From the B4293 in Trellech take the road signed ‘Llandogo, Catbrook, Tintern’ and immediately take the left turn. After ½ mile take the first left turn. Beacon View Forestry Commission car park is ¼ mile on the right.
(S/E) Turning from the fabulous view over Trellech towards the Brecon Beacons, climb up the rough steps to the left of a yew tree. Take a look at the Forestry Commission/Wye Valley AONB information panel. At the track, turn left and walk steadily up hill, following red and yellow waymark arrows. As the route levels out, there is a picnic table to the left, more lovely views and another information panel. The path veers right down to a bridle gate. Go through, into an area being reclaimed as heathland. As you cross straight over the forest road, stunning views open out taking in, from left to right, the Malvern Hills, May Hill, Forest of Dean and Cotswold ridge. Go through the bridle gate and turn right at the track below.
(1) This level track comes to a forest road, go straight over and enter woods.
(2) Go straight ahead at the junction with the seat to the right of the path. You have now joined the Wye Valley Walk.
To the left, the ground slopes down steeply to the River Wye. You are walking through mixed woodland with the path going gently down hill. Notice the former boundary walls amongst the trees. This old route is stone lined – perhaps it is the way William Wordsworth came when he walked in the Wye Valley in 1793 and was later inspired to write his famous poem ‘Lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey’. Keep to the path between two cottages and come to an open area. Cleddon Falls can be seen, and heard, to the left. Take great care if you chose to take a closer look at the waterfall.
(3) From the Falls, turn around and follow the road opposite. In a couple of hundred yards, a large house can be seen over the wall to the right. This is Cleddon Hall, the birthplace of Bertrand Russell.
(4) Turn right at the kissing gate in the wall and walk diagonally across the meadow to the next kissing gate. Turn right onto the track and follow it uphill back into the Forestry Commission woods. Ignore the right turn in the forest road and keep steadily uphill taking the left fork in the road.
(5) Go through the gate and past a pond on your right.
There are some single dead trees left in the heathland – these provide good song posts for birds. Nightjars have been known to frequent this open area in summer.
(6) At the memorial seat to Joan Chivers, turn left uphill to another bridle gate. Go straight over the track and rejoin the red arrow route back to the car park. (S/E)
