distance and relatively low elevation this made for a nice warm-up for the longer treks of the next couple of days.

The parking area just outside of the Llangorse Activity Centre is an obvious place to start. Just inside the activity centre you can find the start of a footpath heading in a south-easterly direction across a field towards the hill. The trig pillar at the summit is only 1.5km from the Activity Centre, giving you the option of a very short out-and-back. If you prefer a longer circular walk, there’s several options based on a few paths that intersect at the summit. We continued east for ~500 metres, then taking a well marked track south to the Beacons Way.

When you meet the Beacons Way, don’t follow it but take the westerly path that makes a steady descent from the hill. This path will curve round to the hill and reconnect with the path you followed at the start and back to the Activity Centre.

The cafe at Llangorse lake, a short drive from the Activity Centre, is a great place for a rest, a coffee and a cake after the walk.

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Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Brecknockshire, WalesComment
The Brecon Beacons Rivers

Here’s a Tube-style map of the rivers of the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog in Welsh). Let me know if you spot any mistakes and I’ll donate £1 per correction to one of my causes. If you would like a printable PDF version, please Buy Me a Coffee and send me your e-mail via the Contact page. All copies for personal, not commercial use.

Brecon%2BBeacons%2BTube%2BMap%2B-%2BKey.jpg

Note: the map shows rivers that start, end or pass through the Brecon Beacons National Park. There are some rivers such as the Rhondda, Ogmore and Ely that are not included as their source is south of the Park even though they flow into the Bristol Channel or join another river on this map.

Other Posts for the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog)

Tube-style Maps

Richard gowerMountain, Coast, Wales, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Monmouthshire, Carmarthenshire, Brecknockshire, Glamorganshire Comments
Twmpa & Rhos Dirion Circular Walk
View to Pen y Fan from Rhos Dirion

View to Pen y Fan from Rhos Dirion

Start & Finish: Gospel Pass Car Park, Capel-y-ffin, Abergavenny, NP7 7NP
Distance: 13 km (8.1 miles)
Elevation change: + / - 376m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 42
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Map: OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern area
Links: Gospel Pass, Vale of Ewyas

Rhos Dirion:

Member of: None
Parent Peak: Waun Fach
Elevation: 713m
Date climbed: 24th December 2020
Coordinates: 51° 59' 36'' N, 3° 8' 59'' W
OS Trig Pillar: TP5658 - Rhos Dirion
Links: Wikipedia / Peakbagger

Twmpa:

Member of: None
Parent Peak: Waun Fach
Elevation: 690m
Date climbed: 24th December 2020
Coordinates: 52° 2' 7'' N, 3° 6' 17'' W
OS Trig Pillar: None
Links: Wikipedia / Peakbagger

In the third of three winter walks in the Vale of Ewyas we did a circular trek to the summits of Twmpa and Rhos Dirion.

From the free parking at Gospel Pass take the westerly path up to the summit of Twmpa, also called Lord Hereford’s Knob. Trig Baggers will be disappointed as there’s no pillar at the top. By continuing west for another 1.8 km you’ll reach the patriotically painted pillar at the top of Rhos Dirion. We were there on a cold but clear winter’s day and had a great view of Pen y Fan in the distance. After bagging Rho Dirion, retrace your steps down to the col between the two summits. Rather than climb back up to Twmpa, take a right to head in a south-easterly direction down the valley. Navigation is easy following a well worn path tracing the course of Nant Bwch.

The valley path turns into a farm track then a single-track road to Capel-y-ffin. Rather than stick to the road follow the path that curves round the side of the nose of the mountain half way up its elevation. On the southern-most point you’ll get a great view over Capel-y-ffin and the southern part of the Vale of Ewas.

Continue on the mountain pass as it curves anti-clockwise around the mountain. You’ll now be heading north back towards the Gospel Pass. After ~2 km the path will join the valley road which you can follow back to the car park.

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Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Brecknockshire, WalesComment
Llanthony Priory and Rhiw Arw Trig Pillar Circular Walk
Misty descent to Llanthony Priory

Misty descent to Llanthony Priory

Start & Finish: Llanthony Priory Hotel, Llanthony, Abergavenny, NP7 7NN
Distance: 8.2 km (5.1 miles)
Elevation change: + / - 364m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Offa’s Dyke Path, Beacons Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None, although NCN 42 passes by the road entrance to Llanthony Priory
Pubs / Cafes on route: Coffee Shop at Llanthony Priory. The Half Moon Pub is near the Priory but not on the route
Trig Pillar: TP5648 - Rhiw Arw
Map: OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern area
Links: Llanthony, Llanthony Priory, River Honddu, Offa’s Dyke, Vale of Ewyas

In the second of three winter walks in the Vale of Ewyas we did a circular trek to the Rhiw Arw Trig Pillar.

