Beacon Hill
1 SO251742 Take the narrow lane west from Knucklas, on the north side of the railway, soon leading onto a track. Keep ahead, uphill, for 750m and at the next lane keep ahead on a path through fields, which climbs up to a clump of pine trees on Wernygeufron Hill.
2 SO238756 Turn left at the pines to walk west along a broad, grassy ridge. Continue for 500m and pass through a farm gate leading onto Open Access land with sweeping slopes of heather, gorse and rolling upland pasture. Keep ahead on a wide track, with a fence on the left, and pass a number of small pools. Some of these have been created as part of habitat management work and a range of dragonflies are found here. Walk west for 4.5km, gradually climbing all the time, with views over the long valley of Lawn Brook to the wide plateau of Beacon Hill. The track eventually drops slightly towards a forestry plantation and a junction of tracks.
3 SO191748 Turn right and then go left on a good track alongside forestry (signed Glyndw^ r’s Way). Keep on the track for 1km and veer left to climb Pool Hill. Turn north to re-join the track for 1.25km. Head west for 400m to Stanky Hill, then walk west of north for almost 1km to Black Mountain – though the term mountain is a bit of an exaggeration! Walk south-east through heather, around the head of Warren Brook, and continue up to the trig point on Beacon Hill.
4 SO176767 Continue east, following the escarpment above Fron Rocks, and continue for 2.5km to meet a junction of tracks above steeply sloping ground. Turn south on a good track leading to a gate. Follow the track as it bends sharp left and go through two more gates to pass the farm at Penllan. Join a narrow lane and drop steeply down to Lawn Farm.
5 SO206763 Go right at the next lane and go immediately left between barns to cross a bridge over Lawn Brook. Look for footpath signs and go through the righthand gate. Walk up the track for 150m and, when this bends to the right, take the gate on the left to enter woodland. Follow the track for 500m and continue as it turns uphill through the trees to reach a gate leading to open fields with views over to Wernygeufron Hill. Turn left to pass through another gate and keep right to join a rough grass track. Follow indistinct footpath signs through fields and gates to meet a track leading down to the farm at Wernygeufron. Continue to a lane and go straight across, through a gate, and walk east to the far corner of the field and turn right on the road. After a few metres, go through a gate on the left and walk east through the large field to reach a rough stile in the far corner. Turn left and cross the footbridge to reach the lane by a house at Mellin-y-Grogue.
6 SO232768 Turn right and follow the lane, through the hamlet of Llanfair Waterdine, and turn right after 1.7km to cross the river at Lloyney to reach the B4355. Turn left along the road for 900m, then take the path on the right, soon leading up to Castle Hill. The dips and mounds mark the remains of a 12th century castle that was attacked and destroyed by Owain Glyndw^ r in 1402. A footpath through trees leads down into Knucklas.