Become a member
Join today and help protect nature, beauty and history – for everyone, for ever. Enjoy access to more than 500 places with National Trust membership.
Sugar Loaf and Usk Valley
Iconic Mountains, Rich Countryside, and a Sweeping 18th-Century Landscaped Park to Explore."
Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
Opening times for 4 July 2025
Asset Opening time Countryside Dawn - Dusk MTWTFSS3012345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031123OpenPartially openClosedCars
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Up to 2hrs: £2.00 All day: £5.00 Motorhomes / Minibuses
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Up to 2 hrs: £3.00 All day: £6.00 Buses
Ticket type With Gift Aid Without Gift Aid Up to 2 hrs: £3.00 All Day: £6.00 Become a member and discover more than 500 places
- Car park
Due to limited spaces, we recommend parking at the Fairfield car park at Abergavenny (NP7 5SG). Please note that walks starting in the town centre will be longer and we recommend you plan your route in advance. The Skirrid car park: Cars & vans: Up to 2hrs: £2 / All day: £5. Motorhomes & minibuses: Up to 2hrs: £3 / All day: £6
- Dogs allowed
Dogs are welcome but must be kept on short leads around livestock.
- Toilet
Abergavenny may be the nearest place for amenities
There is no wheelchair access at these countryside sites. Llanwenarth car park is very small and accessed along narrow lanes. Abergavenny is the nearest place with accessible facilities.
- Accessible route and/or map
There is no wheelchair access at these countryside sites.
- On foot
There are many footpaths on the Sugar Loaf. We recommend parking at the car park in Abergavenny called Fairfield NP7 5SG where there are usually plenty of spaces. Please note that walks starting in the town centre will be longer and we recommend you plan your route in advance.
- By train
Train station in Abergavenny
- By bus
X43 service from Cardiff to Abergavenny. B4 Beacons bus, only runs on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays during the summer.
- Cycling
The Taff Trail is 14 miles away at Talybont on Usk.
Planning your visit
Article
Visiting the Sugar Loaf and Usk Valley with your dog
Enjoy panoramic views of South Wales from Sugar Loaf, Skirrid and Kymin with your four-legged friend.
Highlights
Sugar Loaf
One of the highest peaks in the Black Mountains, with panoramic views across South Wales.
Skirrid
Rising dramatically out of the landscape, the last outcrop of the Black Mountains is rich in history and wilderness.
Clytha Estate
This 18th-century landscaped park combines fine architecture, grand sweeping views and tranquil countryside.
Coed y Bwnydd
A large and well preserved Iron Age hillfort, with a history stretching back more than 2,000 years.
St Mary's Vale
Miles of ancient woodland at the base of the Sugar Loaf, where oak and beech trees cling to the side of the valley.
Parc Lodge Farm
Once a medieval deer park, the countryside around the farm features extensive woodlands in a broad and open valley.
Things to see and do
Article
Visiting the Sugar Loaf
Discover the Black Mountains, where the Sugar Loaf dominates the landscape. With panoramic views of the surrounding countryside, the moorland is home to a wide variety of wildlife.
Article
Visiting the Clytha Estate
Meandering walks wind their way around the estate and along the River Usk, while architectural delights like Clytha House and Clytha Castle are never far away.
Top trails
Trail
The Skirrid trail in the Sugar Loaf and Usk Valley
Walk a mountain of myths and legends on this energetic trail that will lead you to the summit of the Skirrid.
Trail
Clytha short circular walk in the Usk Valley
Explore this timeless estate in Monmouthshire on this easy short circular walk. Take in far-reaching views of Sugar Loaf and the Usk Valley. It's a place rich in history and with a wide variety of wildlife.
Trail
Clytha and Coed y Bwnydd walk
A 7.5-mile walk along the River Usk that takes in the Coed y Bwnydd hillfort and Clytha Castle, an 18th-century folly, along the way.
Upcoming events
Sorry, there are no upcoming events at this place
About Sugar Loaf and Usk Valley
The Sugar Loaf and Usk Valley is a landscape of contrasts. It’s where the dramatic Black Mountains give way to broader, rich and green open pastures. The distinctive ‘Holy Mountain’ Skirrid peers in from the north-east, standing on the very edge of the mountain range - the legend of a landslide at the moment of Jesus’ crucifixion coupled with the now-ruined chapel at the summit are likely origins of the mountain’s local nickname. Ancient woodlands and riverside walks provide the perfect escape from everyday life and each passing season brings something new to discover: Coed-y-Bwnydd’s carpet of bluebells to the rich turning colour of the woodland's at St Mary’s Vale. The magnificent Clytha Estate brings the picturesque era into the present. It includes Grade One listed Clytha House, beautiful gardens and sweeping parkland with stately trees.
History
Article
Skirrid history and legends
Find out about the myths and legends of the Skirrid and surrounding area, including how the Holy Mountain got its name and how a giant formed the Skirrid.
Our work
Project
Project
Woodland restoration at the Skirrid
A 25-year project to restore woodland at the Skirrid in has transformed it from a conifer plantation to native woodland with bluebells appearing in spring.
Support us
Volunteer with us
Search for live volunteering opportunities, or register your interest with Sugar Loaf and Usk Valley.