From the free car parking at Llanthony Priory, take the Beacons way clockwise around the Priory. Leave the Beacons Way at the northern side of the Priory outer wall and follow the footpath signed to Hatterall Ridge as it curves round to the north-west. Keeping to this track you’ll reach the Offa’s Dyke National Trail approximately 2 km from the Priory. Take a right onto the National Trail, heading south-east. Follow Offa’s Dyke for ~2.5 km until you reach the Rhiw Arw Trig Pillar.

After the Trig Pillar continue south-east along Offa’s Dyke for just under 1 km and descend back to Llanthony Priory via The Beacons Way.

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Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Monmouthshire, WalesComment
North Daren Trig Pillar from Capel-y-ffin Out-and-Back Walk
View towards Llanthony

View towards Llanthony

Start & Finish: Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Capel-y-ffin, Abergavenny, NP7 7NP
Distance: 8.8 km (5.5 miles)
Elevation change: + / - 325m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Offa’s Dyke Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 42
Pubs / Cafes on route: None
Trig Pillar: TP5154 - North Daren
Map: OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern area
Links: Capel-y-ffin, River Honddu, Offa’s Dyke, Vale of Ewyas

In the first of three winter walks in the Vale of Ewyas we did an out-and-back trek to the North Daren Trig Pillar.

From Capel-y-ffin village centre, take the track to the right of St. Mary’s Chapel. Continue for ~1 km passing over the River Honddu, the Baptist church on the left and a farm on the right. When you reach the footpath sign for Offa’s Dyke, cross over the stile on the left of the track. From here follow the path at it climbs and zig zags up to to National Trail. The path uphill path was very obvious when we were there in winter but can be obscured by bracken in the summer.

A cairn and a stone sign marks the junction of the uphill path and Offa’s Dyke. Turn right (south-east) onto the National Trail and continue for ~1.6 km until you reach the Trig Pillar. For the return trip, retrace your steps back to the bottom of the hill where the path meets the track. Here you can take a right and follow the track back to Capel-y-ffin or take a left then a footpath shortly on the right. Here you can follow a path across a field, over a wooden bridge and onto the valley road. Take a right when you get to the road to return to Capel-y-ffin.

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Richard gowerTrek, Mountain, Trig Pillar, Brecon Beacons, National Park, Brecknockshire, WalesComment
County Top Parent Peaks

In my ever-deepening County-Top related geekery I decided that I needed to document the Parent Peaks of every UK County Top. Many are easily findable with a bit of Googling, others are harder to come by. I’ve used the following sources in priority order:

  • Hillbagging (the online version of the Database of British and Irish Hills)

  • Peakbagger: if the Parent Peak is shown there but not in Hillbagging

  • Wikipedia: If the Parent Peak is shown there but not in either Hillbagging or Peakbagger

  • Peakbagger’s Nearest Highest Neighbour (NHN) field if a Parent Peak is not listed in the above.

Some are disputed and others I’ve had to assume, so here’s my best attempt. Contact me or comment below if you have any corrections and I’ll happily make a donation to one of my causes.

England’s County Top Parent Peaks

Scotland’s County Tops Parent Peaks

Compared to England there’s a lot fewer Parent Peaks listed in my key sources, so the following is largely based on Nearest Higher Neighbours and some assumptions. Likely there will be a lot of corrections to be below.

Wales’ County Tops Parent Peaks

Similar to Scotland, there’s a lot fewer Parent Peaks listed in my key sources, so the following is largely based on Nearest Higher Neighbours and some assumptions. Likely there will be a lot of corrections to be below.

Coming soon: Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland County Top Parent Peaks

UK County Tops on Islands

  • Goat Fell (843m), Arran, Buteshire, Scotland

  • Ward Hill (481m), Hoy, Orkney, Scotland

  • Ronas Hill (450m), Mainland, Shetland

  • Holyhead Mountain (220m), Anglesey, Wales

“A peak’s line parent is the closest higher peak on the highest ridge leading away from the peak’s “key col”. A col is the lowest point on the ridge between two summits and is roughly synonymous with pass, gap, saddle and notch. The highest col of a peak is its key col. If there is more than one ridge which can be followed to a higher peak then the line parent is the peak closest to the key col. Usually, a line parent must meet some prominence criteria, which might vary depending on the author and the location of the peak.”
— https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Line_parent
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Richard gowerTrek, UK County Tops, Mountain, Country High Points, Trig Pillar, England, Scotland, WalesComment