Parking

Park at the Clytha National Trust car park. Grid Reference SO362085. Turn right off the old Raglan Road (B4598) opposite Clytha House gates, signposted Bettws Newydd. The car park is about 150m on the right.

Directions

1. Walk down to the River Usk and turn right following Usk Valley Walk signs. Go as far as the road (B4598). It is possible to follow the National Trust footpath signs on the right of the path to across fields to com out onto road almost opposite the stone stile. This saves waking on the main road. If you don’t cross the fields you must turn right on the road and cross when safe.
2. Take the stone stile on left near an old milk stand. Follow the hedge on the left round to a gate and follow footpath signs. This is a permitted path through the Clytha Estate.
3. Go through another gate, follow signs through the wood then along the field edge to farm buildings. Then turn left through woods.
4. Cross track and go through gate. Cross fields with farm on the right. Cross stile near fir tree across field crossing a tarmac drive to reach a gate. There is a walled garden and house on the right.
5. Go to stile at bottom of field near a metal trough. Go diagonally across this field with the Clytha Arms on your left. Cross another stile and go down driveway to the road.
6. Cross the road and go up steps to a gate. Cross anothe stile. Keep the hedge on your right and cross stile into field. Cross field to join drive up to Clytha Castle / Folly. Good Views.
7. Retrace your steps and go round the back of the castle following ‘Clytha’ signs, through woods and a gate. Carry straight on down hill to two marker posts (castle now on right). The posts lead you round to the left and back down the road and car park.

Points of Interest

Clytha Castle is considered one of the outstanding 18th-century follies of Wales. It was designed by John Davenport and built in 1790 by William Jones of Clytha House. He built it as a memorial to his late wife Elizabeth, last surviving child of Sir William Morgan of Tredegar House, with the purpose of ‘relieving a mind afflicted by the loss of a most excellent wife’.

Map