To Castell Dinas via the Gliding Club

Walk back out of the main entrance to the car park and turn left towards the town centre. Take the first right, Heol Las, and keep straight ahead to merge with Regent Street. Turn right and follow this to a turning area and a gate, where you keep ahead onto the old Abergavenny Road, now a walking track.
Continue for ¼ mile and cross a stile on the left. Keep straight ahead to drop down steps to a footbridge and continue ahead to the road. Turn right then turn left, through a field gate, to walk up the edge of the field, with the hedge to your right. Continue through another gate and keep ahead as the field narrows to a stile at the very top.
1. Turn left onto the road and then cross another stile on your left to enter another field. Keep ahead to a gate and go through to drop through woodland into Cwm Trappi Dingle. Cross the bridge and climb away to cross another stile. Continue for a few paces and turn right over a stile. Now keep to the left towards Troed-yr-harn Farm. Cross stiles to the right of the farm and then bear left to follow the field edge around and down to a stile that leads onto a road. Turn right and at the junction, keep right (signed Glider Club). Continue to a gate on your right and go through this to walk parallel to the drive to another – this leads onto the runway of the airfield so proceed with care. Cross the airfield and upon reaching the far hedge, turn left, to keep it on your right, to walk up to the buildings. Keep the buildings to your right and continue beyond the car park, with the hedge again to your right, to the road (The track on the left leads back to Pwll y Wrach Dingle and point 5 of walk 1).
2. Turn right to follow the road along to a converted chapel and then bear left, onto another lane that will now take you all the way to the foot the mountains. Where it turns left, bear right, through a gate, and now follow the main track along the edge of the open ground with the ridge of Y Grib above you. Where the track drops right towards Dinas Farm, keep ahead to cross a stile in the fence and climb steeply to the old fort ruins. (The walk returns to the same place so the climb can be avoided if necessary).
Castell Dinas
More glorious views as you climb to the top. Since Iron Age times this has been a fortress to defend the Pass below from Talgarth to Crickhowell. Looking at the views of the Usk Valley, Wye Valley and Black Mountains, it’s easy to see why the Romans, 5th century King Brychan Brycheiniog and then the Normans all made this a strategic hillfort and castle. See the grass covered defence mounds or ramparts of ancient people, then the walled baileys and keep of the Middle Ages. The Castell even has a water spring situated near the summit. At 1476 feet above sea level Castell Dinas is the highest castle in England and Wales – you truly are ’King of the Castle’
3. The fort offers wonderful views over the surrounding area, with the Rhiangoll Valley leading south east into the Usk Valley and the Wye Valley stretched out to the north. Explore the ruins at will and then return to the stile at the bottom of the hill, where you now proceed down the track, now on your left, towards Dinas Farm. Turn right over a waymarked stile ahead of the farm and continue ahead over another stile. Continue to a marker post in the trees and bear left here to drop to another stile. Now keep ahead, with the hedge to the right through a couple of fields until you are eventually deflected leftwards by double fenced ditch. Follow to a stile in the corner and cross this and the next one and walk left out into the field. Follow the fence to your right and then break half left to stile in the corner. Now keep ahead with the hedge to your left to a lane. Turn left and then straightaway right towards Middle Genffordd Farm and then, as the drive bends right, cross a stile on the left into a field. Turn right through the first gate and keep straight ahead to cross another stile. Now continue with the hedge to your left and after the next stile bear half left to the far corner where you join the road near Gwrlodde Farm.
4. Turn right here and continue for a mile to rejoin your outward route back to Talgarth (or just stay on the road).
‘UP, UP AND AWAY!’
Gliding Club
Black Mountains Gliding Club was started by two local farmers 30 years ago. Today one of the country’s premier gliding sites, set amid spectacular scenery and with the longest average flight times in the UK – why not have a trial lesson? The views from above the mountain ridge in the company of a buzzard or even a red kite soaring the same thermals, is a unique experience. Make yourself a drink in the club house, put your feet up outside and watch. Just ask any member to help make those dreams come true. This is an active airfield so remember to ‘stop, look and listen‘ before crossing the airfield – gliders are almost silent when landing or taking off!