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Pen y Crug Hillfort Summit – View of the River Usk loop from Aberyscir

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Hiking trails & Routes

Pen y Crug Hillfort Summit – View of the River Usk loop from Aberyscir

Moderate

hikers

Pen y Crug Hillfort Summit – View of the River Usk loop from Aberyscir

04:43

17.0km

300m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: May 27, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Bannau Brycheiniog National Park

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

5.33 km

View of Pen y Crug from Cradoc Road

Highlight • Historical Site

Pen Y Crug is one of the best Iron Age Forts in Wales!

Tip by

6.17 km

View of Pen y Crug

Highlight • Viewpoint

Nice views to be had from here but better ones await at the top of Pen Y Crug.

Tip by

6.68 km

Pen-y-crug is our local little gem of a hill here on the outskirts of Brecon. It is commonly referred to locally as simply 'The Crug' (pronounced cree-g). The Welsh name signifies 'top of the mound'. Its slopes are moderately gentle on three sides; only to the west do they steepen somewhat. Its broad, trig-pointed, adorned summit at 331m has stunning views and overlooks the River Usk valley to the south, along with the glorious outlines of Pen y Fan and the central Brecon Beacons range. To the southeast are panoramic views over Brecon, while to the east are the Black Mountains. It is a veritable gem of a place; it is a super example of an iron-age multivallate hillfort, it has a trig point, and it simply has the best views in the whole Usk valley.

Tip by

7.16 km

View of Pen y Crug

Highlight • Summit

9.28 km

View of the River Usk

Highlight • Viewpoint

This is where I come with my boyfriend. He looks into my eyes here every time and tells me he loves me. So, for me, this is a special place!

....and then I wake up!

Tip by

9.50 km

Brecon Promenade and River Usk View

Highlight • Viewpoint

This is a beautiful riverside spot just five minutes walk from Brecon town centre. It is a beautiful tranquil setting with parking and nearby toilets (20p). There is a riverside walk and a small amusement arcade on site which serves refreshments. There are beautiful views of the river and the Brecon Beacons from here. Very popular with motorhomes, dog walkers and kayakers.
Parking info: Flat, tarmac municipal car park. Overnight parking is free between 1800-0800, thereafter the fee is £8 all day or £6 for up to 4hrs.

Tip by

9.76 km

Roman Road Bridleway

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

In days gone by, between AD. 48 — 395, Brecon was an important fulcrum of communication for no less than four Roman roads. One would come in from the east, two from the south, and this one would come in from the west, from the direction of Llandovery. This section runs from The Promenade car park in Brecon to the Gaer Roman Fort in Cradoc. There is nothing left of the original road now, and the only reference on maps is on Harvey Maps. OS maps refer to it as a bridleway.
These days, this is a good footpath that joins Brecon to Cradoc, but to get to Cradoc village itself, you will have to walk on the road from the Gaer fort. The footpath is bordered with hedges, and views of the surrounding beautiful countryside are limited at the start and finish of the footpath. I will add a note here that this footpath runs alongside a streambed, so in the winter it becomes a very wet, muddy footpath. In the summer, it is a good footpath, but in the latter stages of the season, it becomes overgrown.

Tip by

13.2 km

Brecon Gaer Roman Fort

Highlight • Historical Site

Rural remains of a major military outpost

Looking at its tranquil location in farmland near Brecon today, you’d never guess that Gaer was once one of the Romans’ largest inland forts and a vital link in the occupiers’ defensive network in Wales. Founded around AD 75, it was situated in a strategic position at the meeting point of two major roads and manned by highly trained legionaries of the Vettonian Spanish Cavalry Regiment.
In Roman times this was a busy site, with a large guardhouse, granary and heated bathhouse. Today you can see remains of a number of defensive towers, alongside two large gateways with walls standing 8ft/2.4m high in places.
For further details, access and how to get there click here: britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=799

Tip by

17.0 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

9.77 km

5.74 km

1,000 m

420 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

9.71 km

4.75 km

1.11 km

750 m

671 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (320 m)

Lowest point (130 m)

Weather

Monday 13 July

26°C

12°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 22.0 km/h

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Pen y Crug Hillfort Summit – View of the River Usk loop from Aberyscir

View of Pen y Crug from Cradoc Road

View of Pen y Crug