Radnor Forest

The village of New Radnor sits at the Southern end of the Radnor Forest, which constitutes 3000 acres of wild upland if we consider its definition of 1461.Things may have moved on but it's still made up of the same steep gullies and plateaus the highest of which is Great Rhos and Black Mixen. To the West marking its boundary is an 8 KM run of steep slopes that follow the Ithon Valley the river of which is a left bank tributary of the Wye. Fed by numerous Westerly channels such as the Black, Mithel and Cwm Ffrwd brooks the Wye is supported, in addition, by the Aran, which begins on the slopes of Pool Hill the source of the Wyes main tributray the Lugg. Eventually the Aran flows into the Ithon and after being fed by the aformentioned brook systems the water continues on its way through Llandridnod Wells and into the Wye near Builth.

The Lugg flows around the forests Northen limits and is boosted in volume by a series of pools and the Summergil, Hindwell and Knobley brooks to name a few. Presently we are in the Walton Basin or Radnor Valley, which you can no doubt tell by now is criss-crossed with a host of channels coming in off the Forests Easterly slopes. It's interesting to note that two of the Wyes main tributaries namely the Lugg and Ithon flow in opposite directions to join the Wye some 60 miles apart in Wales and England. A watershed and river is a myriad of ways.

During the second world war the forest was used as a live range by the military and is still in service today although with a reduced armed service it's fallen into longer durations of silence in recent times, which is a joy to the serious hill walkers who come from miles around to enjoy the forests heather covered hills that also support Lichens, bilberry fruits and bog mosses.

Other places of note nearby include Stanners Rock, which as we can testify is an interesting rocky outcrop that is home to some of the rarest plant species in Britain more often associated with the Mediterranean than the UK.

Rocks around here are in the region of 750 million years old and are amongst the oldest. As for the forest its arching plateaus that drop down into steep gullies and v shaped dingles are due to soft rocks and or Silurian shales and mudstones. To view the area in all its glory take a look at the video page where you will find a Radnor Forest - Distant Waters video.

All told the forest is a veritable surprise the surface of which has only just been scratched. For more detail see the web links provided.

Radnor Forest - Distant Waters Video

www.summitpost.org/radnor-forest/432309
www.forestry.gov.uk/website/ourwoods.nsf/LUWebDocsByKey/WalesPowysNoForestRadnorForestWarrenWoodWaterBreakItsNeck

Radnor Forest Survey - www.herwales.co.uk/herumd.php?group=CPAT&level=3&docid=301355252
Walton Basin & Radnor Valley - www.rgreen.org.uk/Radnor.html
Radnor Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest - www.ccw.gov.uk/search/search-results.aspx?tab=atoz

Back to Home page

Back to Mountain Waters