New Radnor – geoffspages.blog

From the Shropshire hills, a great flat-topped dome dominates the southern distance – Radnor Forest (not a forest, though the hill’s northern slopes are well-covered with conifers). Prominent, with good eyesight or binoculars, is the (TV?) mast on Black Mixen. It follows that, given good weather, its views should be extensive and panoramic. We’d better go and find out.

It looks like one big hill – in fact it’s very nearly two – the deep and forbidden Harley Dingle (ammunition testing ranges!) almost bisects Radnor Forest. Great Rhos is the highest point (that’s the wrong word to use), at 660m (2166′), on the western side. It connects to the eastern Black Mixen (650m) by a narrow neck of land on the fringe of the forest. From the sleepy streets of New Radnor, the route is thus a high-level horseshoe, providing an excellent day out in this very quiet hill country (one other walker, and a distant horse-and-rider). There are more red kites than people. The views? Yes, as we imagined – a 360° panorama – hills in all directions. Wonderful!