Parking

Either on the roadside at Clodock church (but there’s only room for 2-3 cars) or

Parking area in the centre of Longtown

Directions

The majority of this walk is well marked with yellow way markers or Monnow Valley Walk markers.

Starting at Clodock Church

1. Pass the Cornwell arms on the Walterstone road and take the footpath on the left jut before the bridge over the Monnow.
2. Go through the churchyard and 4 fields following waymarkers.In the 5th field keep the hedge on your left and find the stile in the left hand corner opposite Middle Ponthendre.
3. Turn right along the road, and then right at the fork in the road, and carry on past the Crown on your left and the Post Office / shop on your right.
4. Walk up the road and ignore the footpath sign on the left to pass the drive of the Mill instead, then take the diverted footpath on the left. Cross the fields following the yellow waymarkers to drop down to the river.
5. Turn right. Continue and cross fields - river on your left - as far as Llanwonog farm.
6. Turn left along the road climbing slowly to the the Longtown Road. Just before you reach the road you will see Salem Baptist Chapel on the left. There is also the old village well as you turn the corner before the main road.
7. Join the main road opposite the castle and turn left. Pass the old school room on the right and turn right into the castle to have a look round.
8. Leave the castle and take the little green path on the right before the road. At the end turn left and then right to rejoin the road.
9. Pass Longtown Education Centre on left and church (now a house) on right. Go down lane marked No Through Road and after the old barn take footpath on bank on left.
10. Cross stile and keep to lower edge of field. Go through 2 gates in right hand corner, cross to stile / gate opposite, then cross next field [Point A]* to Longtown Treatment Works.
11. Go through 2 gates, cross lane and then take footpath opposite. Carry on with with Olchon Brook on your right through one field then along brook. In next field keep hedge on your right and find stile in the corner. Continue along brook to right hand corner of next field where there’s a stile next to the bridge. See motte and bailey castle castle to the right - trees on top of it now.
12. Turn right onto road and EITHER retrace your steps along the Monnow by crossing the stile if you parked at Clodock OR follow road to Clodock if you parked at Longtown and follow directions from Clodock Church.

Starting in Longtown.

Take footpath next to parking area and cross 2 fields to join walk at Point A. In second field go left towards Treatment Works, then follow directions from *.

Points of Interest

Longtown used to be known as Ewyas Lacey, after the Lacey family that owned the castle. The castle is a superb example of a stone built motte and bailey castle surviving in a its original form.

Map