32. Llanfihangel-Pandy Circular

Parking

Park on the side of the road in Llanfihangel Crucorney, between the churchyard and the pub.

Directions

1. Turn left at the Skirrid Inn (signposted Llanthony). At the bottom of the hill - before the bridge - go into field on right. Cross two fields with R Honddu on left, walk behind the Rising Sun camp site, go diagonally across next field to gate in far right hand corner.
2. Ignore 1st stile on right and go on to next stile in right hand corner of field - this is part of Offa’s Dyke Path. Cross stile and turn left down small road. Continue along past redundant chapel and the Zoar Baptist Chapel.
3. At phonebox cross the main road. Turn right and walk along grass verge as far as lan signposted Little Oasis and Ty Newydd Farm. Go into lane then take 1st track on right.
4. Stay on track passing large white farm on left then house and cottage on the right then take footbridge over stream on the right by the cottage.
5. Cross field with hedge on your right to another footbridge and stile. Go straight on through field. Turn left into lane then immediately right along path which goes behind houses on Werngifford estate. Go through an old shed, over a stile and continue along an old tramroad escarpment. Take steps down to footbridge over a stream and back up to the tramroad then to stile leading down to main road.
6. Turn left along main road , cross smaller country road signposted Grosmont, and go up steps leading to orchards. Go straight on through trees to the bottom of orchard. Turn right then turn left over bridge crossing a stream. Continue right at fence towards Llanfihangel Court.
7. Cross drive to rather rather overgrown path to field. Cross footbridge in centre of field and go left to gate in bottom left corner. From here head up field to stile and cross. Turn right to rejoin main road, go right and cross the road opposite the ‘No Entry’ sign. Walk back to village.

Points of Interest

The Skirrid Mountain Inn is perhaps the oldest pub in Wales, it is listed in chronicles from 1100. Owain Glyndŵr is said to have rallied his forces in the cobbled courtyard in the early 15th century.

The first floor of the inn was reputedly used as a Courtroom where capital punishment was imposed for certain offences, including sheep stealing. Local legend has it that as many as 180 convicted criminals were hanged, some possibly from an oak beam over the well of the staircase outside of the Courtroom. Markings, possibly from rope marks, still exist on the staircase wood.

Grosmont Railway opened 1818-19 from Llanvihangel to Llangua as 3ft 6in (110 cm) plateway. It was engineered by J Hodgkinson. At Monmouth Cap, the site of the end-on junction with the Hereford Railway, the tram road stables survive. The name of the location comes from the necessary tavern at the horse-changing point and commemorates the County's long-time major industry. At Llanfihangel Crucorney it joined the Llanvihangel Railway which connected to the Brecon and Abergavenny canal.

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