The Blorenge

1. The most convenient place to Park is in the Byefield car-park off Tudor Street. A path leaves from here to Abergavenny Castle Meadows and the River Usk. Follow the path to the fine Merthyr Bridge. Immediately after crossing the bridge cross the road and follow the lane beside the river past Abergavenny's cemetery. The lane turns sharp left and goes under the "Heads of the Valley" road before passing a nursery and arriving at the Govilon road. Cross the road and take the lane that goes up beside St Faiths Church.

Starting from St Faiths Church

By car from Abergaveny cross the Merthyr Bridge and continue straight across at the roundabout on the Merthyr Road towards Govilon (do NOT go onto the main A465). Turn left up Kiln Lane by the Llanfoist Inn. Turn right and park in about 50m by the lych gate. Cross the stone stile into the church yard and follow the footpath around to the next stone stile that leads to Church Lane. Turn left.

2. Carry on up this lane until it bends left (private access road to Llanfoist Wharf) then carry straight on to reach a tunnel under the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal. This tunnel was constructed when the canal was built to allow access for parishioners to Llanfoist wharf. Go through the tunnel. To the left is the old Wharfmaster's house and to the right the wharf. Ahead is a stile which leads to the ascent up the old Llanfoist incline that was known as "the big drop". Down this incline came trams filled with iron and coal from Garndddyrys to be loaded onto barges destined for Newport or Brecon. The trams ran on rails attached to stone sleepers some of which can be still seen today. They can be identified by the hole bored into them to attach the rail. Climb the incline past a platform where a brake wheel used to sit. A chain ran around this attached at either end to the trams so that the descending loaded trams pulled the empty trams back up the incline. In all three inclines were used to connect to Hill's Tramroad. The top one is not now a right of way. Continue straight up the path crossing stiles before leaving the woods behind to reach a final stile before the ascent up the steep face of the Blorenge.

3. Note the path that contours eastwards around the hill. It is a good alternative for those who change their minds about climbing the Blorenge! The path leads to the "Punch Bowl" a cwm with an attractive lake. In spring all around this area is covered in bluebells. Walk past the lake following the path as it climbs then turns sharply right before reaching a gate. A sunken lane descends from here to meet a road that can be followed down to the canal. Cross the canal and walk along the towpath back to Llanfoist wharf.

4. The steep path upwards is plainly visible. Follow it straight up until you reach the crest of the ridge where there is a small brick building. Make your way across old workings heading SW towards the highest ground to quickly reach the well defined path to the summit trig point. A final rocky scramble and you are at the summit.

5. From the summit a rather indistinct path leads N (towards the Sugar Loaf). It descends over some rocks and looks rather like a sheep track. In the distance (if its not too misty) can be seen a rock finger. The path first leads away from this then turns back towards it. Continue towards the finger until you are about 200meters from it then turn left, leaving the path, so you are descending quite steeply NW across rough ground. If you are too near the finger before you turn left you will come to a band of rocky scree that must be crossed. Continue down to a path, cross this and change your direction slightly so you are descending steeply northwards still over rough ground (better in the winter when the bracken has died down.) When you come to the next path follow it down (right) until it meets Thomas Hill's Tramroad where there is a well preserved set of tramroad sleepers. This tramroad carried coal and iron from Garnddyrys to the top of the Llanfoist inclines.

Thomas Hill's Tramroad

6. Go east along the tramroad for about 20m to a path that slants down to the forest edge. Cross the stile and continue down along the edge of the coniferous forest then contour away from it to reach a pleasant leaf-covered path that descends through broad-leaved woodland. Cross the stile and continue straight ahead down a rather poor path to another stile. Cross this into a small field and continue through a gate towards Pen-y-Graig Farm. (It appears from the OS map that crossing this field from the stile to the gate, about 50m, is not a right of way. However walking to the far E end of the field then crossing it and walking back along the other side of the field is!) It is necessary to walk through the farm yard to reach the lane. Go down the lane to where it bends left and there is a gate with a way-mark. Go through or step over this gate (convenient rock), cross the field and through the next gate. Continue west and slightly downhill to near the end of the field where a stile leads into the woods.

7. Follow the sunken path downhill circumventing some fallen trees to a track which brings you back to Llanfoist wharf. Return through the churchyard and those who have parked in Abergavenny continue down Kiln Lane to the main road. Cross the road and continue down The Cutting to reach the slip road from the A465, Safeways, then the Merthyr Bridge.