Winston Court

Explorer Tom Skirrid Fawr rises outside Abergavenny with a split at its northern end that looks like a giant took a bite and changed his mind. Tom has heard several stories about how that happened, but the landslide is real and the giant belongs to folklore. At 486 metres, this is a fine hill with more history on top than its height suggests. The Welsh name Ysgyryd refers to shaking or breaking, fitting the dramatic torn edge of the mountain. Ruins of St Michael's chapel stand near the summit. Worshippers still gathered there after the Reformation, and the hill became known as the Holy Mountain. One legend claims its rock split at the moment of the Crucifixion; another brings in Jack O'Kent and the Devil with a badly tied apron of soil. Tom cannot improve that last bit without making it less believable. The National Trust's usual route begins at a car park on the Abergavenny to Skenfrith road. It climbs through Pant Skirrid Wood and then follows the ridge, opening views across the surrounding countryside. A circular trail is roughly 6.4 kilometres. The woodland gives a gentler start, though there are sharp climbs, mud and uneven paths before the top. There is no summit ticket, but car parking has a charge. Keep to paths around the exposed ridge and the landslip, and check the weather before setting off. Dogs should be controlled near livestock. Spend a moment at the chapel remains, then look towards the broken northern end. Between geology, faith and one very unlucky giant's apron, this hill has earned its own peculiar character.